London, UK / Lusaka, Zambia – Solarcentury Africa Limited is proud to announce the successful completion of Phase One of the 118 MWp Mailo Solar Plant (previously known as the Serenje Solar Plant) in Zambia, with trading of the power generated by the plant starting on the Southern Africa Power Pool. Construction will now commence on Phase Two.
This landmark project, owned by Solarcentury Africa with funding from BB Energy, marks a major milestone in the Zambian Government’s plans to unlock a ‘solar explosion’ to diversify its energy mix and improve energy resilience. Solarcentury Africa delivered the first phase of 25MWp, in partnership with ZESCO and the Zambian authorities, in record time - having developed, funded and built the project in less than twelve months. The project sits in 204 hectares of land within the Mailo Chiefdom near Kanona village, Chitambo district in Zambia.
The Mailo Solar Plant is the first dedicated merchant solar power plant to trade power through the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), marking a major milestone for SAPP and in the development of the renewable energy sector across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Following the successful completion of a USD 40 million loan from Standard Bank South Africa, construction will now begin to extend the Mailo Solar Plant’s capacity to 60 MWp. This will be followed by a further expansion to Mailo’s full 118 MWp capacity. The initial USD 40 million loan from Standard Bank represents the first phase of a larger facility that will fund the continued roll out of Solarcentury Africa’s merchant power fleet across the SADC region.
Key highlights of the Mailo Solar Plant:
- Capacity: 25 MWp of clean, reliable solar power rising to 118 MWp in phase 3
- Construction timeline: Developed, funded and built in less than a year
- Clean energy output: Over 60 GWh annually – enough to power 25,000 homes based on average household consumption in Zambia
- Emissions offset: Some 60,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, over 2 million tonnes over the lifetime of the project the equivalent of taking nearly 20,000 cars off the road in Zambia
- Job creation: Over 400 local jobs generated during construction and operations
- Community engagement: Agreement in place with the local community to ensure it benefits financially from the Mailo plant, transforming the lives of people in the area
- Climate resilience: Supports sustainable energy and Zambia’s diversification away from reliance on hydro power output
- Offtake: Part of Solarcentury Africa’s merchant power portfolio
Construction was undertaken by Alensy Energy Solutions of Namibia.
The Mailo Solar Plant is the first fully merchant solar plant operating in the region and will sell power to large industrial customers and traders in Zambia or on the SAPP, of which Solarcentury Africa is a Market Participant. Solarcentury Africa is currently rolling out a portfolio of merchant plants across the region targeting over 500MW by 2030 to help address the sizeable energy gap that exists. This approach takes away the need for long-term PPAs from private offtakers or national utilities, and sovereign guarantees from governments. Solarcentury Africa remains committed to delivering highimpact renewable energy solutions across the continent and welcomes approaches from other industry participants and stakeholders to grow its portfolio of plants and customers across the SADC region.
Jason De Carteret, CEO of Solarcentury Africa, commented, “This project is a testament to what can be achieved through strategic partnerships, alignment and a shared commitment to sustainable development. By delivering clean, reliable power to Zambia’s grid at this critical time, we are not only supporting energy security but also laying the groundwork for long-term climate resilience and economic growth in the region.”
Eng Stephen Dihwa, SAPP Coordination Centre Executive Director, said: "We are thrilled to witness this historic milestone for SAPP, as Solarcentury Africa commissions the first dedicated merchant solar power plant to trade power on the platform. This achievement marks a significant step towards accelerating
