Malawi upbeat on power inter-connector
Ministry of Energy Principal Secretary Alfonso Chikuni has expressed optimism that the country will have sustainable lower electricity tariffs once the Mozambique-Malawi interconnector is commissioned.
He said this in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the opening of a three-day high-level meeting of Southern Africa Power Pool (Sapp).
The meeting is aimed at discussing national and regional interconnector transmission projects that need the intervention of the Sapp and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) secretariat.
Chikuni noted that Malawi is expected to get 120 megawatts (MW) from Mozambique with the first 50MW from December 2023.
He said: “Malawi is currently a non-operating member of Sapp but soon with the commissioning of Mozambique-Malawi Interconnector, we will start enjoying the benefits of this power pool.
“Sapp enhances regional integration as per the aspirations of the Sadc Protocol on Energy.”
Chikuni also said the ministry last month completed a study on an integrated resource plan where projects have been identified on power generation, transmission and distribution to enhance the efficiency of the energy sector in the country.
In addition to the new infrastructure, he indicated that his ministry has also identified needs for renewal and rehabilitation in the energy sector infrastructure.
In his remarks, Sapp executive director Stephen Dihwa observed that one of the most significant successes of Sapp which has brought huge benefits to its members has been the establishment of the competitive electricity market.
He said the market has become a reference for other emerging regional markets in the continent and in Asia and is offering a wide range of medium to short-term physical markets for its members to trade.
Construction works for the 218-kilometre 400 kilovolts (kV) high voltage transmission line under the Malawi-Mozambique Power Interconnection Project is expected to be completed this December. It started early this year from Matambo in Mozambique to Phombeya Power Sub-Station in Balaka District.
Sapp is a cooperation of the national electricity companies in Southern Africa under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community.
In its 10-year strategic plan (2021-2030) the pool seeks to drive growth and innovation through increasing its energy market participation by 50 percent by the year 2030.
