Sturdee Energy has partnered with local developer Upepo Energy to advance the Masaiti Wind Project. The site sits in Mpongwe District, Copperbelt Province. Development is at an advanced stage, according to project documentation.
The 200 MW facility will connect directly to a 330 kV ZESCO transmission line. That grid connection is significant. It positions the project to deliver power at scale into Zambia’s national network.
Why the Copperbelt location matters
The Copperbelt is Zambia’s industrial heartland. Mining operations there place heavy, consistent demand on the grid. A large wind project in Mpongwe District sits close to that load centre. As a result, transmission losses are lower and offtake prospects are stronger than at more remote sites.
Zambia has faced chronic power deficits, driven partly by drought-reduced hydropower output. Wind generation diversifies the country’s supply mix. It reduces dependence on rainfall patterns that regional climate data show have grown increasingly unreliable.
The Sturdee Energy and Upepo Energy partnership follows a model common across Southern Africa’s independent power producer market. A regional developer with capital and technical capacity co-develops a project originated by a local partner. The arrangement accelerates project timelines. It also brings financial structuring expertise that early-stage local developers often lack.
What does this deal mean for Zambia’s energy market?
At 200 MW, the Masaiti Wind Project would represent a material addition to Zambia’s installed capacity. New independent power producer capacity — particularly from renewables — is central to the government’s strategy for closing the supply gap.
Zambia’s broader energy transition mirrors a regional shift toward private-sector power development. Governments across Southern Africa are increasingly relying on IPP frameworks to mobilise private capital for generation infrastructure. Zambia is no exception.
The 330 kV ZESCO interconnection planned for Masaiti signals that the project is designed for baseload-scale contribution. In sub-Saharan Africa, few wind projects reach this capacity threshold at advanced-stage development. That scale makes Masaiti a structurally rare asset.
Sturdee Energy’s regional strategy
Sturdee Energy has built a portfolio of renewable energy projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. Its entry into Zambia extends a development footprint that reflects growing investor confidence in the country’s IPP framework. Meanwhile, pan-African renewable energy funds are actively seeking exactly this type of advanced-stage asset.
Once operational, Masaiti would supply clean power to one of Africa’s most energy-intensive mining corridors. That combination makes it structurally attractive to development finance institutions and commercial lenders alike. A 200 MW wind asset feeding a mining-grade grid node is precisely the profile multilateral guarantors favour.
Investors and policymakers should watch for the project’s power purchase agreement structure and any multilateral guarantee arrangements, as these will determine financing terms and the timeline to financial close.
Quick answers
The Masaiti Wind Project is a 200 MW wind energy development in Mpongwe District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia. It is being co-developed by South African firm Sturdee Energy and local developer Upepo Energy, with a planned connection to a 330 kV ZESCO transmission line.
The project is a partnership between Sturdee Energy, a South African renewable energy developer active across Sub-Saharan Africa, and Upepo Energy, a Zambian local developer that originated the project.
The Copperbelt is Zambia’s primary industrial and mining region, generating consistent high electricity demand. Siting a 200 MW wind project there reduces transmission losses and strengthens offtake prospects compared to more remote locations.
