Escom targets system reliability ahead of power interconnector

Electricity Supply Cooperation of Malawi (Escom) Limited says it is strengthening system reliability, market readiness and infrastructure security as Malawi prepares to join the Southern Africa Power Pool (Sapp) for regional power trade. Escom Limited board director Welford Sabola said this on Wednesday in Lilongwe during the opening of the Sapp 60th Executive Committee Meeting. The meeting was held ahead of Escom Limited’s connection to the Sapp grid through Malawi-Mozambique Power Interconnection Project in the second quarter of this year.

Sabola said the upcoming interconnector will mark a shift from an isolated grid to active participation in regional electricity market, which will strengthen Malawi’s energy position in the region. He said: “The power interconnection is a lifeline, representing Escom’s shift from being a purely transactional utility to becoming a strategic partner in regional power trade, which requires learning from the experiences of other members. “We are also targeting key milestones, including system reliability, market readiness and infrastructure security to ensure our system is a bidirectional to enable power purchase and export while strengthening internal market structures.” In his remarks, Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi commended Sapp’s regional power integration initiatives, noting that by 2028 all 12 Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries will be electrically interconnected.

On government readiness to pay the $5 million (about K8.7 billion) monthly electricity imports bill, he assured that the foreign exchange will be available. Said Saidi: “Within the shortest period, you have seen that the economy has stabilised and import cover is also on a good footing. “We believe that by the time we enter second quarter when we will be purchasing the power from the interconnector, we will have adequate resources to do so.” Sapp Coordinating Committee executive director Stephen Dihwa said the grouping has evolved to become a strong and respected regional power market, highlighting the need for all member countries to connect for the region to embrace regional power intergration to support industrialisation.

[paywall]

He said: “The main focus is that members that are not connected to the grid are connected. Among them is Malawi itself, which is expected to be connected in the second quarter of this year and that will be followed by Tanzania in 2028 and after that we want to see Angola also interconnected. “We are also focusing on strengthening transmission.

We have noted that there are a lot of transmission bottlenecks..” Out of the 12 Sadc mainland countries, only South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Tanzania have excess generation capacity. At the moment, Malawi, Angola and Tanzania are yet to get connected to Sapp.

[/paywall]