Namibia has brought a 19.3 MWp solar photovoltaic plant into commercial operation, adding a new form of private-sector electricity generation to the Southern African regional power market.
The Gerus solar plant, located in Namibia’s Kunene Region, is owned by Solarcentury Africa and is the country’s first purpose-built merchant solar project to sell electricity through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). It follows Solarcentury Africa’s 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia, which began commercial operations in 2025. According to the developer and industry publication pv magazine, Gerus is the second purpose-built merchant solar facility in Africa to participate in the SAPP market. (Solarcentury Africa)
The project is expected to generate approximately 50.8 GWh of electricity annually. Solarcentury Africa estimates that this is equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 14,000 Namibian homes. The figure should be understood as an annual generation comparison rather than an indication that Gerus is directly supplying 14,000 households. Electricity from the plant is being marketed by Solarcentury Trading, which is a member of SAPP. (Solarcentury Africa)
The significance of Gerus therefore extends beyond its installed capacity. Merchant generation allows electricity producers to participate in competitive power markets rather than relying exclusively on a single long-term power purchase agreement. In the case of Gerus, this provides a mechanism through which power can be traded within the regional electricity system, subject to available transmission capacity, market conditions and the rules governing cross-border electricity transactions.
SAPP has operated as a regional electricity trading framework since the mid-1990s and includes utilities and market participants from countries including Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Solarcentury Trading was admitted as a full SAPP market participant in 2024. (Southern African Power Pool)
For Namibia, the project adds to a rapidly developing solar sector. Data cited by pv magazine from the Africa Solar Industry Association indicates that Namibia has approximately 1.49 GW of operational solar capacity, although much of that capacity is concentrated in commercial and industrial applications. A further 33 MW was listed as under construction. (pv magazine Global)
Gerus was developed in partnership with Namibian company Sino Energy and was delivered following a reported 12-month construction period. Solarcentury Africa says the project received approximately US$20 million in funding from BB Energy, its parent company. The developer describes this as the largest UK-backed investment in Namibia’s clean-energy sector to date. That characterisation is a company claim rather than an independently verified ranking of all UK investment in Namibia’s energy industry. (Solarcentury Africa)
The project also illustrates a wider shift in how renewable energy projects are being structured in parts of Africa. Rather than viewing solar generation solely as a means of adding domestic capacity, developers and regional institutions are increasingly exploring electricity trading as a way of connecting new generation with demand across national borders.
That model is particularly relevant to Southern Africa, where electricity systems differ considerably in their generation mixes, demand profiles and levels of supply reliability. Regional trading cannot by itself resolve transmission constraints or domestic generation shortages, but a larger and more diverse pool of generation can create additional options for buyers and sellers when the necessary infrastructure and market arrangements are in place.
Solarcentury Africa says it intends to develop, own and operate more than 320 MWp of fully merchant solar capacity by 2027. Its current project pipeline includes further merchant developments in Zambia and Botswana, although these projects remain subject to development, regulatory and commercial milestones. (Solarcentury Africa)
Gerus is consequently significant less because of its scale than because of the market mechanism it represents. At 19.3 MWp, it is modest beside many planned African solar projects. Its importance lies in demonstrating that privately financed renewable generation can participate in a regional electricity market, while retaining the potential to serve domestic demand.
For Southern Africa, the longer-term question will be whether such projects can be replicated at sufficient scale, alongside investment in transmission networks, storage, market integration and domestic energy infrastructure. Gerus provides one example of that emerging model, but its broader impact will ultimately depend on how effectively the region converts additional generation capacity into reliable and affordable electricity for households, businesses and industry.
