Egenco, Escom blame Covid-19 lockdown for Malawi electricity blackouts
State power producers and distributors have blamed coronvirus (Covid-19) for the current prolonged blackouts.
Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) spokesperson Moses Gwaza said some machines at Kapichira hydro power station are not working due to a break down but Egenco cannot bring into the country spare parts it ordered from Germany due to a Covid-19 lockdown in that country and suspension of flights.
“Engineers who whom we hired to fix the problems cannot come due to the same covid-19 lockdown problem and suspension of flights,” he said.
He said the power stations are producing 97 megawatts of the power instead of the needed 129 megawatts at Kapichira.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) public relations manager Innocent Chitosi said the country was supposed to get extra 91 megawatts of electricity from solar power but engineers who were supposed to set up the panels in Salima could not arrive from China because of the Covid-19 lockdown and suspension of flights.
It doesn’t make any difference COVID or no COVID. Escom is tull of dead woods; needs scrabbing.
Excuses nde kudya kwao
What is the meaning of essential services if spare parts and repairers cannot be allowed entry into the country?