By Innocent Kalikokha:
The Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) says it is unable to generate 20 megawatts (MW) from one of its hydropower units at Nkula B following a technical fault that occurred on Monday this week.
“Repair works on the unit are currently underway. However, the unit is expected to remain out of service for approximately one month from the time it broke down,” a notice Egenco released on Monday evening says.
It adds that Egenco is awaiting the delivery of critical spare parts from South Africa due to stock shortages.
Fuel scarcity has also affected its Kanengo and Luwinga diesel generators, which are used to stabilise power supply during reduced hydropower output and peak demand periods.
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The company says it has put in place measures to address the challenges.
“We are further engaging relevant stakeholders to assist with foreign exchange availability to ensure timely procurement and delivery of the spare parts.
“Additionally, we are collaborating with the National Oil Company of Malawi and other fuel suppliers to secure adequate fuel supplies for the standby diesel generators,” Egenco says.
The company adds that it is fast-tracking the commissioning of the Salima Solar Power Plant, which will generate 10MW.
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It also says it has secured the required foreign exchange and fully paid engineers for the commissioning works, who are expected to arrive next month.
“The plant is anticipated to be fully commissioned and connected to the national grid by June 2026, further strengthening generation capacity,” the notice reads.
Nkula B was commissioned in 1992.
Electricity supply in Malawi remains unreliable, with load shedding still affecting most parts of the country as demand continues to exceed available generation.
The country’s electricity generation capacity is roughly 450 to 500 megawatts, mainly from hydropower stations, but available output is often lower due to ageing.
