Africa-Press – Malawi. Mzuzu University (Mzuni) has announced that it is developing a $20 million 20 megawatts solar power plant to be using for generating electricity in the Northern Region.
Mzuni Vice Chancellor Wales Singini made the announcement in Lilongwe on Wednesday during the signing of a power purchase agreement with the Electricity Supply Corporation Malawi (Escom).
Singini said the power plant would be located in Mzuzu, adding that it is expected to start operating from mid next year.
He said the electricity would be sold to Escom to supply electricity to residents of Mzuzu and surrounding areas.
“We thought of creating our own platform, where our students could have hands-on experience with the resources we have. Therefore, we decided to embark on electricity production,” Singini said.
Escom Chief Executive Officer Kamkwamba Kumwenda said Malawi needed to diversify its sources of power due to unpredictable weather conditions.
Kumwenda noted that the country’s reliance on hydro power had led to power supply issues during bad weather.
He welcomed the entry of the Mzuni-powered plant, saying it would provide consumers with an alternative source of power.
“We are happy that Mzuzu University has come on board to invest in Choma solar farm with an initial capacity of 20 megawatts. This investment is timely and commendable as it shows that all sectors of the country have the potential to do something about the power supply [situation],” Kumwenda said.
Kumwenda further said, at the moment, Malawi’s installed generation capacity remains at 554.22 megawatts against the recommended 1,000 megawatts.
This comprises 401.8 megawatts of hydro, 101 megawatts of solar, 51 megawatts of diesel power generation.
However, he said, this is not enough to supply electricity to all Malawians as Escom is still connecting new customers through initiatives such as the Malawi Electricity Access Project, which targets 180,000 households.
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