CrossBoundary Energy has flipped the switch on Africa's first solar-plus-battery baseload power plant, sending 30 MW of round-the-clock renewable electricity into the Kamoa-Kakula copper mining complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo just 16 months after signing the power purchase agreement.
Fastest solar-BESS baseload build in Africa
The facility, which reached commercial operation on 12 August 2026 and was formally unveiled on 25 August, combines a 233 MWp solar photovoltaic array with a 123 MVA / 526 MWh battery energy storage system. That solar-plus-storage hybrid supplies at least 30 MW of firm, dispatchable power to Kamoa Copper S.A. — a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group and the DRC Government — enough to displace a large slice of diesel generation at Africa's largest copper mining operation.
According to trade publication African Energy, the average utility-scale solar/BESS build on the continent takes about 29 months from PPA signing to commercial operation. CrossBoundary Energy compressed that timeline by more than 40 percent, making the Kamoa project the fastest solar/BESS baseload facility of this scale delivered in Africa.
Renewable baseload for the mining boom
"Achieving this milestone with Kamoa Copper S.A. is a significant step to mainstreaming round-the-clock renewable power," said Gracia Munganga, project development director at CrossBoundary Energy. "It proves how quickly clean, stable energy can be deployed — and the great potential of renewable energy solutions to support the mining sector's ambitious growth."
Cheaper than thermal baseload
The project lands as firm renewable electricity costs have fallen roughly 50 percent over five years, making solar-plus-storage cheaper than conventional thermal baseload generation in many geographies. Kamoa Copper managing director Annebel Oosthuizen said the new plant "will help power our planned growth in copper production," adding to the mine's low-carbon copper credentials as global demand surges for grid, EV and data-center wiring.
Model for mining-scale renewables
The Kamoa project caps a wave of large-scale renewable procurement by African miners, echoing partnerships covered on the site around battery-backed wind buildouts and offshore wind investments. CrossBoundary Energy operates renewable projects across a dozen African markets and has been on a hot streak, closing several new mining PPAs since early 2026.
Reporting based on coverage from CrossBoundary Energy, Kamoa Copper and African Business.