Kapichira Hydro Station’s power generation units back to 100% generating capacity after undergoing comprehensive repair

* As at 15h15 yesterday, all power generation units were back to 100% generating capacity (129.6 megawatts)

* EGENCO technical teams conducted thorough inspections, maintenance and necessary repairs to all the machinery at Kapichira

By Duncan Mlanjira

Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO), which shut down two of its generation units at Kapichira Hydro Power Station in Chikwawa on December 31, after one had developed a fault, have now been fully restored to full operational status after undergoing comprehensive repair.

Commissioned in 2000, Kapichira Unit 1 was offloaded and shutdown on December 31 due to abnormal noise and EGENCO discovered it had developed serious damages due to wear and tear after continuous use over the years.

The shut down took 64.8 megawatts off the national grid leading to Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to initiate national load-shedding exercise.

In a public notice, EGENCO reports that as at 15h15 yesterday, all power generation units were back to 100% generating capacity (129.6 megawatts) as “all the machinery is now functioning at optimal levels”.

“The restoration was achieved through the dedicated efforts of our technical teams, who conducted thorough inspections, maintenance and necessary repairs to address issues that led to the reduced capacity,” says the EGENCO management.

While extending its appreciation of “customers’ patience and understanding during the maintenance period”, EGENCO further assures of its “continued dedication to providing reliable electricity and supporting the growth and development of the country”.

As the maintenance works were underway, a media team accompanied Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola on January 12 when he toured Kapichira to assess the progress — which were being carried out 24/7 since January 1.

EGENCO’s acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Eng. Dr. Maxon Chitawo and Power Station Manager explained that the wear out of the two units had been exacerbated by continuous siltation of the Shire River since the sand ground out rings that support the turbines, which revolves at over 250 rounds per minute.

The worn out rings were thus taken out for replacement, a long process that included unscrewing massive bolts and nuts that had not been been touched since its construction and operation over the past 20 years since the power station was commissioned in 2000.

It also took a long process to remove the heavy machinery from the bottom of the plant to the ground floor through heavy cranes for proper repair — while another equipment ferried to the Power Station at Chichiri in Blantyre for concentrated repairs and replacement of spare parts.

All the while, EGENCO kept the other two units running to generate 50% of the 129.6 megawatts of the power from Kapichira and Eng. Dr. Chitawo also indicated that they thus needed to assess the state of the other two generation units, which were commissioned in 2013 as Kapichira Phase II.

The Power Station Manager also took the Minister and the media team to the water intake where the process of scouring of massive sand that accumulates as well as other debris — that has increased over the years due to the degradation of the environment.

The sand and other debris are fed into the Shire River by upstream rivers during rainy seasons, prompting EGENCO to carry out the scouring on regular bases since the sand quickly accumulates when the Shire’s water levels increase.

Minister Matola applauded EGENCO management and its team of engineers for their “swift response towards the maintenance works”, adding that the equipment parts had outlived their lifespan and needed to be replaced at this point in time.

He also reiterated that the Ministry of Energy is looking towards building other plants along the Shire River in projects that include the Mpatamanga hydro plant between in Neno and Blantyre, which is currently concluding its feasibility study — earmarked to generate over 361 megawatts as well as 200 megawatts from Kholombidzo in Balaka.

Matola also thanked the public for their patience and perseverance during the load-shedding programme to allow for the maintenance exercises at Kapichira, emphasising that the whole process was to give life back to the generation plant for posterity.

Cyclone Ana in 2022 also devastated Kapichira Hydro Power Station’s losing all of it 129.6 megawatts of power off the national grid, whose restoration of the dam took over a year.