Egenco explains power outages
Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) has urged Malawians not to panic with the recent resurgence of power outages, saying it is generating enough electricity.
The explanation has come against the background of a series of blackouts in some parts of the country and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) announcing loadshedding programmes attributed to insufficient generation capacity.
But in an interview yesterday, Egenco chief executive officer William Liabunya faulted Escom for stating that there was low electricity generation capacity in its published load shedding schedules.
He attributed the load shedding to increased demand for electricity in the cold season.
Said Liabunya: “Power generation is intact. It is normal to have load shedding during the months of May, June and July as demand for electricity is high as people heat up their environments and tobacco processing companies are undertaking their processes.”
He said the removal of a unit at Kapichira Hydro Power Station last week for maintenance as well as the switching off of 24 megawatts at Nkula A under the Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi energy compact refurbishment has somehow affected generation. The Nkula A machine is expected to be out for a year.
When asked to explain the blackouts, Escom public relations manager Kitty Chingota referred the matter to Egenco who are into power generation.
Egenco was formed earlier this year following the unbundling of Escom into two companies as part of the energy sector reforms.n
