By Wezzie Gausi:
The Ministry of Energy has expressed optimism on chances of connecting more people to the national electricity grid.
It says it seeks to bridge the gap that is there by 2030, with a target of 30 percent through grid expansion and 70 percent through off-grid solutions.
This comes at a time 74 percent of Malawians have no access to electricity.
According to findings of a recent Malawi Energy Access Survey, only 25.8 percent of people in the country have access to electricity.
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It indicates that most of the people with access to the same are concentrated in urban areas.
Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola said Thursday, when he addressed delegates to the Energy Stakeholders Conference in Lilongwe, that they are committed to meeting targets.
“Of the 25.8 percent population [that is connected to electricity], only 11.3 percent of the people are connected to the grid while 14.5 percent are connected through off-grid solutions.
“To address these challenges, the Government of Malawi has adopted a holistic strategic approach that encompasses various key elements. First and foremost, we are committed to diversifying our energy mix. Currently, the majority of our energy is derived from hydropower, leaving us vulnerable to climatic variations and rainfall patterns,” Matola said.
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He said the government’s strategic approach involves exploring alternative renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass to enhance energy security and mitigate environmental impacts.
Word Bank acting Country Manager Jacob Angel said Malawi has had one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, at around 12 percent, for over a decade.
He said the situation is worse in rural areas, where the access rate is at no more than five percent.
“The gap between the rich and the poor is huge and the bottom 40 percent of the population has almost no coverage, which seriously affects human development and economic transformation.
“But things have been changing over the past three years. Malawi’s energy access rate has improved from 12 percent in 2021 to 19 percent in 2024,” Angel said.
Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Country Delivery Lead, Collen Zalengera, said the alliance is working on addressing the transition to renewable energy as a source of power.
