Manufacturing

West Africa’s new textile hub?

A Benin worker manning a machine in a textile factory.

Worker in a cotton ginning factory in Benin. (Image source: M. Diarassouba für AbTF)

According to the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), Benin is establishing itself as a new procurement and production hub for textiles and clothing

AbTF is supporting this development through Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), one of its sustainability standards, that aims to provide a sustainable and local basis for textile production while also facilitating access to international markets. The potential of the country’s textile market was confirmed by visit from a AbTF delegation.

“African textile production is gaining momentum, and Cotton made in Africa makes a major contribution to ensuring that sustainability plays a key role,” said Gerlind Baz, a senior project manager at AbTF. “We are very pleased to support the development of a West African textile production sector here in Benin and to thereby further promote market access for sustainably produced cotton from Africa.”

The West African country has recently celebrated the construction of a textile production centre near Cotonou. With 100% of the cotton verified by CmiA, it has depicted as a major step forward in the development of an independent and sustainable textile industry in Benin.

Sustainable cotton

In Benin, cotton has been grown in accordance with the CmiA standard since the initiative was founded in 2005. Together with three cotton companies in Benin, AbTF is working through its CmiA and CmiA Organic standards to improve market access for cotton producers and to make people more resilient to the effects of climate change while protecting the environment and biodiversity.

After visiting the new textile park, the delegation, alongside partners from GIZ and PAN UK, met farmers who grow cotton in accordance with the CmiA Organic standards and who are a part of the Growing Benin’s Organic Cotton Sector project. This aims to improve living conditions for farmers and supports them in the transition to the cultivation of organic cotton in compliance with standards. By expanding market access through CmiA, the project plans to secure long-term investments in the organic cotton sector in Benin.

Ampersand unveils EV manufacturing plant in Nairobi

Amerpsand e-motorcycles lined up in a row.

Ampersand aims to deploy five million e-motorcycles by 2033. (Image source: Ampersand)

Ampersand, a leading electric vehicle (EV) energy tech company, has opened a large manufacturing facility in Nairobi, enabling it to meet the increasing demand for electric motorcycles in the country

The new 21,000 sq m factor is three times larger than the previous site and boasts an additional 100 staff members. It will allow the company to assemble up to 60 electric motorcycles each day, tripling its production capacity in the country.

“Our new Nairobi factory is a major step forward in both scale and impact,” remarked Josh Whale, CEO of Ampersand. “It reflects our dedication to providing sustainable, affordable EV solutions that directly benefit riders and the environment. With this expanded capacity, we’re in a stronger position to support the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycle transport and to scale Ampersand’s proven business model.”

A sustainable transport solution

The new expansion swiftly follows the company’s announcement that it had raised total equity of US$21.5mn (over the course of a year) in a demonstration of the appetite for e-mobility solutions in the region.

Each sustainable e-motorcycle from the company avoids at least 2 mt of CO2e per bike per year and, on average, reportedly increases customer income by 45% annually. According to Ampersand, the enhanced Kenyan operation – in combination with its successful model in Rwanda – is laying a strong foundation for its continued expansion in East Africa and for achieving its goal of deploying five million electric motorcycles by 2033.

A new solar cell manufacturing facility in Ethiopia

A picture of new solar cells on a conveyor belt.

Up to 880 jobs are expected to be created through the new plant. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

TOYO, a solar solution company, has unveiled plans to build a new solar cell manufacturing facility in Hawassa, Ethiopia

With an expected annual capacity of 2GW, the facility will be delivered through an estimated US$60mn investment from the company which has just signed a lease agreement for the new site of 31,500 sq m.

“We are thrilled to embark on this ambitious project, which will enable us to rapidly scale up solar cell production to meet the needs of our planned module facility in the United States,” said Junsei Ryu, CEO of TOYO.

“Establishing this manufacturing plant is a key step in our strategic vision to diversify our supply chain and enhance our sourcing capabilities for solar solutions in the global market.”

A strategic decision

Hanwassa has been strategically selected by TOYO as it will allow the company to take advantage of the country’s favourable investment policies, tariff status, and ample hydropower supply. The latter will be critical in TOYO’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. This is becoming increasingly important to utility-scale developers in the US, Europe and other markets.

Fitting out of the new plant is expected to begin in November, before the start of production at the end of Q1 2025 – if all goes to plan. The facility will be modified to meet the needs of modern, automated cell production and, according to TOYO, will enhance the company’s production capabilities and increase efficiency, reduce costs, and allow it to respond more swiftly to market demands.

While this will help to position TOYO as a competitive key player in the renewable energy sector, local benefits will also be abundant, with TOYO expecting up to 880 jobs to be created as the new facility is brought online.

Partners seek to enhance supply chain traceability

A person handling a tyre in a manufacturing plant.

Circulor’s traceability platform and Rockwell’s existing automation systems provide actionable insights that can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and create a competitive advantage in the evolving sustainability landscape. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Circulor, a leading supply chain traceability solution provider, has agreed to collaborate with Rockwell Automation, a company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, in order to help customers trace the origin of raw materials from source to final product

Circulor’s platform empowers customers to not only adhere to increasingly strict regulatory standards, but also achieve their sustainability goals by providing a holistic view of the materials journey. As per the new partnership, Rockwell will offer advanced traceability solutions to enable manufacturers to meet emerging regulatory requirements while verifying the source materials, demonstrating digital chain-of-custody and tracking emissions.

Rockwell plans to deploy this solution globally across auto, tyre, battery, metals, mining, and cement industries through Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation business. Kalypso will work closely with customers to assess their unique needs, provide consulting services and support the rollout of this innovative solution across their supply chain.

Manufacturing traceability

Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, chief executive officer of Circulor, remarked, “In an increasingly competitive and complex market where being sustainable and responsible is a strategic imperative, the combination of Rockwell’s state-of-the-art manufacturing expertise and Circulor’s leading traceability and digital product passports provide organisations with the answer to gaining a competitive advantage.”

“Our focus on sustainability aligns with our customers’ strategic objectives,” added James Glasson, vice president of global industry for auto, tire, and advanced mobility at Rockwell Automation. “This collaboration with Circulor allows us to offer a comprehensive traceability solution that not only addresses growing global regulations but also provides unprecedented visibility into supply chain carbon footprints.”

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A man holding a printed label from Brady.

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This article is authored by Brady Corporation