Solarcentury Africa’s 19.3 megawatt peak (MWp) Gerus solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Namibia has reached commercial operation and is now selling electricity into the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), becoming the country’s first merchant solar plant.
The Gerus plant is the first purpose-built merchant solar facility in Namibia to trade power on the regional market and only the second such project in Africa, following Solarcentury Africa’s 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia, which began commercial operations in July 2025.
The project was supported by about N$335 million (US$20 million) in international funding, representing the largest United Kingdom investment in Namibia’s clean energy sector to date.
“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,” said Jason de Carteret, Chief Executive Officer of Solarcentury Africa.
During construction, the Gerus project created up to 275 jobs, with more than 98% filled by Namibians, alongside skills transfer and training. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate about 50.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity per year, enough to supply more than 14,000 Namibian homes, while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 17,000 tonnes annually.
Solarcentury Africa said it plans to develop, own and operate more than 320 MWp of fully merchant solar capacity by 2027. The company said these initiatives, supported by local partnerships and international investment and undertaken together with BB Energy, are expected to help address regional energy deficits while accelerating the transition to market-based renewable power.
“The transition to cleaner energy is a central pillar of our strategy and a defining element of BB Energy’s transformation. Projects such as Gerus demonstrate how our capabilities in sourcing, trading, generating, transporting and distributing energy globally can be applied to renewable energy markets,” said Mohamed Bassatne, Chief Executive Officer of BB Energy.
The Gerus project was developed in partnership with Sino Energy (Pty) Limited and was delivered on an accelerated 12-month construction schedule. The solar plant is wholly owned by Solarcentury Africa.
Funding for the project was provided by BB Energy, the parent company of Solarcentury Africa. Electricity generated at the plant will be sold by Solarcentury Trading, a member of the Southern African Power Pool, reinforcing the group’s focus on trading-led renewable energy assets.
