Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) has told the Parliamentary Cluster of agriculture and food security and Natural Resources and Climate Change that it needs about k15.3 billion to rehabilitate Kapichira power station.
This follows destruction of the plant by Tropical Storm Ana in January this year. Making a presentation before the committees at Parliament building in Lilongwe yesterday, Egenco Chief Executive Officer William Liabunya said due to the shutdown of the plant , about 130 megawatts is not being produced.
He said: “Our major hurdle is financing. we need to find the 15 billion for the work to start.”So far the world Bank has seen all our documentations and might fund the exercise but that might take long.”
Liabunya said with challenges affecting electricity generation, the company loses about 1.8 billion annually which affects various operations. Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) chief executive officer Kankwamba Kumwenda said tropical storm Ana caused the company to lose distribution infrastructure in many affected areas.
Power Market limited Chief Executive officer Rosemary Mkandawire beside the Kapichira crisis, government should capacitate Egenco for it to be manage various projecyts to enhance electricity generation.
Parliamentary committee on Natural Resources and Climate change chairperson Welani Chilenga asked the Ministry of Energy to release the needed K15 billion the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (Marep) to restore Kapichira.
He said: “We can not say people should continue to be connected to the grid when we do not have the capacity to supply them with power.
“As such, the committee suggest that the ministry should give Egenco the needed money to restore the 130 megawatts .”
Ministry of Energy Principal Secretary Patrick Matanda said government is looking various options to save the situation, including the Marep funds suggestion.
Source: The Nation_Wednesday,2 March 2022_By Angella Phiri_Staff Reporter