Sapp could boost Malawi’s power supply—expert

Malawi could improve its energy supply by benefiting from the Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) to provide reliable and economical electricity supply to consumers, an expert has said.

Zambia-based Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre director Engineer Kaela Siame said in an interview on Thursday in Blantyre that Malawi does not need to waste time in its search for energy security as it can tap into existing platforms such as Sapp.

He said: “The Sapp has over the past few years built internal capacity by putting up infrastructure as power pool and now has software and hardware to enable different member countries trade electricity in a sophisticated manner.”

Siame said the infrastructure Malawi has developed through the five-year $350.7 million energy compact from United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would enable it to easily trade electricity with Sapp member countries.

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Principal Secretary Patrick Matanda said they are confident that other governments in Africa are also putting in place conducive environment to enable companies thrive and contribute to the continent’s power generation capacity.

Sapp—a cooperation of the national electricity companies in southern Africa under the auspices of Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc)—is the first and the most advanced power pool on the continent, providing an alternative to domestic electricity generation to improve energy security.

Malawi, which is currently a non-operating member of Sapp, was recently granted $57 million (about K42 billion) towards the Malawi-Mozambique Regional Interconnector Project.

The project will interconnect Mozambique and Malawi transmission systems to enable the two countries engage in bilateral and regional power trade.