Solarcentury Africa has announced the commercial operation of its 19.3 MWp Gerus solar plant in Namibia, marking a major milestone for merchant renewable energy in Southern Africa. The project is now fully operational and selling electricity into the Southern African Power Pool, making it the first merchant solar plant in Namibia to trade power on the regional market.
The Gerus plant is only the second purpose-built merchant solar project in Africa to participate in the Southern African Power Pool. The first was Solarcentury Africa’s 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia, which achieved commercial operation in July 2025. Construction is already underway on the next phase of this portfolio, the 34 MWp Phase 2 expansion at Mailo, which is expected to reach commercial operation in the second quarter of 2026.
Developed in partnership with Sino Energy (Pty) Limited and delivered within a 12-month timeline, the Gerus project represents a significant step forward for competitive, market-based electricity generation in the region. By selling power directly into the Southern African Power Pool, the plant supports regional energy security and demonstrates the viability of merchant solar models in Africa.
Solarcentury Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, Jason de Carteret, said the commissioning of Gerus highlights the impact of strong local partnerships and technical expertise in accelerating access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy across Southern Africa. He noted that the project strengthens the company’s leadership position in merchant renewable energy.
The Gerus solar plant is wholly owned by Solarcentury Africa. Funding for the project was provided by BB Energy, the independent energy trading group and parent company of Solarcentury Africa. The electricity generated at the plant will be sold by Solarcentury Trading, which is a member of the Southern African Power Pool. This structure reflects the growing strategic importance of trading-led power assets within the group’s long-term energy strategy.
BB Energy Group CEO Mohamed Bassatne said the transition to cleaner energy is a central part of the company’s future direction. He stated that projects like Gerus show how BB Energy’s global capabilities in energy sourcing, trading, generation, transportation, and distribution can be applied to renewable energy markets. He also highlighted the role of electricity trading as a key driver of future growth, supported by the recent establishment of a dedicated power trading team in Geneva.
During construction, the Gerus project created up to 275 jobs, with more than 98 percent filled by Namibians. The project also supported skills development and training. The plant is expected to generate around 50.8 GWh of clean electricity annually, enough to supply power to more than 14,000 Namibian homes, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 17,000 tonnes per year. The project attracted around USD 20 million in international funding, representing the largest UK investment in Namibia’s clean energy sector to date.
Solarcentury Africa also acknowledged the support of its Namibian partners, including Alensy Energy Solutions, Sino Energy, and Nexus, as well as NamPower, the Electricity Control Board of Namibia, and the Southern African Power Pool. Looking ahead, the company plans to develop, own, and operate more than 320 MWp of fully merchant solar capacity by 2027.
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