Nation in the Dark — ESCOM, EGENCO Admit Malawi’s Power Supply Is in Crisis

Malawians should brace for continued blackouts as the country’s energy producers admit they are generating less than half the electricity Malawi needs.

In a joint press conference in Lilongwe, ESCOM Chief Executive Officer Kankwamba Kumwenda and EGENCO CEO Maxon Chitawo conceded that the power deficit is crippling the grid. Malawi requires 1,000 megawatts to meet demand but is currently generating just about 500 megawatts.

Kumwenda said the gap has forced them to intensify load shedding to balance the meagre supply against soaring demand. “We simply cannot meet demand due to faulty machines,” he admitted. Losses include 31 megawatts at Tedzani and 10 megawatts at Kapichira.

Chitawo assured the nation that repairs are underway and some machines could return to operation next week, injecting more power into the grid. However, ESCOM’s Director of Systems and Market Operations, Charles Kagona, revealed deeper structural problems — including an aging transmission line from Blantyre through Salima and Nkhotakota to Mzuzu that leaves the north especially vulnerable.

He said the current total capacity stands at 554 megawatts — 101 from solar — but relief may only come when the long-awaited Mpatamanga Hydro Project adds 358 megawatts, alongside 31 more from new solar capacity in Salima.

Until then, blackouts will remain part of daily life for millions of Malawians.

 

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