PCL compensates 441 at power plant site
Press Corporation Limited (PCL) has paid out compensation worth K759 million to 441 households to be displaced by its 50 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Lilongwe District set to feed the national grid.
PCL plc officials yesterday paid the compensation to households in the area of group village head (GVH) Dete, Traditional Authority Mazengera in Lilongwe whose farmlands, totalling 110 hectares, have been acquired by the Malawi Stock Exchange-listed conglomerate for the K53 billion project.
PCL plc board chairperson Randson Mwadiwa said the project, which is expected to conclude in 2024 with operations starting in 2025, is aimed at building a better Malawi.
He said: “Let us remember that this ceremony is not just about solar panels and energy generation. It is about building a better Malawi, one where we harness the power of the sun to create a sustainable, low-carbon future. It is about creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and ensuring that our community thrives in a changing world.”
PCL plc secured an approval from Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to connect to its Nkhoma Substation after the implementation of the Malawi-Mozambique 400Kv transmission interconnection project.
GVH Dete thanked PCL plc for compensating the community members fairly and pledging to employ some of them as labourers when the project comences.
In his remarks, Lilongwe district commissioner Lawford Palani advised the compensated people to use the money well.
PCL is a diversified conglomerate with interests in various sectors of the economy, including financial services, telecommunications, energy, property, agriculture and tourism.
