The merged group is now set to become the leading Pan-African clean energy platform providing on and off site renewable energy solutions to commercial and industrial customers.

The merger is backed by Helios Investment Partners and African Infrastructure Invest­ment Managers, both of which have decades-long track records of bringing investment to sup­port African innovation.

A joint statement issued by the two companies in Accra yesterday said the merged group’s mission was to make power accessible and affordable.

The merger will unlock more efficiencies across the group, allowing it to take more customers on a green energy journey that solves their power requirements and enables a sustainable future.

“The supply of renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa is relatively fragmented with several suppliers in the market. This merger is a substantial step for us and will provide a true Pan-African platform to deliver clean renew­able energy in key economies,” Mr Paul van Zijl, Group CEO, said.

The merged group consists of an installed and contracted port­folio of 520 MW in solar power generation, 60 MW of battery storage and an additional energy pipeline exceeding 2 GW. The portfolio has led to a carbon offset of more than 360 000 tonnes of CO2 to date.

“This merger will enhance our current capabilities and allow us to deploy Energy and Cooling as a service on a much larger scale. This is, therefore, a story of growth. Not only for Starsight Energy and SolarAfrica but also for the renewable energy land­scape in Africa,” he added.

In addition to key markets, including Ghana, Kenya, Namib­ia, Nigeria and South Africa, the group is working on imminent expansion into Tanzania and Uganda.

It brings a range of renewable energy solutions to the table, with solar energy, battery storage and cooling at the top of the list.

“We are excited about mak­ing a meaningful contribution to power supply on the continent through our on and off site solu­tions. This will help take pressure off national grids which have been under significant strain in many of the core African markets,” Charl Alheit, Group Chief Investment Officer, said.

The merged group will retain a strong presence within the various countries to further strengthen its footprint across Africa.