EGENCO KICK-STARTS A 10MW SOLAR POWER PROJECT
Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO) on Wednesday 22 November 2023 launched the construction and installation works of a 10 Megawatt Solar Power Plant in Salima District.
Speaking after launching the construction of the project, Minister of Energy, Hon. Ibrahim Matola, commended EGENCO for diversifying its energy sources and urged for further diversification.
“EGENCO must pursue other alternative sources of energy such as coal and geothermal.” Said the Minister while also urging diversification away from the Shire River to other potential sites of hydropower generation.
In his remarks, EGENCO Acting Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Dr. Maxon Chitawo, said the project will take eighteen months to complete and will cost the Company approximately Fourteen Million United States Dollars.
Chitawo further said the Company intends to add another 10MW in the second phase of the project.
“This is the first phase of a scalable 20MW Solar Power Plant that will be implemented in two phases of 10MW each.” Said Chitawo while further revealing that the Company acquired enough land to produce up to 50MW of power.
Once commissioned, the generated electricity from the power plant will be evacuated to the national grid through ESCOM’s Nanjoka Substation.
The contractor for the project is Chint Electrical Co., who was previously engaged in the construction of EGENCO’s solar power plants in Likoma and Chizumulu Islands.
