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Facet Power, Goodwin Technologies, and their joint venture partner, Jeni Eco Company, met with His Excellency Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi, in Washington, D.C., on February 7, 2025. The meeting focused on sharing updates and presenting an ambitious vision to harness Burundi’s agricultural potential and climate adaptation strategies, transforming them into a thriving circular bioeconomy that fosters inclusive growth, climate resilience, and global competitiveness.

Facet Power’s strategy is anchored in its Climate Is a System: Solve It Like One™ framework, designed to scale industries with strong synergies to bioenergy and carbon management technologies.

Key initiatives include advancing climate-smart agribusiness, developing biochar energy systems, innovating nanocarbon materials, and producing mycelium-based products. These efforts aim to drive job creation, skill development, climate resilience, and sustainable economic growth, all while delivering attractive returns on private investments. 

A cornerstone of the plan is an innovative sustainable water economy initiative, managed through the newly proposed Burundi Water Sovereign Fund (BWSF). This fund will safeguard Burundi’s abundant freshwater resources—an essential geopolitical asset—while supporting critical infrastructure, universal basic income, and the country’s progress toward developed nation status.

This private-sector-led bioeconomic transformation plan has the potential to attract $2.7 billion in combined private and public investments by 2060, delivering significant outcomes:

• A fourfold increase in average citizen income.
• A sixfold rise in export volumes.
• Training and employment opportunities for 150,000 skilled workers.
• A 20-25% boost to GDP through integrated growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and services.

President Ndayishimiye expressed strong support for these initiatives, highlighting the importance of private-sector collaboration. Immediate next steps include:

• Fast-tracking development of the Facet Jeni-Eco Jitmat Sweet Sorghum Biorefinery.
• Launching pilot programs for mycelium materials, nanocarbon technologies, and sustainable water products.
• Expanding capacity-building initiatives to train and employ Burundian youth and farmers.

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his transformative plan sets the stage for Burundi to emerge as a global leader in sustainable development and bioeconomic innovation. For more:

Facet Power Meets with President of Burundi to Drive Sustainable Development & Bioeconomy Innovation

A powerful new partnership between Facet Power and Oko Energy sets a new standard for how businesses and communities can lead and prosper in the era of climate. 

The partnership kicks off in Ghana projects in the joint venture’s Food-Water-Energy Nexus, Climate Smart Agriculture, Vibrant Circular Forest Economies, and Sustainable Battery Advanced Manufacturing EcoSystems. 

"This partnership embodies our shared vision of a sustainable future for West Africa and the planet," said Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq., Co-Founder and President of Facet Power. " Together we are building a synergistic network across West Africa to transform renewable energy into a multi-faceted climate tool and foster a regenerative, low-carbon, inclusive economy deeply embedded in the broader climate system.”  

Kofi Debrah, Co-Founder of Oko Energy, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We are excited to join forces with Facet Power to bring their innovative solutions to West Africa. This collaboration will not only address the pressing climate challenges we face but also unlock significant economic opportunities for our communities." 

For more please see   

Facet Power and Oko Energy Forge Strategic Alliance to Transform Energy and Climate Solutions in Africa

Facet Power welcomed Derek Gauger as Chief Financial Officer & Chief Technoeconomic Officer on January 1, 2025 – a strategic addition that amplifies Facet's momentum revolutionizing renewable energy development and climate finance.
 

Derek brings an exceptional blend of innovation and execution, with 12+ years steering clean energy finance across five continents. His portfolio spans 50+ biomass feedstocks and multiple breakthrough technologies, demonstrating a rare combination of technical depth and financial acumen.
 

As an accomplished innovator with 28 patents to his name, Derek has consistently pushed boundaries at the intersection of Fin Tech, renewable energy, and technological innovation. His track record of transforming visionary concepts into bankable projects across 15 countries aligns perfectly with Facet's mission to accelerate capital deployment into high-impact climate solutions.
 

Derek joins Facet's powerhouse executive leadership team - Co-Founders Amy McCrae Kessler and Chad Goodwin and Chief Operating Officer Joel Nana Kontchou – uniting world-class expertise in climate, energy and carbon innovation, operational excellence, and financial engineering to create an unparalleled force in climate & energy solution development and execution.
 

Derek's appointment marks a pivotal moment as we reshape the architecture of climate finance and scale our project pipeline. His unique expertise in structuring complex deals and optimizing capital efficiency will be instrumental in Facet's next phase of exponential growth.

Facet Power, Jeni Eco Company, and Jitmat (U) Ltd announce the formation of a joint venture poised to transform Burundi’s agricultural, energy, and climate tech sectors into engines of inclusive, climate-integrated economic development.

This transformative initiative establishes a market-driven, climate-smart, and inclusive ecosystem that integrates agribusiness, energy, and climate solutions. 

By processing sweet sorghum into sugar, bioethanol, animal feed, biochar, electricity, and carbon removals, it addresses critical global challenges, including energy access, food security, and climate adaptation. 

Positioned to drive sustainable development and climate-resilient economic growth, the project aims to catalyze progress in Burundi and across East Africa.

For more please see Innovative Sweet Sorghum Food Water Energy Nexus Project Launches in Burundi

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FACET POWER Co-Founder & President Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq. shares thoughts on what the carbon dioxide industry really needs with Sebastian Manhart and Carbon Removals At Cop28. 

We don't have time or funds to waste on climate solutions that aren't working overtime to deliver impact and superior returns. The discipline and principles investors apply to any other investment class should apply to climate solutions as well. Instead, we are seeing funds flow to technologies that won't provide either for a decade, if ever, and bypass high - impact, high return solutions ready today. 

When fully optimized, biochar systems are the most powerful full spectrum climate solution and return on investment opportunity available. In this context, Amy shares her thoughts on the time value of money in the climate era, efficiency of investments, and walking our climate talk.

FACET POWER Co-Founder & President Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq. shares thoughts on what recent carbon removal industry developments she's most excited about with Sebastian Manhart and Carbon Removals At Cop28. 

Long overlooked, biochar systems have a tremendously important role to play in addressing all aspects of climate.  

Amy, Chad, and the Team at Facet Power and at the U.S. Biochar Coalition, a biochar systems industry association Amy co-founded, Chairs, and Co-Chairs Policy for together with Chad who serves as a Director and Co-Chair of the Standards Committee, are working tirelessly to change that.  

Biochar's Glow Up is finally here and the future of this climate solution powerhous couldn't be brighter.

Facet Power is proud to announce the appointment of Joel Nana Kontchou as our new Chief Operating Officer (COO). With over 35 years of leadership experience in the energy sector, Joel brings unparalleled expertise in operational excellence, strategic planning, and transformative growth.

Joel’s distinguished career includes serving as the Managing Director of Eneo Cameroon, where he led financial turnaround, implemented a 170 billion FCFA investment plan, and increased the country’s electrification rate by 20%. His leadership also drove the successful privatization of Eneo Cameroon, growing its customer base from 858,000 to over 1.3 million.

At Facet Power, Joel will play a pivotal role in driving innovation, operational efficiency, and sustainable energy solutions. His proven ability to optimize costs, streamline operations, and foster a positive organizational culture aligns seamlessly with Facet Power’s mission to deliver reliable, impactful, category defining climate and energy solutions.

Joel’s appointment marks an exciting phase of growth for Facet Power as we continue to expand our reach and strengthen our position as a leader in the bioenergy & climate sector. 

About Joel Nana Kontchou:

• Former Managing Director of Eneo Cameroon S.A., and Schlumberger West and Central Africa (SLB).
• Founder, Makoe Ventures, supporting young African entrepreneurs and sustainable development.
• Member of the Board of Directors at United Bank of Africa, Cameroon.
• Recognized community and thought leader in Central Africa.

 FACET POWER Co-Founder & President Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq. & Chief Innovation Officer, Chad Goodwin participated in the inaugural Central Africa Think Tank Forum hosted by Nkafu Policy Institute and Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation in Yaounde, Cameroon. 

Keynote speaker, Facet Power Senior Advisor, former Managing Director of Eneo Cameroon S.A., MD of SLB West & Central Africa, founder of Makoe Ventures, & community leader, Joel Nana Kontchou, set the tone for a groundbreaking discussion among Central African leaders by sharing powerful insights on the role of culture and context in thought leadership, policy, business, think tanks, institutions & capacity building  in catalyzing Africa’s economic transformation through social entrepreneurship, science & technology, innovation, public health and progressive policies that create economic opportunities for all.  

Facet Co-Founder & CEO, Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq., joins panel convened by the Carbon Business Council, International Biochar Initiative, and US Biochar Initiative, to:

• explore opportunities to open biochar markets and accelerate industry growth in the U.S. and globally leveraging the 2023 US Farm Bill; 
• introduce the newly formed U.S. Biochar Coalition trade association Amy Co-founded to galvanize cross industry collaboration and catalyze growth of a diversified, industrial scale, commercial grade biochar systems industry.

FACET POWER and CAC-H2 Pte Ltd, a leading global integrated climate tech, finance, and project delivery company specializing in bioenergy innovation and decarbonization solutions, have signed a strategic Collaboration Agreement aimed at accelerating the deployment of innovative green energy, biochar, and nanocarbon projects in Africa.

FACET Power, renowned for its pioneering Complete Climate Solutions Energy EcoSystemsTM and CAC-H2, a driving force in the global energy transition, have joined hands to accelerate their shared carbon negative mission and set new performance standards for climate solutions.

The companies will cooperate on design, development, and delivery of FACET Power’s Complete Climate Solutions Energy EcoSystemsTM project portfolios in Namibia, South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and continued roll out across the continent.

The partnership is poised to drive the global development of carbon negative bioenergy & zero emissions fuels projects including: carbon negative base load renewable electricity, green bio-hydrogen, green bio-methanol, and green bio-ammonia.  For More

FACET POWER & KALULU RESOURCES, a Namibian Ethical Biomass Company, have partnered to help sustainably solve the encroachment bush and alien invasive plant species national emergencies in Namibia & South Africa.  The first phase of collaboration will see eight (8) Complete Climate Solution Energy Ecosystems recycling 100,000 tons per year of encroachment bush waste to produce carbon negative baseload renewable electricity,  bio-hydrogen, green methanol, biochar, biochar carbon dioxide removal, and ecosystem restoration. 

Community benefit programs including regenerative agriculture training, community carbon credit creation, micro grids for beneficial uses, among others, will be developed in parallel. Each plant will advance 12 of the U.N.’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  

  " A Memorandum of Understanding with US-Based Facet Power to access Biochar from the forest landscapes to support FLR in the north of the country."

The Memorandum, formalized March 2023, provides for FACET POWER to develop carbon negative bioenergy, biochar, carbon removal & community benefit facilities to supply WWF Cameroon's AFR 100 Landscape Restoration activities in Cameroon with customized biochar & regenerative agriculture and restoration programs.

FACET President Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq. and Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, R. Yofi Grant, met at the U.S.National Black Chamber of Commerces's African Diaspora Business Forum,  part of the U.S. Africa Leader's Summit and an initiative of  the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Agency's Global Diversity Export Initiative on Dec. 14th. 

FACET POWER Co-Founder Amy McCrae Kessler, Esq, President, met with Chinelo Anohu, Head and Senior Director of African Development Bank's Africa Investment Forum, at the Africa Futures Symposium hosted by the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania on April 27, 2023. 

The Africa Investment Forum's ("AIF") innovative approach brings the private sector, governments and development partners together to prepare and fund project deals at the speed of business and create impactful results.  FACET POWER looks forward to working with the AIF to speed our mission of Powering African Climate Prosperity.

FACET POWER Senior Strategic Advisor Joel Nana Kontchou and World Wildlife Fund Cameroon Fields Program Coordinator, Dr. Peter Mbile Ngembeni, meet in Doula in December 2022 to plan  Joint Implementation of the WWF-FACET POWER Forest Landscape Restoration MOU.

Alphonse Ngniado Wouala, WWF Cameroon Forest Coordinator, meets with forest products companies in the East of Cameroon to discuss the environmental, economic, community, and forest health benefits of recycling  sustainable certified forest wastes in FACET POWER facilities.

A major concern to forest products companies and climate, biodiversity & just transition stakeholders alike is alleviation of the deforestation pressures caused by the practice of shifting agriculture.  FACET designs biochar applications to create thriving climate resilient small holder regenerative agriculture programs outside the forest, restoring economic security, food security, and community relations.