The Likoma and Chizumulu Solar Power Plants are the first solar power plants commissioned by the Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO). Comprising of 1.3MW, they supply power to the historical Likoma and Chizumulu Islands, situated off the eastern shore of Lake Malawi.
Because of their geographical location, Likoma and Chizumulu islands are not connected to the national electricity. For decades, the main source of electricity for the islands has been diesel generators that were commissioned in 2002 by the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP).
The commissioning of the solar power plant entails that solar has now become the main source of power for the islands, replacing the diesel generators.
The solar power plants have a battery storage facility that enables them to operate for long periods on battery storage power alone. This guarantees stable power supply for the island.
The Solar Power Plant for Likoma was commissioned on 16th November 2020 while that of Chizumulu was commissioned on 8th December 2020.
