Malawi Govt to Promote Use of Clean Energy Sources Among People

There are high expectations that efforts to have ‘clean energy’ in the country will fully take their shape as authorities are working tirelessly to have the dreams achieved.

Among other interventions, the authorities are creating a friendly environment for the production of the energy type that has for a long time been coming under criticism for lack of proper direction.

In an interview with Umatha Daily News, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the ministry of energy, Upile Kamoto says currently they are working on a number of initiatives that will see the country being saved from energy sources that create other problems like air pollution during their production.

Upile Kamoto: Government is committed and working tirelessly to provide clean and sustainable energy

“The government is committed and working tirelessly to provide clean and sustainable energy which is available to all. This is envisaged to be achieved by utilizing clean and efficient energy technologies,” said Kamoto.

She says there are a lot of priorities that the government is setting up of which among others is the construction of the Mpatamanga Hydropower Plant that is expected to be supplying the country with 350 Mega Watts (MW) as well as min-grids from multiple clean energy sources.

Kamoto further adds that the ministry is also engaging independent power producers that are currently towards the production of energy.

“The government has also engaged independent power producers in order to realize its targets,” she added.

Among other independent power producers currently under construction include 70MW Solar Power Plant by JCM Capital in Salima district, 21MW Solar Power Plant that is being constructed by Phanes in Nkhotakota district, and other projects that have scheduled to be implemented soon.

JCM Capital in Salima district

Upile Kamoto has further said currently the ministry has commissioned the Sitolo Solar Powered mini-grid in Mchinji and Bondo Hydro mini-grid in Mulanje district.

The PRO has however hinted at a number of challenges the ministry is facing in the implementation drive of the clean energy provision exercise.

She says the COVID-19 has as of late retard the progress of the initiative considering a number of restrictions that were posed in terms of traveling, gatherings, and general spacing.

Additionally, Upile Kamoto has also stressed that the equipment being used to construct the power plants are expensive hence the ministry or interested parties are finding it hard to fully venture into the energy sector.

The ministry has, on the other hand, expressed optimism that the use of clean energy sources will in near future be adapted by the citizenry as recently seen on the demand for electrical appliances.

The government has also stated that it is working on subsidizing the prices people encounter the moment they want to purchase electrical equipment for clean energy.

Statistics indicate that only 11% of the country’s population is on the ESCOM grid with the majority of Malawians using charcoal or firewood for energy.

HydroPower Distribution Site

The most common source of energy has proved to be of great danger to the environment as well as people’s daily being.

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