Escom warns of more power outages in Malawi for next four months
The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) is making a strong warning to its customers across the country that they will continue to experience frequent and prolonged load shedding for the next four months due to insufficient generation capacity.
In a statement issued Monday, Escom says the situation has been compounded by reduced water levels in Lake Malawi and the Shire River, which are its major sources of water for hydro power electricity generation.
The current water flow in the Shire as measured at Liwonde Barrage is 214 cubic meters per second (cumecs), against the total required discharge of 261 cumecs at Nkula, 274 cumecs at Tedzani and 268 cumecs at Kapichira Hydro Power Stations if all machines are running at full capacities.
“In the current scenario, if these power stations are to run at full capacity, it will mean fast depletion of water storage pond levels, a situation that is not desirable for sustained operations,” reads the statement, in part.
The statement attributes this to low rainfall in the past season which is attributed to climate change.
“This is a reality that is not reversible at the moment and is likely to worsen in the next four to five months,” says Escom in the statement.
The corporation is, however, urging its customers to conserve energy usage at all times by, among other measures, switching off geysers, electric heaters and pool pumps from 5pm to 9pm every day; and switching off unnecessary appliances and lighting.
Customers should are also advised to switch off any apparatus, lights in rooms and air-conditioners before living their homes, offices and other work areas.
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I totally agree with No. 42, we are spending billions of kwacha’s trying to relocate our colleagues in the lower shire whereas if we would control the flow of the shire river by building a dam between Liwonde and zalewa and another dam on the ruo river we would:- (a) Control the flooding in the lower shire thereby making the relocation exercise redundant for our colleagues as they would be staying in their respective areas. Aswan Dan in the Nile river, Kariba on the zambezi , Canada and Netherlands are other countries that provide very good examples of how to… Read more »
I think it is sabotage. When DPP was in power before JB’s reign, Malawi saw blackouts and fires in offices. During JB’s reign we could see light dominating Malawi. Soon after taking over from JB, DPP ushered in blackout and fires syndrome. Let APM resign you will witness light in the street. The resources we have are enough to give full light to Malawi if properly managed. Why should the turbines and generators need maintenance only when DPP is in power? One thing is certain DPP = darkness.
WHY DON’T WE RESUSCITATE THOSE OLD CATERPILLAR GENERATORS WE USED TO HAVE IN PLACES LIKE MZUZU AND ZOMBA! OUR MISERIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED. BE IT POLICY TO HAVE HEAVY DUTY GENERATORS IN MAJOR CITIES.
MALAWI GENERATES A LOT OF SOLID MASS EVERYWHERE – trash from markets instead of it being sent to rubbish tips, can be used to fire a thermal/diesel power plant.
MOST PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS OF MALAWI GENERATE A LOT OF SOLID WASTE AND THIS CAN BE COLLECTED BY CITY COUNCIL’s REFUSE COLLECTION DEPARTMENTS AS THEY DO THEIR WEEKLY COLLECTION!
Is Shire river only affect Ndirande, Biwi, Katoto and those othner poor areas of Malawi. whiy only these areas are affected with this Load Sheding ESCOM embaking on. StartLoad Sheding from STAETE HOUSE, Area 10, Area 9, Nyambadwe, Sunnyside Namiwawa before you come to us.
you fools from ESCOM
Kodi vuto lenileni ndi chani? Madzi onsewa ali mu shire wa zoona? kapena school me on this please. Pa shire pompa apa pa chikwawa too much water shaaa
we r usd to live wtout electricity go hell
Can our colonial masters come back pleeeeeease! We have failed miserably to govern ourselves. We need leaders who can anticipate things and plan accordingly not Mathanyula who is asleep at the wheel next week they will have another banquet celebrating something.
That is all they know ……partying.
Aaaaah escom smuzatheka we r tired wit ur stupid excuses
Is there no one in the Govt that would think of building a major dam on upper Shire for conservation of water, irrigation and power generation rather than wasting it as we are doing. It’s sad that we are now talking about load shedding due to lowering of water levels in the lake and yet we allow water go into Mozambique as if we have nothing to do with it. Can’t we emulate what the people of Ethiopia are doing. The reasons for the power outage is nonsensical if we cannot conserve our waters properly.
What are traying to say you escom this country of they got poor goverment. What you know crime that’s all not diverlopment. Malawi unali kale thawi ya kamuzu madalaolikonda ziko lawo osati ndalama ngati mabingu ndi ma joyce ndi ma bakili awandiye asogoleli okonda ndalama. Basi onani joyce wathawa pano aliku america nanga msogoleli azitele kupanga geni ziko lakelomwe kuliwononga mkuthawa asongoleli adyela otelewa ofunika chilango chokwiya kwambasi 12years kundende basi mwina uthu ndi sitha kubaku zithu zikusokonekela chifukwa chachinyengo