United Kingdom solar energy company Solarcentury Africa has partnered with local developer Sino Energy to build a grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) plant of 19.3MWp worth US$19 milion (or N$333.8 million).
The plant will be near the NamPower Gerus substation at Outjo in the Kunene region.
The Gerus solar PV plant will be one of the first established in sub-Saharan Africa as a true merchant plant and will be 100% owned by Solarcentury Power, the merchant power division of Solarcentury Africa.
The company held a groundbreaking ceremony at the plant on Friday.
Solarcentury Power in a statement said it has established a power trading company, Solarcentury Trading, that will directly sell the power generated by the Gerus solar PV plant to utilities and large industrial customers within Namibia and neighbouring countries as well as to those on the Southern African Power Pool.
“Solarcentury Africa is already developing several other solar PV projects in Namibia and other parts of the Southern Africa Development Community which will be funded and owned by Solarcentury Power, with Solarcentury Trading selling the power generated. Solarcentury Africa is part of BB Energy, one of the world’s leading independent energy trading companies,” the statement read.
Financial closure for the Gerus solar PV plant was achieved in the fourth quarter of 2024, with construction set to begin soon and commercial operation expected by mid-2025
Solarcentury Africa and Sino Energy funded all development activities for the Gerus solar PV plant up to financial closure.
Solarcentury Africa will also undertake the detailed design review, engineering, procurement, construction selection, contract management, offtake agreement structuring and construction supervision through the entire process up to the commercial operation date.
Solarcentury Africa is a solar developer in Africa with 10 years of experience developing and building solar PV and hybrid plants across the continent.
Sino Energy was established by Namibian owners who also developed and commissioned a 6.5MWac solar PV plant in that has been operating since June 2018.
“Solarcentury Africa will fund the construction of the Gerus solar PV plant from its own resources.
Once the plant reaches commercial operation date, Solarcentury Africa will look to refinance the plant with third-party debt potentially in combination with funding the construction of other solar PV plants that are currently under development,” the statement noted.
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