Minister of Energy Jean Mathanga says government will commission a 10-megawatt solar power plant in Salima on August 6 to boost electricity generation.
She made the remarks on Friday in Parliament while responding to questions from legislators on efforts to increase electricity generation and expand access.
Among those seeking clarification was Mchinji North legislator Rachel Mazombwe Zulu (Malawi Congress Party), who raised concerns over the shortage of transformers in newly electrified areas.
“For the past few years, I have seen most areas in my constituency being electrified. But the issue is that there are areas where we are lacking transformers. I want to bring this to your attention,” she said.
In response, Mathanga said government is investing in electricity generation and energy storage to reduce power outages, strengthen the national grid and meet rising electricity demand.
She said electricity consumption has outpaced the country’s generation capacity, making it necessary to accelerate investment in new power projects and supporting infrastructure.
Mathanga said the recently commissioned 20-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System will improve grid stability by storing surplus electricity generated during periods of low demand, including solar power, and releasing it during peak demand.
Said the minister: “As a country, we do not generate enough electricity to meet demand, yet consumption continues to grow. More people need to be connected to electricity.”
Currently, Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited supplies about 444 megawatts to the national grid. Of this, about 390MW comes from hydropower, 53MW from diesel generation and 101 MW from solar power.
