Mpatamanga power project starts in 2022, says Egenco

Construction of the Mpatamanga Hydro Power Station will start in 2022, Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) chief executive officer William Liabunya said on Friday.

Speaking after members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee of Parliament toured the proposed site at Mpatamanga Gorge along the Shire River, he said the $1 billion (about K750 billion) project—which is expected to be completed in 2025—will produce 350 megawatts (MW).

The Malawi Government, through Egenco, partnered with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the project sandwiched between Tedzani and Kapichira hydro power plants.

Said Liabunya: “This will double the country’s electricity supply. We are currently seeking a potential partner from the private sector for this public private partnership venture.

“By the end of the year, a contractor shall have been identified as the bundle of contracts tender is being processed.”

The project will see the construction of two dams, the main one generating 309MW and a regulating dam six kilometres downstream for an additional 41MW.

While lauding progress on the project highlighted as a priority for development, the Parliamentary Natural Resources Committee chairperson Welani Chilenga said Egenco should also explore other rivers in the country for possible power generation.

He said: “Apparently, there is concentration on the Shire River where we already have Nkula, Tedzani and Kapichira,” he said.