The project was launched in November 2021 by President Lazarus Chakwera and his Mozambican counterpart then, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi
* This achievement marks real progress towards interconnection, which will unlock 120 megawatts of import capacity for Malawi but we will start with the 50 megawatts for now
* Complimenting this project will be the Zambia/Malawi as well as the Tanzania/Malawi power interconnector projects that we also will be implementing
By Duncan Mlanjira
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi ESCOM Limited, Kamkwamba Kumwenda announced yesterday that the Malawi/Mozambique Power Interconnector project is expected to be commissioned by the end of this 2025 to import 50 megawatts (MW) into the national grid.
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Kumwenda made the commitment during the commemoration of World Public Relations Day 2025, which the power utility company and Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM) co-hosted at its training centre in Mpemba, Blantyre, saying the project “is now in the final stages on the Malawi side with major construction works, including of transmission towers, completed”.
“We are just waiting for our colleagues from the Mozambique side to do their part,” Kumwenda said. “For us, this is a flagship project and will be the beginning of the end of blackouts.
“This achievement marks real progress towards interconnection, which will unlock 120 megawatts of import capacity for Malawi but we will start with the 50 megawatts for now.
“Complimenting this project will be the Zambia/Malawi as well as the Tanzania/Malawi power interconnector projects that we also will be implementing.”
Kamkwamba Kumwenda
He highlighted that following the unbundling reform process — that culminated into the creation of Energy Generation Company (EGENCO) as a standout company — “ESCOM no longer generates electricity but builds, owns, maintains and operates transmission and distribution assets, sells electricity to its customers, is a system and market operator as well as a single buyer for the entire power sector”.
“This is why as a single buyer, ESCOM has gone flat-out courting and signing business deals with Independent Power Producers to boost our capacity to transmit and distribute power to our customers all day, every day.”
He added that ESCOM is also currently implementing the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP), which of late, the company “have had extensive coverage of the World Bank-funded project which seeks to connect 180,000 households to the grid — providing them with reliable and affordable electricity”.
Of these households “154,000 have been connected as of July 15, 2025. From front page coverage to online and radio coverage of the project, one is able to know that MEAP is more than a project.
“For Chikondi Masiyano in Mzimba, MEAP is empowerment at its best. Masiyano will tell you that MEAP project changed her life forever. After being connected to electricity, she is now a proud owner of a saloon business.
“Electricity made her venture in small scale business, underscoring the mantra that electricity is a key stimulus for economic growth and national development.
“Besides these projects, ESCOM has also just activated the Acceleration for Sustainable and Clean Energy Transformation (ASCENT) — aimed at expanding access to sustainable energy and promoting the transition to clean energy sources.”
The CEO made a commitment that ESCOM is doing more to ensure they live up to their mandate of supplying electricity to the nation for sustainable development.
“However, despite our best efforts, we continue to face challenges in the form of vandalism,” bemoaned Kumwenda. “Vandalism of our infrastructure not only disrupts our operations but also poses a threat to the safety of our employees and the public.
“On average, ESCOM loses over MWK3 billion every year due to vandalism. This includes the cost of replacing stolen or damaged equipment, system downtime, and emergency response operations.
Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola has always asked the public to report on cases of vandalism. Here he inspects a power line that was cut at Dzalanyama in Lilongwe in March 2023
Suspect caught in possession of ESCOM equipment
Even foreigners involved such as the Chinese national and his Malawian accomplices caught with a haul of ESCOM copper wires
Vandals masquerading as ESCOM employees
“These losses put a significant strain on our operational budget, diverting resources that could otherwise be used for system expansion, maintenance, or customer service improvements.
“In essence, vandalism slows down our efforts to enhance electricity access and service reliability. Much as we are doing various awareness campaigns but we appeal for public collaboration to fight this vice together.”
He thus asked the media to be ESCOM’s partners to assist in amplifying their message of anti-vandalism to communities across the country, emphasising: “Electricity is life — as ESCOM we are committed to live up to our mandate and we will up the effective communication game.
“Our public relations department will always have the support of executive management to ensure that we improve in media, customer and stakeholder relations. And this is not just rhetoric, it is a fact. This is why at ESCOM the PR department reports directly to the CEO.”
On the commemoration of the World Public Relations Day 2025, under the theme; ‘Shaping Malawi’s Future Through Strategic Communication’, Kumwenda took cognizance PR & media practitioners’ dedication to the field of communication, saying: “Your work is vital in shaping the future of our nation, and as ESCOM we look forward to continuing to collaborate with PRSM to achieve our shared goals.”
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