What Release does

Release by Scatec is a private Norwegian-registered company that finances, deploys, and leases pre-assembled, containerized solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS) to utilities, mines, and industrial customers in emerging markets, with primary operations across Sub-Saharan Africa and a foothold in Mexico. Founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of Norwegian renewable power producer Scatec ASA, the company structures its offering as a modular lease starting from 5 MWp blocks, deploying bifacial solar panels on movable trackers integrated with battery storage under contracts typically ranging from 5 to 15 years — materially shorter than the 20-25 year power purchase agreements that dominate the traditional independent power producer (IPP) model. Release retains ownership of the equipment, converts customer capital expenditure into operating expenditure, and bundles operations and maintenance with 24/7 monitoring through Scatec's Control and Monitoring Centre in Cape Town.

The core technology stack consists of standardized containerized trackers shipped from South Africa for rapid on-site assembly without heavy machinery, paired with battery supply framework agreements with Tesla and DEIF and a proprietary in-house mounting structure designed by Release's South African engineering team. The company finances each project on its own balance sheet, relying on concessional equity and debt from institutional climate investors — most notably a USD 102 million round from Climate Fund Managers (October 2023) that established Release as a joint venture platform, plus USD 100 million in senior debt and a USD 65 million World Bank IDA guarantee facility from IFC to underwrite payment obligations of utility clients in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Chad. Customers include national utilities (ENEO Cameroon, Liberia Electricity Corporation, EGTC Sierra Leone, Société Nationale d'Électricité du Tchad), mining operators (Torex Gold, Tshukudu Metals Botswana/Sandfire Resources, Anglo American Platinum via ENGIE), a humanitarian organization (IOM), and smaller private off-takers.

Revenue is generated through recurring lease payments on deployed assets, supplemented by O&M and performance guarantee services. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise sales — typically multi-year, government-to-government or B2B mining negotiations, facilitated by development finance institution relationships and supported by industry conference presence (Africa Energy Forum, Mining Indaba) and a self-service webtool for initial project sizing. As of late 2025 / early 2026, the company had signed or commissioned projects across eight countries with cumulative solar capacity well above 140 MW, with announced projects in Botswana and Chad expected to drive further scale through 2026.

Name

Release

Legal name

Release by Scatec (operated by Scatec ASA)

Website

https://releasesolar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Release by Scatec finances, owns, and leases pre-assembled, containerized solar PV and battery storage systems (from 5 MWp blocks) to African utilities, mining operators, and industrial customers under 5-15 year contracts, converting customer CAPEX into OPEX.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Energy Leasing

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Utility-Scale BESS Project Development & Ownership (IPP/Developer) (EUAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), BESS Operations, Maintenance & Asset Performance Management (APM) (EUAFAAAG), BESS Financing, Insurance & Contracting (Tax Equity, PPA/Tolling, Warranties) (EUAFAAAI), Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG)

Keywords

• Solar PV leasing
• Battery energy storage
• Distributed solar generation
• Renewable power leasing
• Solar hybrid plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Solar and Battery Equipment Leasing: Release generates revenue through flexible leasing agreements of pre-assembled and containerized solar PV and battery storage equipment. Equipment is pre-financed by Release and deployed under leasing contracts with terms typically between 5 and 15 years. Customers pay regular lease payments rather than upfront capital expenditure, converting CAPEX to OPEX. The mobility and redeployability of equipment allows Release to assess useful lifetime and offer competitive short-term contracts even on 5-year leases. Additional revenue may come from O&M services, performance guarantees, and monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Release provides flexible leasing of pre-assembled, containerized, and movable solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to utilities and mining/industrial customers in emerging markets. The company finances and deploys modular solar power plants starting from 5 MWp blocks under short-term contracts (typically 5-15 years), converting customer CAPEX into OPEX. Equipment includes bifacial solar panels mounted on proprietary tracker structures with integrated battery storage, supported by 24/7 monitoring, O&M services, and performance guarantees.

Product overview

Release by Scatec is a flexible leasing platform for distributed generation solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The core offering combines pre-assembled, containerised, and movable solar trackers with integrated battery storage, all deployed under flexible leasing contracts typically ranging from 5 to 15 years. The platform targets utilities and mining/industrial customers in emerging markets, offering equipment starting from 5 MWp blocks. Release also provides a webtool for solar sizing and has developed proprietary mounting structures designed in South Africa. Equipment is pre-financed by Release, eliminating upfront capital requirements for customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Release Mobile Solar Panel Mounting Structure: Proprietary solar panel mounting structure designed by Release's engineering team in South Africa, enabling cost-efficient, flexible, and sustainable solar and battery project implementation based on a lease-to-own structure.

Products and services

• Release by Scatec Solar PV and BESS Leasing
• Release Battery Energy Storage (BESS) Leasing
• Proprietary Solar Panel Mounting Structure

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects can deliver first power within 6 months of contract signing
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kube EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Partnership with Kube Energy to develop the combined solar and battery storage plant for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Humanitarian Hub in Malakal, South Sudan.
• Cambridge Energy PartnerscoreTechnology or Integration · 18 September 2019Partnership with UK-based Cambridge Energy Partners to deliver the container-based tracker solution for Release's modular solar plants. Bifacial solar panels are pre-assembled and shipped in containers, delivered and installed at customer sites.
• Tesla and DEIFcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 September 2019Framework agreements in place with Tesla and DEIF for supply of batteries with integrated solution. Batteries can be utilized to optimize diesel and solar uptake by reducing spinning reserve and optimizing load, or to shift load from day to night.
• ENEO CamerooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cameroon's national electricity company for deployment of solar hybrid and battery storage plants. Started with 36 MW solar + 19 MWh storage in Maroua and Guider, later extended to 64.4 MW solar and 38.2 MWh. Projects represent one of the fastest PV deployments in the region.
• Izuba Energy and Sphinx EnergyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProjects in Cameroon were originally developed in partnership with Izuba Energy and Sphinx Energy.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EDF Renewables: Global renewable IPP and developer with operations across Africa. Larger and broader than Release but directly competing for utility-scale solar and storage project mandates in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• ENGIE: Global energy major with significant African renewable operations and a customer of Release (ENGIE procured a Release mobile PV plant for Anglo American Mogalakwena). Broader portfolio, much larger balance sheet, overlapping capabilities in solar + storage + mining off-takers.
• Enel Green Power: Global utility-scale renewable IPP with significant African presence (e.g., South Africa, Morocco, Egypt). Larger balance sheet and broader geographic scope; comparable technology (utility-scale solar PV and BESS) but traditional IPP model.
• Scatec ASA: Release's parent company and a leading Norwegian renewable power producer with 3.3+ GW operating across four continents. Same underlying technology (utility-scale solar + storage) but operates traditional 25-year PPA IPP model rather than short-term leases.

Direct peers

• CrossBoundary Energy: Provides solar and battery leasing solutions to commercial, industrial, and mining customers across Africa. Closest direct peer to Release: same OPEX-based leasing model, same target verticals (mining + utilities), and similar emerging-market focus.
• PowerGen Renewable Energy: Distributed renewable energy provider focused on East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda) serving commercial, industrial, and utility customers with solar PV and storage. Comparable distributed-generation approach.
• Distributed Energy (formerly SolarArise Africa): Distributed solar and storage provider in Africa serving C&I and utility customers. Comparable business model targeting similar customers with flexible solar-plus-storage solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Emerging players

• Zola Electric: Distributed solar + storage provider across Africa. Different scale and customer segment (more residential/SME), but shares the African distributed-generation footprint and pay-over-time business model DNA.
• Sun King (formerly Greenlight Planet): Pay-as-you-go distributed solar provider across Africa and Asia. While focused on residential/off-grid rather than utility/mining scale, the company shares Release's leasing-as-a-service DNA and emerging-market customer base.
• Africa GreenCo: Renewable energy intermediary/aggregator in Southern Africa acting as creditworthy offtaker for IPPs. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but increasingly relevant as a counterparty/distribution layer in Release's target markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Release-by-Scatec-Solar-108447360631631
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/release-by-scatec

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Release