Mathanga: Blackouts will end by December — Consumer watchdog isn’t buying it
Malawi’s Minister of Energy has said she expects power blackouts to ease by December, as critical machine spares are due to arrive in the country this week and imported electricity from Mozambique is expected to begin flowing.
Speaking in an interview monitored by Nyasa Times on Nation Online’s No Excuses programme on Friday, Jean Mathanga said the country had lacked adequate stocks of spare parts to repair its generating machinery, but that this was now being addressed.
“Let me assure Malawians that we are working round the clock so that issues of blackouts should end,” she said.
“We did not have adequate stocks of spares to fix our machines, and now we are stocking up.”
The intervention comes as John Kapito, executive director of the Consumers Association of Malawi, urged consumers to prepare for a prolonged energy crisis, expressing doubt over the minister’s assurances.
According to an Egenco press release dated 21 August 2026, the country’s main electricity producer is currently generating 370MW against demand of more than 450MW. More than 80 percent of national supply comes from hydro power generated along the Shire River, at stations including Nkula, Tedzani and Kapichira.
While the grid has recently incorporated limited solar capacity and battery storage, the lack of diversification leaves supply vulnerable to both climate shocks and technical failures — a point Mathanga acknowledged.
“We recognise that climate change means Malawi cannot continue relying overwhelmingly on hydropower without adequate diversification,” she said.
The crisis worsened on 7 August 2026, when a 20MW unit at Nkula B developed a technical fault and went offline. Egenco said damaged generator bearing parts needed to be sent to the original manufacturer’s workshop in South Africa for specialised repairs, with the unit expected back in service in the first week of October.
Nkula A’s Units 1–3 are also running well below capacity, generating a combined 24MW against an installed capacity of 35MW, which Egenco attributes to worn turbine shaft seals. Further downstream, Tedzani Units 5 and 6 have operated below capacity for years, tracing back to debris left by Cyclone Ana in 2022.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi allocated foreign exchange in July 2026 to procure the necessary spares, which are being manufactured abroad and are due to arrive this month. Egenco projects full capacity will be restored by the end of September.
Mathanga also pointed to progress on the Mozambique–Malawi power interconnection project, saying a significant milestone was reached following successful hot-commissioning on 8 August 2026.
The link is expected to initially add 50MW to the grid, with potential to scale up.
“On the Malawian side we finished construction by February, but our counterparts delayed following suspension of works due to a fatal accident that happened,” she said. “What remains now is a high-level discussion on commercial terms.”
The government said the effects of the ongoing power deficit have been significant for households and businesses in urban centres including Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu — from small refrigeration outlets to large manufacturers.
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