The strategic partnership between energy and environmental solutions provider John Thompson, a division of ACTOM, and biomass energy projects developer and supplier Berkeley Energy Corporate Solutions (BECS), will deliver profitable biomass energy solutions to African industries.

Together, the companies aim to accelerate the deployment of reliable, renewable steam solutions to industrial clients across Africa.

This collaboration brings together John Thompson’s engineering expertise and manufacturing capability with BECS’ innovative approach to sourcing, securing and supplying sustainable biomass fuel.

The alliance is a partnership geared towards helping businesses decarbonise operations, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and meet growing demands for cost-effective, renewable energy.

As a non-exclusive partnership, BECS will continue pursuing other energy projects independently, while John Thompson will engage BECS in suitable projects for customers that require funding, development support and scalable energy-as-a-service delivery.

Decarbonising with Confidence

With industrial sectors under growing pressure to transition to low-carbon operations, this partnership is particularly timely.

The industrial sector is a major energy consumer and carbon emitter, particularly in industries that rely on high-temperature process heat.

Switching to cleaner fuels is more than just a regulatory imperative; it is a business necessity, which is why the John Thompson-BECS model will succeed.

The partnership offers a low-carbon steam solution based on sustainable biomass feedstock. Under a long-term heat offtake agreement, the system is designed, funded, built and operated on behalf of the client, who simply pays for the steam consumed.

“This approach helps businesses overcome the two biggest barriers to decarbonisation: the high upfront cost and technical complexity of energy system upgrades,” says John Thompson Industrial CEO Jaco Grobbelaar.

He adds that clients need not become energy experts, because John Thompson takes on the risk, the capital expenditure, and the performance accountability.

What sets this partnership apart is BECS’ strategic approach to biomass sourcing.

BECS works directly with large-scale agricultural and forestry producers and processors to secure long-term feedstock contracts that are sustainable, traceable and cost-effective.

This ensures a reliable fuel supply chain tailored to the client’s specific needs, something many energy developers cannot offer.

“In a market where supply risks and quality inconsistencies can stall biomass adoption, we provide stability,” explains BECS Southern Africa business development manager Jonathan Probert, adding that BECS aligns its supply chains to specific project locations and customer volumes, ensuring security of supply while maintaining competitive pricing.

He stresses that, unlike other players in the African energy space, BECS is focused solely on renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions, including using sustainable biomass to generate steam and/or power.

“This partnership enables us to deliver bankable, long-term energy solutions that meet the real-world needs of industrial clients,” says BECS MD Nicholas Tatrallyay.

Expanding Across Africa

Initial deployments are already under way in South Africa, with the model now being introduced to industrial clients in Zambia, Kenya, Mozambique and Ghana, where energy resilience and sustainability are key enablers of growth.

The solution is particularly attractive to companies looking to reduce carbon emissions and operational risk while securing predictable long-term energy pricing.

The partnership is already progressing on a range of biomass boiler projects across South Africa, with potential expansion into other African markets where John Thompson has an existing footprint.

By integrating BECS’ biomass fuel solutions into John Thompson’s proven boiler systems and operational models, clients can expect a “seamless transition to renewable energy without sacrificing performance or uptime”.

“This is not just about replacing a fuel source. It is about delivering an end-to-end renewable-energy solution that works,” concludes Grobbelaar.