USTDA generates an average of $136 in U.S. exports for every dollar it programs. Since its inception, the Agency has supported more than $115 billion in U.S. exports to infrastructure projects in emerging economies, helping companies create good-paying jobs across the United States.
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to the provincial Government of Équateur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for a feasibility study to advance the clean energy transition of its capital, Mbandaka. The study will facilitate the development of a solar farm and battery energy storage system, as well as an electric vehicle charging station, to reduce residential and commercial reliance on diesel generators. The Government of Équateur selected North Carolina-based American Engineering Group International to carry out the study.
“This project will create a new clean energy ecosystem for more than one million people living in Mbandaka. Our partnership with the Government of Équateur will expand access to a reliable source of power, while reducing emissions,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “Using U.S. private sector solutions, this project holds great potential for replicability to other urban centers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
The USTDA-funded study will develop technical and financial recommendations to implement a utility-scale solar and storage project in Mbandaka, which is currently unconnected to the national grid. The study will also assess the potential for a smaller-scale solar-powered charging station to facilitate the introduction of electric tuk-tuks as an alternative mode of transportation to the city’s 15,000 gas-powered motorcycles.
“We are grateful that AEG International and the USTDA recognize the strength of our capital, Mbandaka,” said Governor of Équateur, Boloko Bolumbu Bobo. “We look forward to working together to kick-start the economic opportunities that our great city and port will provide for the province and all of northern DRC.”
U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lucy Tamlyn, said: “Fighting climate change will require investment in renewable energy, and this proposed solar power plant is a perfect example. It is possible to provide economic opportunity and to protect the planet.”
USTDA’s feasibility study advances Power Africa, a U.S. government-led initiative to increase energy access and end energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – President Joe Biden has appointed U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Enoh T. Ebong to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Director Ebong will continue her leadership of USTDA while serving as a Board member. The appointment became effective on March 16, 2023.
“For more than 50 years, the Wilson Center has led discussions on the most important global challenges facing our country. Its non-partisan approach and focus on actionable ideas is a timeless formula for a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. These institutional aspirations, and results-oriented approach, are also characteristic of the ethos we have at USTDA,” said Director Ebong. “I look forward to working with my fellow trustees and the Wilson Center’s exceptional staff to advance its vital mission.”
The Wilson Center, chartered by Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable policy ideas. Members of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the President of the United States. Trustees serve on various committees with functions including executive, audit, finance and investment policy, development, fellowship, as well as strategic planning and programming.
President Biden named Director Ebong to serve in the trustee position to be filled from within the Federal government.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced that it has awarded a grant to PLN Indonesia Power (Indonesia Power) for technical assistance to help develop the country’s first small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant. Indonesia Power selected Oregon-based NuScale Power OVS, LLC (NuScale) to carry out the assistance in partnership with a subsidiary of Texas-based Fluor Corporation and Japan’s JGC Corporation. The proposed 462-megawatt facility would utilize NuScale’s SMR technology and advance Indonesia’s clean energy transition.
“Indonesia has demonstrated a strong interest in partnering with the United States on its energy transition and identifying innovative and groundbreaking U.S. technology to advance its goals,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “USTDA has a unique, catalytic role in advancing the development of some of the most ambitious and noteworthy infrastructure projects in Indonesia and emerging economies around the globe.”
USTDA’s assistance will assess the technical and economic viability of the proposed nuclear power plant, to be located in West Kalimantan. It will include a site selection plan, power plant and interconnection system design, preliminary environmental and social impact assessment, risk assessment, cost estimate and regulatory review.
“After 78 years of waiting, now is the time to achieve self-sufficiency in emission-free green energy,” said Edwin Nugraha Putra, Indonesia Power’s President Director. “Through cooperation on technical assistance for the development of a small modular reactor, Indonesia Power, the National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, and NuScale, with support from USTDA, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and PT PLN (Persero), have opened the gates to a new era of nuclear energy for electricity to light up Indonesia.”
NuScale President and Chief Executive Officer, John Hopkins, said: “In addition to providing our innovative small modular reactor technology to countries like Indonesia that are seeking reliable, zero-carbon baseload power, NuScale continues to support the U.S. government in strengthening relationships abroad through clean energy. NuScale VOYGR SMR power plants are poised for the energy transition and will reinforce energy security for years to come.”
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Sung Y. Kim, noted: “Today’s announcement of a strategic partnership to help Indonesia develop its small modular reactor nuclear clean energy program, as a key deliverable under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, is an important milestone in Indonesia’s efforts to achieve its climate goals while promoting sustainable economic growth.”
USTDA’s announcement took place during the Indo-Pacific Business Dialogue in Bali, Indonesia. The grant highlights how USTDA advances the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in collaboration with public and private sector partners across the region. USTDA’s grant also advances the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the Just Energy Transition Partnership and the Net Zero World initiatives.
USTDA partnership with Indonesia Power supports a broader U.S. government engagement with Indonesia on SMR adoption, including targeted support under the U.S. Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of SMR Technology (FIRST) Program.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency welcomed Ecuador as its 16th partner under the Global Procurement Initiative (GPI). Under this partnership, USTDA will support the development of high-quality infrastructure in Ecuador by funding best value training and technical assistance for the country’s public procurement officials. The GPI program will be carried out in partnership with the Government of Ecuador’s National Public Procurement Service (SERCOP).
“USTDA is deepening its commitment to Ecuador. Our collaboration under GPI represents a new chapter in the bilateral economic relationship and an expansion of our existing partnership to develop high-quality infrastructure that supports inclusive economic growth for the Ecuadorian people,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “We are proud to work with SERCOP, which has shown great commitment toward implementing internationally recognized best practices in public procurement. Our goal is to strengthen the foundation for vital economic sectors such as healthcare, transportation, clean energy, and digital infrastructure.”
The White House announced USTDA’s invitation to Ecuador to join GPI during President Guillermo Lasso’s visit to the United State in December 2022. USTDA and SERCOP memorialized Ecuador’s membership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier today in Quito, Ecuador. The first component of the GPI procurement assistance program will take place in Quito on March 14. USTDA’s collaboration with SERCOP under GPI provides concrete action under the bipartisan United States-Ecuador Partnership Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Biden in December 2022.
Launched in 2013, USTDA’s GPI trains public officials in emerging economies on how to establish procurement practices and policies that integrate life-cycle cost analysis and best value determination in a fair, transparent manner. GPI helps partner countries acquire high-quality, long-lasting technologies, while building smart, sustainable infrastructure with overall savings to their government. These procurement methods also open markets to greater international competition. GPI leverages the expertise of its institutional partners and collaborators, which include universities, multilateral development banks and government entities.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced that it has approved grant funding for a feasibility study to support efforts by Prabha Energy Private Limited (PEPL) to develop a coal mine methane (CMM) recovery facility in the Jharia coalfield in eastern India. PEPL selected Virginia-based Advanced Resources International to carry out the study.
“USTDA is pleased to collaborate with PEPL on this project, which presents a tremendous opportunity to strengthen India’s energy resilience and sustainability using innovative technology that U.S. companies can readily provide,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director “This project will prevent the direct release of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. This will have a positive climate impact for India and the world.”
The USTDA-funded feasibility study will develop recommendations on how to extract, gather, compress, and process CMM at the Jharia site using innovative U.S. technologies and solutions. By capturing the CMM, the project has the dual benefit of preventing methane emissions and providing local industries a cleaner fuel alternative to coal.
“PEPL is pleased to partner with USTDA and ARI on the potential capture of methane gas from the Jharia coal mine in India,” said Prem Sawhney, CEO & Director of PEPL. “This project, which is the first of its kind in India, will increase India’s domestic gas resources while also creating avenues for U.S. equipment and technology suppliers.”
The study advances the goals of USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure to support the use of U.S. technologies and services in overseas climate-smart infrastructure projects, as well as the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership’s Responsible Oil and Gas Pillar. The project also supports the Biden Administration’s commitment to the Global Methane Pledge to reduce global methane emissions and limit global warming.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
USTDA Generates Record Results for U.S. Exporters
