The Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) say they are unable to end power outages in the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All areas in the country have been experiencing over four hours of power outage a day for months now.
Speaking to the local media, EGENCO spokesperson, Moses Gwaza, said there is a faulty machine at Kapichira where the company is producing 97 megawats out of a possible 129 megawats.
According to Gwaza, travel restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus have stopped engineers from Germany from coming to Malawi to fix the power machine
ESCOM spokesperson, Innocent Chitosi, said contractors and machinery for a solar powered plant are stuck in China. According to Chitosi, the solar plant when completed will be able to produce 60 megawats.
Meanwhile, EGENCO is constructing Tedzani IV Hydro Power project which when completed will provide 18 megawatts.
The company said recently that 84% of the works have been completed and the contractor is finalizing power house civil works and continuing spiral case and turbine installations.
“There is an indication that if the COVID 19 situation improves and that equipment starts flowing into the country smoothly, the project may be completed way ahead of time,” the company said.
