Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has awarded key contracts for the construction of the 218-kilometre Malawi-Mozambique Interconnector Project and Matambo Substation as part of the Mozambique-Malawi Interconnection Project (MOMA).
ESCOM Senior Project Manager Alex Kaitane recently gave a news conference in Blantyre [Ocotber 19] to update the public on the MOMA Project’s progress.
According to him, the transmission line and expansion of Phombeya will be built by L&T India, while the Matambo Substation Upgrade will be built by Sino Hydro of China, with both projects being managed by Gopa Intec International of Germany.
Completion date for Malawi-Mozambique Interconnector Project
Kaitane said that the project would now be completed in October 2023 rather than December 2022 as scheduled due to Covid-19, which delayed work and organization.
He went on to note that the arrival of Covid-19, which happened while we were already doing some preparatory work for the project, disrupted our work and organization, was the major reason for the delays.
The Joint Project Implementation Unit, which is made up of staff from EDM in Mozambique and ESCOM in Malawi, administers and implements the Malawi-Mozambique Interconnector Project.
Kaitane said they had pushed contractors and consultants to make the most of the local labour, which will always be accessible if Covid-19 strikes. They are unable to mobilise into the country to meet the completion date.
Senior Project Accountant Joseph Kamwendo refuted fears that the Kwacha’s fluctuation would affect the project’s worth, claiming that the funding was done in US dollars and Euros at the outset.
He went on to claim that the majority of the contracts were given to foreign contractors who would be paid in dollars and that all of their quoting was done in dollars as well, so the Kwacha volatility would have no effect.
The MOMA initiative is supported by the World Bank, the European Union through KfW, and the Malawian government through ESCOM. It will cost you a total of USD127 million. Once completed, it will provide 50 Megawatts to the country’s electrical grid.
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