CrossBoundary raises $200m debt to scale African renewable energy services

• CrossBoundary Energy secured $200 million in senior debt to expand energy-as-a-service solar and storage across African mining, industrial and telecoms customers.

CrossBoundary Energy has clinched $200 million of additional senior debt to grow its energy-as-a-service portfolio across Africa, targeting mining, heavy industry and telecoms. The raise underscores how customer-sited solar, storage and hybrid systems are becoming a mainstream way to cut diesel dependence, stabilize power costs and decarbonize operations in markets where grid supply can be expensive or unreliable.

The model is simple, and powerful: CrossBoundary finances, builds and operates the systems; clients sign long-term service agreements and pay for delivered kilowatt-hours and capacity. That shifts capex off customer balance sheets and de-risks technology choices, while unlocking portfolios of standardized projects—5- to 50-MW solar-plus-battery at mines, multi-site rooftop and ground-mount for manufacturers, and solar-storage hybrids for telecom towers.

Technically, the playbook is mature: high-efficiency PV, containerized lithium-ion batteries with robust fire safety and thermal management, and hybrid controls that juggle solar, storage and gensets. In mining, batteries can shave peaks, smooth genset ramping and deliver instant backup; in telecoms, storage slashes diesel runtime and maintenance. Unified monitoring across fleets flags underperformance and streamlines O&M—basis-point gains that compound when you operate hundreds of sites.

Why debt now? With a track record of operational projects and contracted cash flows, portfolios like CrossBoundary’s can support senior lending at scale. That lowers the cost of capital and, in turn, the price customers pay for power—expanding the addressable market. Expect some of the funds to go to long-lead procurement (transformers, switchgear), spares, and regional deployment teams that can deliver repeatable blocks quickly.

The development co-benefits are real: local jobs for installation and maintenance, lower emissions from displaced diesel, and fewer fuel trucks rumbling down long roads. Environmental and community safeguards—hazardous-materials handling, end-of-life recycling, noise and traffic management—are now baked into lender requirements and standard operating procedures.

In short, this is portfolio fuel for a proven approach: put clean, reliable power at the customer’s meter, guarantee performance, and scale it across sectors that need it most.