Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power and emerging market private equity firm Actis have launched a Pan-African renewable-energy generation platform, Lekela Power, which aims to provide between 700 MW and 900 MW of wind and solar power across Africa by 2018.
Mainstream said Lekela would operate in way that would see Mainstream taking responsibility for the full end-to-end management of the projects, including site identification, project development, construction management and the operations and maintenance of plants.
Mainstream last week announced the financial close and the start of construction on three wind farms in South Africa, which would become part of Lekela’s portfolio.
They were expected to reach commercial operation at the beginning of next year.
Mainstream also had other projects across Africa, including the 225-MW Ayitepa wind project, in Ghana, which would be transferred to the Lekela platform.
“We are delighted to be working on our third collaboration with our financial partner Actis, which draws on Mainstream’s portfolio of wind and solar projects and our record delivering them into commercial operation on time and [within] budget,” commented Mainstream onshore procurement, construction and operations MD Barry Lynch.
