The Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) says it has received the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Esia) report for the Mpatamanga Hydro Power project, which it will review this month.
In a statement, Mepa director general Tawonga Mbale said as part of its review, it will, next week, conduct public hearings to appreciate concerns of the communities surrounding the project and the nation at large.
Mbale said: “Mepa wishes to notify stakeholders and the general public that Mpatamanga Hydro Power Limited has submitted an Esia report for Mpatamanga Hydro Power Project for review.
“The nature and scope of the proposed project will induce environmental and Social Impact Assessment to determine the impacts associated with the project activities during construction and operation.”
The regulator’s remarks come four months after the Ministry of Energy insisted that the project, which will generate 350 megawatts (MW) of electricity, remains viable because Esia provides mitigation plans to reduce environmental effects.
The proposed project will be located at Mpatamanga on Shire River, with the plant designed to have the main dam, with a generation capacity of 309MW and the regulating dam six kilometres (km) downstream, with a generation capacity of 41MW.
The power will be delivered to the grid through a 62-km 400 kV transmission line from the main powerhouse to the existing Phombeya sub-station and an 11kV line connecting the regulating dam powerhouse to the Tedzani-Kapichira line.
The Esia report indicates that the power station could have some impacts in all the three phases of early works, construction, and operations such as soil erosion, climate change and cultural heritage, but it provides mitigation measures.
Reads the report in part: “The Esia identified a considerable number of potential impacts, including potential increase in noise, dust, vibration and emissions, soil erosion, waste generation, project induced in-migration, occupational health and safety and public safety impacts, water pollution, biodiversity impacts loss of land and access to land and cultural heritage impacts.
“The plan summarises the proposed mitigation measures for the identified environmental and social risks and impacts including the nature of the anticipated impacts, timeframe, budget, and the roles and responsibilities of those that will be involved in addressing them.”
Meanwhile, Mbale says Mepa will conduct public hearings next week as it reviews the Esia report, starting at Neno district hall, Kambalame Village in Neno, Chiswanthaka Village in Blantyre and Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre on January 13, 14, 15 and 16, respectively.
After releasing the report, project coordinator in the Ministry of Energy Khumbo Lungu, said in the ministry’s view, the project remains viable because it has mitigation plans on the potential impacts highlighted in the report.
He said: “As of now, we are still at the development stage. Some of the potential impacts like soil erosion could either happen or not, but even if they happen, it would take 15 to 20 years for the risks to happen.
“As of now, we will wait for feedback from the public and other stakeholders, and if the report is adopted, we will submit it to the World Bank, which is the financier, and is also expected to make its own assessment.”
In a separate interview, Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change chairperson Werani Chilenga said the release of the report is welcome as it has taken long to be finalised, thereby delaying the sector’s growth.
Meanwhile, environmental journalist Matthews Malata has said such a thorough study is required for big projects such as electricity generation.
“Conducting thorough Esia’s like this one is essential for large-scale projects, as they help to identify and mitigate potential risks,” he said.
The Mpatamanga Project is to be developed on a Build-Own -Operate basis by the government of Malawi and Mpatamanga Hydro Power Limited with financing from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation within a PPP framework.
