- The new 60 Mw solar park will be constructed at Kanzimbe in Salima, a township in the central region of the country.
- The project is spearheaded by JCM Matswana Solar Energy who has concluded a PPA with energy utility Escom.
- The solar plant is one step towards ending the blackouts.
- Malawi will also look to Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania on power interconnection to bolster grid supply.
Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Monday launched the construction of a 60MW solar plant at Kanzimbe in Salima, a township in the central region of the country. The solar project is going to be spearheaded by JCM Matswana Solar Energy and will sell the generated power to Escom.
Mutharika assured the nation that the new solar plant is one step towards ending the blackouts.
“The problem with the energy sector is due to ignorance that the previous governments had towards the sector in the last 50 years, but our government has lined up a number of investments some of which will involve the private sector while others will be Public Private Partnership,” he said.
According to media, the President said among the projects which seek to give short, medium and long term solutions to the energy woes will include wind energy and the Kammwamba coal powered plant.
The minister of energy, mines and natural resources, Aggrey Masi, said overdependence on Shire River as a source of hydroelectricity and lack of plans by previous governments to develop the energy sector have contributed heavily to the current blackouts.
“The current administration has worked hard to ensure that these problems are history and the major undertaking towards boosting the sector were the review of the energy policy where among others we have opened for energy mix and allowed the private sector to invest in energy,” said Masi.
The minister guaranteed that the country’s new energy policy will allow for more players in the sector to participate in power generation. Masi said government will come up with short, medium and long term measures to end the blackouts.
“The short-term measure is the use of generators, and power purchase from Mozambique and Zambia, while medium-term includes the completion of Kammwamba and Mpatamanga electricity sites and the long-term measure will include discussions with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania on power interconnection,” he said.
“We are thankful that the country has created an enabling environment for investors to invest in the sector and it is so good that we have the power purchase agreement with Escom, which has been concluded,” said JCM Power Malawi country director, Phylip Leferink.
Author: GBA News Desk/ESI-Africa Guest Reporter
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
