Ambatovy Nickel power station
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Ambatovy Nickel power station is an operating power station of at least 120-megawatts (MW) in Ampitambe, Alaotra-Mangoro, Toamasina, Madagascar.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Ambatovy Nickel power station | Ampitambe, Alaotra-Mangoro, Toamasina, Madagascar | -18.20196, 49.35628 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: -18.20196, 49.35628
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: unknown[1] | 40 | subcritical | 2011 | False |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: unknown[1] | 40 | subcritical | 2011 | False |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: unknown[1] | 40 | subcritical | 2011 | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Dynatec Madagascar SA [100%] | Sumitomo Corp [54.2%]; Korea Mine Rehabilitation & Mineral Resources Corp [45.8%] |
| Unit 2 | Dynatec Madagascar SA [100%] | Sumitomo Corp [54.2%]; Korea Mine Rehabilitation & Mineral Resources Corp [45.8%] |
| Unit 3 | Dynatec Madagascar SA [100%] | Sumitomo Corp [54.2%]; Korea Mine Rehabilitation & Mineral Resources Corp [45.8%] |
Project-level captive use details
- Captive industry use (heat or power): power
- Captive industry: Nickel
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Ambatovy Nickel power station is a three-unit coal-fired power plant with a total capacity of 120 MW, powering the operations of the Ambatovy nickel mine. The plant was completed in 2011, and was originally owned by a joint venture of Sherritt International, Sumitomo, Korea Resources Corp. (KORES), and SNC-Lavalin. The mine's commercial operation was achieved in 2014. The mined ore is transferred to an on-site ore preparation plant for separating laterite from waste and mixing water to it to produce ore slurry. The ore slurry is fed through a pipeline system that links the mine to the processing plant located 220km away and 11km south of the Port of Toamasina.[2][3]
Ambatovy halted nickel production for a year due to national COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.[4]
A 2022 journal article published in Nature Sustainability claimed that the Ambatovy Nickel power station would be the first mine in the world to fully offset deforestation and biodiversity losses caused by its processes.[5] This "controversial accolade" involved many caveats and lacked concrete evaluation. Representatives from Ambatovy were in support of the study and said that they were committed to acting responsibly, despite claims of odor and water pollution connected to the plant.[6]
In November 2024, it was reported that operations at the Ambatovy nickel and cobalt plant had been suspended for a month due to a pipeline rupture before gradually resuming. It was also noted that the facility had been unable to meet its production targets, resulting in a significant loss in value of nearly $600 million. In light of these challenges, it was reported that Sumitomo was considering selling its controlling stake in the project to another company.[7] As of November 2025, no sale or transfer of ownership had been reported.
It was confirmed in October 2025 that production at the plant had not been affected by recent political instability, and that scheduled maintenance shutdowns in November were proceeding as planned.[8]
As of February 2026, the Ambatovy nickel and cobalt plant had suspended operations due to damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Gezani.[9] By June 2026, the nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant had reportedly resumed operations.[10]
In July 2026, Toamasina’s Council of Ministers reportedly authorized Jiro sy Rano Malagasy (JIRAMA), the national water and electricity utility, to negotiate a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ambatovy. The Ambatovy power station’s surplus energy was reported to be 30–40 MW.[11]
Ownership
In 2015, partner SNC-Lavalin sold its participation in Ambatovy’s capital to Sumitomo Corporation.[12] Sherritt reduced its share in Ambatovy’s capital from 40% to 12% in 2017, and then to nothing in 2020.[4]
In August 2020, the South Korean government announced plans to sell its stakes in 'loss-making' mines', including the Ambatovy plant. As of April 2022, however, the new President Yoon Suk-yeol had chosen to rescind this motion and instead invite private-sector companies to lead international energy projects in the government's stead.[13]
In May 2026, Sumitomo reportedly announced plans to sell their entire stake in Ambatovy to Ambatovy Mineral Resources Investment Holding (AMRI) by March 2027. AMRI was reported to be a consortium led by Essenwood Partners Limited and Zungu Investments.[10]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "History of the project," Ambatovy, accessed May 27, 2021
- ↑ "Ambatovy Nickel-Cobalt Project," NS Energy, accessed May 27, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Madagascar's Ambatovy restarts nickel production," S&P Global, March 26, 2021
- ↑ Devenish, K., Desbureaux, S., Willcock, S. et al. On track to achieve no net loss of forest at Madagascar’s biggest mine. Nat Sustain (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00850-7
- ↑ "Is a Madagascan mine the first to offset its destruction of rainforest?". the Guardian. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ↑ "Japan's Sumitomo Plans to Sell Madagascar's Largest Nickel Mine," EcoFin Agency, November 4, 2024
- ↑ "Ambatovy Nickel Project Weathers Madagascar’s Political Upheaval," Discovery Alert, October 31, 2025
- ↑ “Sumitomo's Madagascar project Ambatovy remains shut due to cyclone damage,” Mining Weekly, February 18, 2026
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 “Madagascar : la mine de nickel Ambatovy redémarre après 4 mois d’arrêt,” Agence Ecofin, June 12, 2026
- ↑ “ÉNERGIE – La Jirama autorisée à négocier l’achat du surplus d’électricité produit pour Ambatovy,” 2424.mg, July 23, 2026
- ↑ "SNC-Lavalin exercises its option to sell its interest in Madagascar’s Ambatovy Nickel Project," SNC-Lavalin, September 30, 2015
- ↑ Global, K. E. D. "S.Korea to scrap plans to sell Ambatovy mine stake". KED Global. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
