The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) says Kapichira Phase 11 project, which is set to add about 64.8 megawatts to the national grid, will cost over K23.1 billion (about $57.7m).
Speaking on Tuesday after Escom board members toured Kapichira Power Station, director of transmission Evans Msiska said the project was on track and would be commissioned by December this year.
“After Kapichira II is commissioned, our energy gap will be reduced. However, we are exploring the use of a diesel generator to bridge the gap,” said Msiska.
Speaking after the tour, Escom board chairperson Morgan Tembo said he was pleased with the progress of the project.
“We came here to familiarise ourselves with the power generation so that we can be better informed of the issues. So far, the impression we have is very good. We have technically efficient people at Escom who are sometimes working in difficult situations.
“The role of the Millennium Challenge Compact [MCC] is not primarily on the generation part. It is designed to reinforce transmission and ensure no losses. Under the project, old equipment will be rehabilitated. The project will also extend transmission to areas that we have not been able to reach to,” said Tembo.
Commenting on the Mozambique-Malawi power interconnector, Tembo added that the interconnection will not happen overnight and is expected to take over two years due to the complexity of the project.
Kapichira Power Station currently generates about 64.8 megawatts and completion of phase two will see the station double its capacity to over 128MW.
The Kapichira Phase II is seen as a critical milestone for the country energy because the last time Malawi added new generation capacity to the national power grid was in 2000 through the Kapichira Phase One project.
