British company Solarcentury Africa has announced the commercial operation of its Gerus photovoltaic solar power plant, located in Namibia. With a capacity of 19.3 megawatt peak (MWp), the facility is now fully operational after twelve months of construction. The project represents a total investment of $20mn and marks a significant step in enabling private producers to access the Southern African regional electricity market directly.
Direct connection to the regional electricity market
The Gerus site is a first for Namibia: it is the country’s very first solar power plant to be integrated into the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) without a long-term power purchase agreement or sovereign guarantees. This model allows producers to sell electricity directly across the interconnected grid based on market signals.
Developed in partnership with Sino Energy (Pty) Limited, the plant is expected to generate around 50.8 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year. This output corresponds to the average electricity consumption of over 14,000 Namibian households. The operator also expects an annual reduction of nearly 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
A growing regional model
Gerus is Solarcentury Africa’s second merchant project connected to the Southern African Power Pool. In July 2025, the company commissioned the 25 MWp Mailo solar plant in Zambia. A 34 MWp extension of that Zambian site is under construction, with commissioning scheduled for the second quarter of 2026.
These facilities reflect the evolution of the SAPP, which has historically been dominated by hydropower and thermal plants. Although still limited, merchant solar capacities are gaining ground in this regional exchange system, especially through investment models that do not rely on public guarantees.
“This project demonstrates what is possible through strong local partnerships, technical excellence and a shared commitment,” said Jason de Carteret, Managing Director of Solarcentury Africa.
