- Gerus becomes Namibia’s first merchant solar plant to trade electricity on the Southern African Power Pool.
- Project strengthens competitive, market driven renewable energy across Southern Africa.
- Part of a growing pipeline of fully merchant solar assets backed by BB Energy.
Solarcentury Africa, a subsidiary of BB Energy, has reached commercial operation of its 19.3 MWp Gerus solar photovoltaic plant in Namibia. The Gerus project is only the second purpose built merchant solar plant in Africa to trade power on the Southern African Power Pool. It follows Solarcentury Africa’s 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia, which achieved 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 and delivered within 12 months, Gerus is now selling electricity directly into the regional power market. The project is the first merchant solar plant in Namibia to trade on the SAPP and represents an important milestone for market based power generation in the country. It also reinforces Solarcentury Africa’s position as a leading developer, owner, and operator of merchant renewable energy assets.
Jason de Carteret, CEO of Solarcentury Africa, said the project demonstrates the impact of strong local partnerships and technical execution in accelerating access to clean and affordable energy across the region.
The Gerus solar plant is wholly owned by Solarcentury Africa and was funded by BB Energy, the independent global energy trading group and parent company of Solarcentury Africa. Electricity generated at the plant will be traded by Solarcentury Trading, a registered member of the SAPP, highlighting the strategic role of trading led power assets within the group.
Mohamed Bassatne, Group CEO of BB Energy, said the project reflects the company’s long term strategy to expand into cleaner energy and power trading. He noted that electricity trading is expected to become a key driver of future growth, supported by the establishment of a dedicated power trading team in Geneva earlier in 2025.
Solarcentury Africa acknowledged the contribution of its Namibian partners, including Alensy Energy Solutions as EPC contractor, Sino Energy as development partner, and Nexus as land partner. The company also recognised the support of NamPower, the Electricity Control Board of Namibia, and the Southern African Power Pool.
During construction, the project created up to 275 jobs, with more than 98 percent filled by Namibian workers, alongside extensive skills development and training. Once fully operational, Gerus is expected to generate around 50.8 GWh of clean electricity each year, enough to supply more than 14 000 homes, while avoiding approximately 17 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Total international investment reached around US$20 million, representing the largest UK investment in Namibia’s clean energy sector to date.
Looking ahead, Solarcentury Africa aims to develop, own, and operate more than 320 MWp of fully merchant solar capacity by 2027. Supported by international capital and strong local partnerships, these projects are expected to play a critical role in addressing regional power shortages while accelerating the transition to sustainable, market driven energy solutions across Southern Africa.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
