

The worn out rings for the turbines and their spare parts
* One unit has been successfully repaired and was expected to resume generation of 32.4 megawatts today, Monday
* The maintenance works were rolled out on January 1 taking 64.8 megawatts off the national grid
* 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 turbines
By Duncan Mlanjira
Commissioned in 2000, two generation units of Kapichira Hydro Power Station in Chikwawa developed serious damages due to wear and tear after continuous use over the years that prompted Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) to shut them down on New Year’s Day for extensive maintenance and repair.

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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 but within two weeks, one unit has been successfully repaired and was expected to resume generation of 32.4 megawatts today, Monday.
This was appraised to a media team that accompanied Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola to assess progress of the maintenance works at Kapichira yesterday, January 12 — which are 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.
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.
“But all the while, we kept the other two units running to generate 50% [of the 129.6 megawatts] of the power from Kapichira,” said Eng. Dr. Chitawo, who indicated that they thus need 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.
“It means we also have to assess the other two units that were commissioned in 2013 under Kapichira Phase II so that we must maintain maximum generation of power as we look towards building other plants along the Shire River.”
These projects, said the Minister, 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 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 130 megawatts of power off the national grid, whose restoration of the dam took over a year.

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