Solar

Mailo solar plant in Zambia reaches 59.5MWp as its second phase starts operating

24th October, 2026

Solarcentury Africa has started full commercial operation of the second phase of its Mailo solar plant in Zambia’s Chitambo district, adding 34.5MWp to take the site to 59.5MWp. The first phase has sold its power on a fully merchant basis through the Southern African Power Pool since July 2025.

The first 25MWp of the Mailo solar plant, on 204 hectares in the Mailo Chiefdom near Kanona village in Zambia’s Chitambo district, began operating in July 2025 on a fully merchant basis, selling its power through the Southern African Power Pool, and Solarcentury Africa describes it as “the first dedicated merchant solar power plant to trade power” through the pool.

Work on the second phase took Alensy Energy Solutions of Namibia, as EPC contractor, under 12 months to complete, with equity from Solarcentury Africa’s parent, the independent energy trading group BB Energy, and a $40 million loan from Standard Bank South Africa. Standard Bank’s Vincenzia Leitich told ENN this week that the bank sees “significant opportunity in traders, aggregators and regional SAPP-linked transactions”.

Solarcentury Africa announced on 20 October that, with construction finished and full grid compliance testing complete, the second phase had begun full commercial operation, adding 34.5MWp and bringing the site to 59.5MWp of the 118MWp it is planned to reach.

Jason de Carteret, chief executive of Solarcentury Africa, who joins the investment discussions at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit in Livingstone next month, said the company was “proud to have delivered the second phase of the Mailo development and to continue supporting Zambia’s growing demand for reliable and sustainable electricity”.

Mailo belongs to a 350MW portfolio of Zambian solar projects that Solarcentury Africa holds at stages from development to operation. The company is also co-developing Globeleq’s 56MWp Kafue Solar plant in Lusaka Province, where it started construction this month with Alensy.

Images: Solarcentury

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