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Southern African Independent Power Producer, Sturdee Energy has partnered with Upepo Energy on the 200MW Masaiti Wind project. The collaboration will grow Sturdee Energy’s regional footprint, allowing the IPP to deliver reliable, flexible power.
Sturdee Energy is building on its existing 280MW of renewable energy capacity in SADC by entering the electricity market with the acquisition of the Masaiti Wind Project, a 200 MW wind farm in an advanced stage of development in the Copperbelt region.
The project marks Sturdee’s first step into the local market, which the company sees as an increasingly important anchor to its strategy to connect renewable energy power plants distributed through the SADC region with a diverse set of national utilities, mining and industrial clients through a variety of routes to market.
The development comes as the local economy is entering a period of significant economic growth with the country targeting a major expansion in copper and agricultural production.
The Copperbelt is driving a big portion of the local economic growth, with mining, processing and manufacturing forming the backbone of the region.
The government has set a target to triple copper production by 2031, while expanding national electricity generation capacity to approximately 10,000 MW (10 GW) by 2030.
Through Masaiti, Sturdee sees an opportunity to be part of that growth by bringing new renewable generation into one of the country’s key industrial regions. Sturdee will take full ownership of Masaiti at the start of construction.
Masaiti gives Sturdee an opportunity to develop renewable generation in a region where energy and economic growth go hand in hand. The project is positioned close to a major concentration of energy intensive businesses, creating the potential to connect new renewable generation with some of Zambia’s most important electricity users.
Zambia also offers a strategic gateway into the wider Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), giving Sturdee the potential to access and participate in key electricity markets across the SADC region.
The project is situated in the Mpongwe District in the Copperbelt Province and is set to connect 200 MW to the national grid at one of ZESCO’s 330kV transmission lines immediately adjacent to the wind farm.
This is a substantial project with the potential to make a meaningful contribution to Zambia’s electricity supply once commissioned. But the scale of the project is only part of the story. What is particularly valuable is the amount of work already completed to understand the site and its wind resource.
The project is now ready to be progressed towards financial close, with more than six years of on-site wind measurements collected across two meteorological masts. This depth of data provides a strong understanding of the site’s wind resource and gives Sturdee a solid foundation from which to take the project forward.
Sturdee Energy is acquiring the development from Upepo Holdings LLC through their local development company, Upepo Energy Zambia, whose team has brought the project through significant development work to date. Sturdee would like to recognize and thank Upepo Holdings LLC for the quality of the work completed on Masaiti and for developing what has been a world-class renewable energy opportunity.
Masaiti is currently in late-stage development, and Sturdee Energy is focused on taking the project through its final stages into financial close and ultimately bringing the project to market.
The project will have an aggregated offtake starting with anchor of ZESCO, the Zambian power utility, and further include participation through the SAPP markets, local electricity traders and both domestic and international bilateral contracts. Most notably Sturdee Energy is developing solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems to blend with the wind energy production, thereby providing clean electricity over 24 hours profile, more consistently and predictably.
Sturdee Energy will provide this at one tariff under one power purchase agreement, pulling the complexity out of renewable energy supply.
This approach reflects Sturdee’s wider operating model. The company operates a portfolio of utility-scale renewable power plants distributed across the SADC region and connects these projects to market through multiple routes to a diverse pool of utility, mining and industrial customers.
This approach forms part of Sturdee’s broader vision for the project and its potential to serve the needs of the SADC market. Combining wind, solar and battery storage could create a more flexible renewable energy solution, particularly for energy-intensive commercial and industrial customers.
Sturdee also intends to consider potential structures such as contracts for difference (CFDs) for commercial and industrial customers looking to secure renewable power. The focus is on developing practical, flexible solutions that can respond to the needs of both customers and the wider energy market.
James White, Co-CEO of Sturdee Energy, commented that, “the acquisition of the Masaiti Wind Farm puts us in a position to enter an incredibly important market, with not just talk, but action.
The Masaiti Wind Farm is only the tip of the spear where we intend to expand rapidly to answer the call for 24-hour renewable energy in SADC, delivered to our customers on their terms.”
Andrew Johnson, Co-CEO of Sturdee Energy, said the acquisition marks the company’s entry into its fifth market in the region, positioning Zambia as a gateway to supply both the domestic market and the wider Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
“Scale and location are what make low-cost renewable power possible, and Masaiti ticks both boxes,” said Johnson. “This 200-megawatt project gives us a genuine platform to supply not just Zambia, but the wider Southern African Power Pool and it brings real, lasting value to the Zambian economy along the way.”
As noted by Thomas Carnahan, President of Upepo Energy, “Every successful wind energy project requires creating successful partnerships with communities, utilities, builders and financial institutions. Our partnership with Sturdee brings world-class technical, financial and development expertise needed to bring this project to fruition.”
Sturdee Energy’s entry into Zambia is the beginning of what the company hopes will be a long-term presence in the market. With Zambia’s ambitions for copper production, electricity generation and regional energy integration, Sturdee sees significant potential for renewable energy to play a role in the country’s next phase of growth.
As the project progresses, Sturdee is looking forward to engaging with ZESCO, commercial and industrial energy users, and other stakeholders who are interested in Masaiti and the wider opportunities within both the Zambian and regional renewable energy sector.
