A recently completed project has enabled the Lilongwe Old Town and Kanengo substations, managed by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), to support 79,000 new electricity connections.
The project increased Lilongwe Old Town’s capacity from 37.5MVA to 50MVA and Kanengo’s from 83MVA to 158MVA.
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) handed over the Project for Improvement of Substations in Lilongwe, which the Malawi government hailed as a significant advancement for the country’s energy sector.
During the handover ceremony on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola highlighted that the project, which upgraded ESCOM-owned substations, would drive economic growth in the capital city and its surrounding areas.
Matola highlighted that this project aligns with the government’s goal of providing stable and reliable electricity to boost socio-economic development.
He emphasized the government’s target of increasing access to electricity to 50% by 2030, both for grid and off-grid connections.
“This project directly increases access to the national grid by adding more capacity for new connections,” Matola stated.
“Moreover, this project supports Malawi Vision 2063, which aims for the country to become an Inclusively Wealthy and Self-Reliant Nation. Investing in the energy sector to ensure a stable and efficient electricity supply is a key pillar of Malawi 2063.”
ESCOM Limited Board Chairperson, Morgan Tembo, speaking before the Minister, noted that upgrading the substations aligns with the national goal of increasing grid access to 30% by 2030.
“To achieve these goals, ESCOM needs to grow its customer base from the current 565,000 to 1,695,000 customers within the next six years. This requires increased capacity in our substations, which this project has provided.
“We are pleased that this project has brought numerous technological benefits that will enhance service delivery. These benefits include reduced power outages caused by overloads, improved system performance record-keeping, and increased system reliability,” Tembo said.
The Ambassador of Japan to Malawi, Yoichi Oya, called the handover ceremony a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship between Japan and Malawi.
“In January, we gathered for the partial handover of Kanengo Substation. Later in March, we handed over the transformers at the Old Town Substation. Today, I am more than pleased to celebrate the completion of the entire project,” Oya stated.
The Government of Japan invested 2.89 billion Yen ($18,542,818.00) in the project, which aims to improve the electricity supply in Lilongwe City and support Malawi’s socio-economic development.
This project became a reality after the governments of Malawi and Japan, through JICA, signed a grant agreement via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 18 October 2021.