Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining says Malawi is scaling up electricity access and off-grid solar solutions as part of wider reforms to accelerate economic growth, climate resilience and household welfare.
The statement made in Lilongwe on Sunday comes after global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank flagged energy insecurity as one of the biggest threats to Malawi’s economic recovery.
The ministry’s deputy director Thokozani Malunga said government is working with international institutions to revamp the energy sector and has secured a $250.8 million (about K439 billion) World Bank grant to expand energy access under a programme dubbed Ascent Malawi.
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Beyond grid expansion, he said the government is also scaling up off-grid solar solutions through the Ngwengwe Fund, which provides financing to solar companies supplying rural households.
On his part, Mzuzu University Energy Systems Department head Chrispin Gogoda said Malawi is among countries whose electricity generation mix is overwhelmingly renewable.
However, he called for increased investment in battery storage technologies to improve the efficiency of off-grid solutions, which he said are susceptible to losses of power on the base grid.
Gogoda cited past failures of renewable energy technologies such as biogas systems, noting that cultural practices have sometimes limited adoption.
“You can have good technology, but adoption fails because of human factors,” he said, citing communities where cultural norms restrict access to cattle dung needed for biogas digesters.
Gogoda said universities have played a critical role in addressing these gaps through training and capacity building.
“At Mzuzu University alone, we have trained over 1 000 personnel in renewable energy,” he said. “Not only engineers, but also journalists, civil society organisations and people from non-engineering backgrounds.”
He said similar programmes at other institutions have significantly expanded Malawi’s human capital base in energy systems, which is essential for sustaining reforms.
“This is about creating systems that work for people. Together, we can reach households that have never had access to electricity,” he said.
Malawi’s energy or electricity mix remains at about 554.24 megawatts (MW) of installed generation capacity comprising 401.84MW from hydro sources, 101MW from solar and 51MW from diesel generators.
Energy experts say improved electricity access is central to economic recovery, enabling industrial activity, supporting small businesses and reducing reliance on biomass fuels that drive deforestation.
With the government now combining grid expansion, solar financing and skills development, stakeholders say the challenge will lie in execution, coordination and public trust.
The experts argue that if the current electricity challenges are not addressed, the country will fail to realise its energy ambitions, with access rates expected to rise by only 30 and 35 percent by 2030.
