- IFC InfraVentures has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the Government of Malawi to develop a hydropower plant on the Shire River.
- The power station will be located at Mpatamanga, on the Shire River, in Blantyre District, in the Southern Region of Malawi.
- The project will have a reservoir, which will allow water storage plus the expansion of nearby Kapichira Hydro Plant.
IFC InfraVentures is a US150 million global infrastructure project development fund that has been created as part of World Bank Group’s efforts to increase the pipeline of bankable projects in developing countries. Its unique offering, combining early stage risk capital and experienced project development support, is designed to address the key constraints to private investment in infrastructure projects in frontier markets.
The agreement signed last week is in coordination with the World Bank and with the support of SN Power AS and Power Africa.
According to a news announcement, the 258MW Mpatamanga hydropower project will be competitively tendered by the Government of Malawi. The power station will be located at Mpatamanga, on the Shire River, in Blantyre District, in the Southern Region of Malawi. This is approximately 53 kilometres (33 mi), by road, north-west of the city of Blantyre.
The Mpatamanga plant will differ from earlier hydro-power plants in Malawi, in that it will have a reservoir, which will allow water storage plus the expansion of Kapichira Hydro Plant. The reservoir will also facilitate the development of a planned irrigation scheme.
Once construction is complete, the plant will provide up to 258MW of clean energy for Malawi.
Author: GBA News Desk/ESI-Africa Contributor
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
