Solarcentury Africa has reached commercial operation at its 19.3 MWp Gerus solar PV plant in Namibia, marking another milestone for merchant, market-driven renewable energy in Southern Africa. The project strengthens the region’s growing role for competitively traded solar power and reinforces the viability of utility-scale renewables operating outside traditional long-term offtake structures.

Gerus is only the second purpose-built merchant solar plant in Africa to trade electricity on the Southern African Power Pool, following Solarcentury Africa’s 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia, which entered commercial operation in July 2025. Construction is already underway on 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 construction timeline, Gerus has become the first merchant solar plant in Namibia to sell power directly into the regional electricity market. The project reflects a broader shift toward competitive, trading-led power generation models and further positions Solarcentury Africa as a leading developer, owner, and operator of merchant renewable assets in the region.

“We are incredibly proud to see Gerus reach commercial operation,” said Jason de Carteret, CEO of Solarcentury Africa. “This project demonstrates what is possible through strong local partnerships, technical excellence and a shared commitment to accelerating access to clean, reliable and affordable energy across Southern Africa.”

The Gerus solar plant is wholly owned by Solarcentury Africa, with funding provided by BB Energy, the independent global energy trading group and parent company of Solarcentury Africa. Electricity generated at the plant will be sold by Solarcentury Trading, a registered member of the Southern African Power Pool, underscoring the group’s strategy to integrate renewable generation with regional power trading capabilities.

“The transition to cleaner energy is a central pillar of our strategy and a defining element of BB Energy future transformation. Projects such as Gerus clearly demonstrate how our capabilities in sourcing, trading, generating, transporting and distributing energy globally can be applied to renewable markets.

“We firmly believe that the trading of electricity will be a key driver of BB Energy’s future growth, strengthening our leadership position while supporting a faster, market-driven transition to cleaner energy. The establishment of our dedicated power trading team in Geneva earlier this year further underlines our long-term ambition in this space,” said Mohamed Bassatne, Group CEO of BB Energy.

The project was delivered with the support of Alensy Energy Solutions as EPC contractor, Sino Energy as development partner, and Nexus as land partner. Solarcentury Africa also acknowledged the collaboration of NamPower, the Electricity Control Board of Namibia, and the Southern African Power Pool in bringing the project to commercial operation on schedule.

At full operation, Gerus is expected to generate approximately 50.8 GWh of clean electricity annually, supplying power equivalent to more than 14,000 Namibian households and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 17,000 tonnes per year. Construction created up to 275 jobs, with more than 98 percent filled by Namibian workers, alongside skills transfer and training initiatives. The project represents around USD 20 million in international investment, making it the largest UK-linked clean energy investment in Namibia to date.

Looking ahead, Solarcentury Africa plans to develop, own, and operate more than 320 MWp of fully merchant solar capacity by 2027. Supported by BB Energy and regional partners, the company’s growing portfolio is positioned to play a meaningful role in addressing Southern Africa’s power deficits while accelerating the transition toward flexible, market-based renewable energy systems.

Website	https://solarcenturyafrica.com/
Domicile	United Kingdom
Countries Active	Zambia
Total MW	261.5 MW
Organization Type	EPC Contractor, Owner

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