Government has launched the construction of the $32 million(about K25 billion) Golomoti Solar Power Plant in Dedza District expected to add about 20 megawatts to the national grid.
The project is being implemented by an international firm JCM Power through a Power Partnership Agreement (PPA) with government.
Launching the project on Monday, Minister of Energy Newton Kambala said the initiative signifies progress in the country’s bid to improve power supply through inclusion of independent power producers (IPPs) in the National Energy Policy.
”This project is a result of the revision of the policy and evidence of the active participation of IPPs. It is pleasing that the project is a solar plant which is clean sources of energy,” he said.
Under the PPA agreement, it is expected that once the IPPs start producing power, they will be selling it to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi which distributes electricity nationally.
Meanwhile, JCM country director Phylip Leferlink has expressed optimism that the project will be implemented within the prescribed timeline.
”We believe that we can finish the project within 10 months. We are confident we will meet that target. The advantage is that we are going towards the end of the rainy season so we will not have major hurdles,” he said.
Leferlink further said that they will employ about 250 workers from within the community as part of economically empowering those in the project’s vicinity.
Source: The Nation_March 3, 2021_Clement Chinoko-Staff Reporter