Spark completes largest commercial and industrial solar transaction to date

The Camco-managed Spark platform has reached financial close on its largest commercial and industrial (C&I) solar transaction to date, supporting a major hybrid solar and battery storage project for South African poultry producer Bushvalley Chickens.

Delivered in partnership with New Southern Energy (NSE), the second phase of the project will add 2.7MWp of solar PV capacity and 7.2MWh of battery energy storage at Bushvalley Chickens' facility in Limpopo province, South Africa.

The expansion builds on the success of an initial solar installation commissioned in 2024, which helped the company reduce its reliance on the grid and diesel generators following South Africa's severe load shedding crisis. Recognising the benefits of the first phase, Bushvalley Chickens partnered once again with NSE to further reduce energy costs and strengthen its energy resilience.

The innovative hybrid system will use solar generation to charge batteries during lower-cost daytime hours before discharging stored electricity during the morning and evening peak demand periods. The project is expected to save Bushvalley Chickens almost 30% on like-for-like electricity costs under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), while generating almost 3.4GWh of renewable electricity each year. By reducing demand on the grid during peak periods, the project will also help ease grid congestion and lower emissions intensity.

Spark is providing the upfront financing for the project, enabling Bushvalley Chickens to avoid significant capital expenditure and instead repay the investment through the renewable energy supplied.

Since its launch, Spark has financed more than 30 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across East, West and Southern Africa. The Bushvalley Chickens project is the second to be delivered under Spark's partnership with New Southern Energy and is expected to create around 70 jobs during construction and operation.

Adam Fitzwilliam, Spark Lead at Camco, said: "The agriculture sector is a major employer in the region, and we are excited to build on our track record of supporting agricultural businesses with sustainable energy solutions for growth. New Southern Energy's experience in delivering projects of this scale gives us great confidence in the partnership, and we look forward to building on this work together in the years ahead."