The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited has launched a $6.3 million (about K11 billion) project to replace ageing wooden transmission poles with concrete poles to improve electricity reliability, lower maintenance costs and create up to 200 jobs.
The project will see old wooden poles on the 66 kiloVolts (kV) Mapanga-Fundis Cross transmission line and the 132kV Nkula B-Phombeya No. 1 transmission line, replaced with modern concrete poles which have a lifespan of 80 years unlike the wooden poles whose lifespan is at around five years.
The two lines, commissioned between 1979 and 1987, have deteriorated over the years, according to Escom chief public relations and communications officer Pilirani Phiri.
The Fundis Cross line supplies electricity to Thyolo, Mulanje and Phalombe while the Nkula B–Phombeya line carries power from the Nkula hydro-electric complex to the national grid, supporting industries, businesses and households nationwide.
In an interview after touring construction work along the Fundis Cross line in Mapanga, Blantyre yesterday, Phiri said the project represents a long-term investment in the country’s electricity infrastructure that will strengthen network resilience, reduce maintenance costs and improve the quality of power supply to support economic growth.
benefits. | Grace Phiri
He said the power supplier expects the investment to improve the reliability of electricity supply for businesses, industries and households by reducing both planned and unplanned power interruptions and also establish Malawi’s first concrete pole manufacturing plant, creating between 150 and 200 jobs while reducing dependence on imported materials.
Said Phiri: “Beyond improving electricity infrastructure, the project is expected to deliver wider economic benefits.
“The idea is that in the long-term, we must reduce power outages. This is the project that will be carried along this stretch to ensure that there is power reliability in terms of supply.”
On his part, Infrastructure Planners Africa operations director Isaac Kunkeyani, whose firm is a consultant for the project, said 36 of the 304 structures have already been erected on the line with others expected to be erected by December 22 this year.
He said following the implementation of the project, there will be electricity outages on Sunday and Monday, after which there will be improved supply unlike now where residents have two outages per day.
Meanwhile, Sawa Group construction engineer James Munyui said they are hoping to finish before the rains could disrupt the project.
Escom data shows that vandalism of its infrastructure is costing the parastatal about K3 billion annually to replace.
Available data show that Malawi’s total installed electricity generation capacity is about 554.2 megawatts (MW), with 101MW of this capacity coming from solar power.
