Malawi’s ambition to increase electricity access from the current 25.9 percent to 70 percent by 2030 has been described as over ambitious considering that annual growth is at three percent.
While government remains optimistic of achieving the growth projection based on the ongoing electricity access projects, experts say the objective is not realistic and needs to be revisited as the actual access could be around 30 percent.
access by 2030. | Nation
Renewable Energy Institute Association of Malawi (Reiama) president Brave Mhone said in an interview, at 25.9 percent electricity access, the country needs serious investment and financing in the energy sector to achieve the target.
He said: “This work will not just happen overnight, it will take time and also effort from different stakeholders.
“It is a challenge that we have ahead of us but something that I believe we can also achieve if we put our focus and attention in achieving the results.”
Ministry of Energy chief energy officer Austine Theu said in a separate interview that the ministry is optimistic of achieving the target, banking on electricity access projects being implemented, including the Ascent Malawi Project.
“The Ascent Malawi Project, funded by World Bank and being implemented from this year up to 2030, will connect around 235 000 new households to the grid.
“It will also connect around 811 000 households through solar home systems under Ngwee Ngwee Ngwee Fund, 1 000 public schools and 280 health facilities and Malawi Rural Electrification Programme 10 is also expected to connect around 750 sites reaching at least 200 000 households, UNDP is also supporting connections through mini-grids, among other partners in the electricity access drive,” he said.
However, experts believe the objective remains over ambitious without involving private sector.
In an interview, former Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi chief executive officer Kandi Padambo said statistics show that the country’s electricity access is growing at three percent per annum, warning that by 2030, electricity access would be at 30 percent at maximum.
On his part, former minister of energy Grain Malunga said seventy percent is being over ambitious looking at the way government institutions work.
Malawi requires $5.5 billion (K9.55 trillion) to increase electricity access from the current 25.9 percent to 70 percent by 2030.
In that year, Malawi aims to add 1.15 million on-grid connections and 1.55 million off-grid connections.
This is based on the Malawi Energy Compact which formed part of the Africa Energy Summit dubbed ‘Mission 300’ in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last month.
Malawi has installed generation capacity of 550 megawatts (MW), comprising 398MW from hydro (73 percent); 101MW from solar (18 percent) and 52MW from thermal diesel.
