Namibia's new solar plant can power 14,000 homes, sell electricity across southern Africa

The facility is just the second purpose-built merchant solar project in Africa.

A new solar plant in Namibia is playing a dual role by powering thousands of homes while feeding electricity into a regional market that can move energy across southern Africa.

In Namibia's Kunene region, the 19.3-megawatt Gerus solar PV plant has entered commercial operation, pv magazine reported. The facility is just the second purpose-built merchant solar project in Africa to sell electricity through the Southern African Power Pool, or SAPP.

Gerus is owned by U.K.-headquartered developer Solarcentury Africa. The company expects the site to produce 50.8 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to supply more than 14,000 homes in Namibia, and said that Solarcentury Trading, a participant in the SAPP, will market that power.