INDEPENDENT POWER
FOR THE WAY YOU OPERATE
Upgrade Energy Africa develops renewable power projects for businesses and utilities across Sub-Saharan Africa. We bring the full development cycle together, working closely with project partners and investors to take opportunities towards delivery and long-term operation.
Solutions For Where & How You Operate
An industrial site, a utility supply requirement and a remote operation each need a different approach to electricity. We develop renewable energy projects around those differences, considering the demand, existing infrastructure and conditions in which the system will operate.
Our work spans on-site generation, grid-connected supply and power beyond the grid. We bring the development and technical work together with the commercial model, helping you understand what the project can achieve and what is needed to implement it.
ON-SITE POWER
Behind-the-Meter Energy Solutions
Generate renewable electricity at the point of use. Behind-the-meter systems connect to your site’s electrical network and can supply part of the demand from a local energy asset. Solar PV, battery storage and hybrid configurations offer different ways to manage consumption and support operating needs.
We work from your load profile, available space and existing infrastructure to define the project. For manufacturing, mining and agricultural operations, that includes understanding production schedules, seasonal demand and plans for growth. Storage and backup requirements are addressed through the system design, with the intended level of resilience made clear.
GRID-CONNECTED
Grid & Wheeling Solutions
Connect your renewable energy generation to the grid or source electricity from a project away from your site. Wheeling allows electricity generated at one location to be supplied commercially to a customer elsewhere through an eligible network and the relevant agreements.
We bring the generation opportunity, grid connection and offtake arrangements into the same development process. This involves working through network access, approvals and commercial responsibilities with the parties involved. For customers with limited space for on-site generation, wheeling can provide an alternative to renewable supply where the network and agreements allow it.
BEYOND THE GRID
Off-Grid & Remote Energy Solutions
Develop an electricity supply for a site or isolated grid where a dependable grid connection is unavailable. Solar PV, battery storage and hybrid systems can be configured around the demand, including integration with existing generators where appropriate.
Remote projects need practical planning for transport, installation and ongoing operation as well as a suitable technical design. Our team brings cross-border delivery experience to these requirements, considering site access, local conditions and maintenance needs from the outset. The aim is a power system that fits the operation and can be supported where it is installed.
Who We Work With
An industrial site, a utility supply requirement and a remote operation each need a different approach to electricity. We develop renewable energy projects around those differences, considering the demand, existing infrastructure and conditions in which the system will operate.
Our work spans on-site generation, grid-connected supply and power beyond the grid. We bring the development and technical work together with the commercial model, helping you understand what the project can achieve and what is needed to implement it.
Commercial & Industrial Customers
Electricity decisions affect production, operating costs and the ability to grow. We work with manufacturing, mining, agricultural and other commercial and industrial operations to understand their demand and develop a suitable supply approach. You can compare buying electricity through a power purchase agreement (PPA) with owning an energy system, using the project’s technical and commercial assessment to inform the decision.
Utilities & Project Partners
We work with you on generation opportunities and electricity supply requirements and with project partners whose capabilities complement our own. Our role spans the development cycle, connecting the work on land, approvals, engineering and grid access with the commercial agreements needed to progress. Responsibilities are established clearly, so each party understands its contribution and the milestones ahead.
Investors & Funding partners
We work with investors and funding partners on defined project opportunities, supported by the relevant development information. Discussions cover project status, offtake, the proposed ownership and funding structure, and the work still required. Our involvement throughout development provides continuity from the initial opportunity through financial close and the arrangements for delivery.
Technology Matched To The Need
Technology selection starts with the electricity requirement. We consider the available resource, when power is needed and how the system will connect to existing infrastructure. We assess generation, storage and controls together to establish a configuration suited to the project.
SOLAR PV
Solar PV provides renewable generation for on-site systems and larger grid-connected or remote projects. We consider the solar resource, available roof or land area, demand profile and connection requirements to establish the appropriate scale. Where demand extends beyond solar production hours, we assess how storage or complementary generation could support the supply.
WIND POWER
Wind can contribute to a renewable supply portfolio where the resource and site conditions support development. Our work brings wind assessment together with land access, environmental approvals and grid connection. We consider the generation profile alongside the intended off-take, including its potential contribution within a wider combination of energy assets.
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) allow electricity to be stored and used later. Their role may include shifting energy into higher-demand periods, managing peaks or supporting continuity in a suitably designed system. We size and configure storage around the duty it needs to perform, considering operating conditions and integration with generation and site controls.
HYBRID SYSTEMS
Hybrid systems combine energy sources and storage to meet a defined supply requirement. For off-grid and remote operations, this can include solar PV and batteries operating with existing generators. The design considers how the components will work together, with controls, commissioning and operating arrangements playing an important role in performance.
Hydro, biomass and green hydrogen can also be considered where the resource, application and commercial case justify their use. We focus each recommendation on what is suitable for the project.
Buy The Electricity Or Own The System
The commercial route should fit your organisation as well as the energy project. A power purchase agreement and outright ownership offer different ways to access renewable electricity, with different responsibilities for capital, asset ownership and operation. We give both routes equal consideration. The choice is informed by the supply requirement, financial priorities and the role you want an energy asset to play in your business. Where financing is required, we introduce and coordinate suitable funding partners. This can include commercial lenders, development finance institutions and export credit routes where appropriate. We help connect the project information and commercial structure with the funding process; lending decisions and finance terms remain with the relevant parties.
POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Under a power purchase agreement (PPA), you purchase electricity from a system owned by Upgrade Energy or the relevant project entity. The agreement defines the price, term and supply arrangements, alongside the responsibilities of the parties.
This route gives you access to renewable electricity without directly owning the generating asset. We work through your electricity demand and the project structure with you to establish a suitable supply agreement. The final terms reflect the project, customer and funding arrangements.
OUTRIGHT PURCHASE
With an outright purchase, you invest in the energy system and own the asset. This may suit an organisation that wants to hold its own generation infrastructure and evaluate the project as a capital investment.
We support the development and engineering work, coordinate procurement and help put the delivery arrangements in place. Construction and operation and maintenance (O&M) are delivered through partners, with the scope and responsibilities defined for the project. This gives you a clear basis for understanding the investment and its ongoing management.
How We Work
Renewable energy development involves decisions that depend on one another. Site rights influence the layout. The grid connection affects the technical scope. Offtake and funding shape the commercial structure. We carry the full project development cycle, bringing these elements together as the project progresses. Our team can assist from the initial opportunity through delivery and long-term operation. Partners deliver construction and operation and maintenance, while we coordinate the transition from development into the agreed delivery arrangements.
Understand the Requirement & Opportunity
We begin with the electricity need, project objectives and current position. For an operating business, that means understanding demand, existing supply and priorities. For a utility, partner or investor, it means establishing the opportunity and what has already been developed. We agree on the initial scope and the information needed to evaluate it.
Develop the Technical & Project Basis
Establish Commercial Route & Progress to Financial Close
We work through ownership, offtake and funding requirements with the parties involved. The technical scope, agreements and financial assessment need to support the same project. We coordinate the development information and outstanding milestones so customers, partners and funders can assess their commitments on a clear basis.
Coordinate Delivery & Support Ongoing Operation
Development Experience & Practical Delivery Knowledge
Our experience combines renewable energy development in South Africa with the team’s prior delivery of distributed and remote power systems across African markets. The development record demonstrates our work on generation projects. The team’s delivery experience brings practical knowledge of installation and operation to that process.
South Africa
Lesotho
Swaziland
Madagascar
Mozambique
Namibia
Angola
Zambia
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
Uganda
Kenya
South Sudan
Sudan
Niger
Benin
Sierra Leone
Senegal
Featured Projects
Coega Wind Project
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Kariunga Solar Project
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Swartberg Wind Project
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Lusanje Solar Project
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Lionthorn Solar Project
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A Personal Approach to African Energy Projects
Upgrade Energy Africa is an Africa-focused renewable energy developer and independent power producer, with a strong presence in Sub-Saharan Africa. We work with commercial and industrial customers, utilities, project partners and investors to develop electricity projects suited to the markets and operations they serve.
Our roots are in a family business with renewable energy experience in Europe and a connection to Belgium. We brought that experience into African markets with a commitment to applying it to practical electricity needs. Today, our work combines development capability with the team’s experience in technical coordination and delivery across borders.
Our family-business background continues to shape how we work. Decision-makers are accessible, conversations are straightforward and the team stays personally involved. We take an entrepreneurial approach to opportunities, supported by careful technical and commercial assessment.
As we grow our contribution as an independent power producer, we continue to support customers who choose to own their energy assets. Both routes depend on careful development, clear responsibilities and a working relationship that continues as the project progresses.
Raf Vermeire
Arthur Vermeire
TBC
TBC
TBC
Our Project & Delivery Relationships
Questions About Developing Your Project?
We carry the full project development cycle and can assist throughout the process, including feasibility, engineering, approvals, commercial arrangements and procurement coordination. We also support the transition into delivery and operation. Construction and O&M are delivered through partners, with responsibilities agreed upon for each project.
No. A PPA allows you to buy electricity from a system owned by Upgrade Energy or the relevant project entity. Outright purchase is also available for customers who want to own the asset. We consider both options against the project and your organisation’s priorities.
That depends on the configuration and supply arrangement. A system designed with suitable storage, controls and backup can support continuity. A grid-connected renewable supply or wheeling agreement serves a different role and does not, by itself, keep a site powered during an outage. We establish the reliability requirement early and assess what the design needs to deliver it.
Yes. Upgrade Energy Africa operates across African markets, with a strong presence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our team brings cross-border experience, including remote power applications. Each opportunity is considered against local requirements, the site and the delivery arrangements it needs.
We introduce and coordinate suitable funding partners where financing is required. The appropriate route depends on the project, borrower, ownership structure and lender assessment. Funding availability and terms are agreed with the relevant parties.
Start with the location and what you want the project to achieve. Electricity bills or demand data are useful for an operating site. For a project opportunity, share the technology, proposed capacity, current stage and any existing land, grid or offtake arrangements. You can start the conversation before you have a complete project brief.
Contact Us
Whether you are seeking electricity for an operation, developing a generation opportunity or considering a project partnership or investment, we would welcome a conversation. Tell us where the project stands and what you want to achieve. We can then discuss the appropriate next step with you.
Cape Town
80 Strand St, Cape Town City Centre, 8001
Mobile
+27 71 005 6639
Johannesburg
173 Oxford Rd, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196
info@upgrade-energy.com
Brussels
Rue du Commerce 31, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Have a Question?
Get in touch to discuss your energy needs.