Malawi in talks with Tanzania, Mozambique for new power projects
Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola says government is engaging Mozambique and Tanzania on plans to construct hydro power plants at Zoa Falls in Thyolo and Songwe River in Karonga.
He said this yesterday in Parliament in Lilongwe when responding to questions on what the ministry is doing to solve the current power problems in the country.
Matola said government is engaging Mozambique so that the two countries can construct a hydro power plant on Zoa Falls to benefit both countries.
He said the proposed plant will generate over 60 megawatts (MW).
The minister said: “The two governments of Malawi and Mozambique have been working to formulate the bilateral agreement for construction of a power plant that shall supply power to both countries.”
In an interview, Matola also added that there are talks with Tanzania to have a power plant on the Songwe River to generate power to support the two countries.
“There is an agreement that we signed that we are going to generate 190MW from Songwe River,” he said.
Besides the two projects, Matola said his ministry is promoting mini grids in various parts of the country to ease pressure on the national grid.
Mulanje Bale legislator Victor Musowa (Democratic Progressive Party) called on the ministry to consider other potential areas to generate electricity.
After assuming office, President Lazarus Chakwera committed to have the country increase electricity capacity to 1 000MW by 2025. Currently, Malawi has capacity to produce 450MW from hydro power plants and solar plants.
