Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) has shut down Nkula B power station, leading to power cuts across the country.
According to EGENCO, the shutdown has been caused by a burst pipe on a machine at the power station which has put the whole power station at the risk of flooding.
“To prevent flooding of the station, further damage to the rest of the machines, and to allow for repairs, the Nkula B intake tunnel has been dewatered and consequently shutting down the station. This means 100MW is currently not available for supply to ESCOM,” the company said in a statement.
The company added that it had instituted investigations to establish the cause of the burst and that works to repair the bypass pipe were underway.
“We will keep the public updated once preliminary works and assessment of the extent of damage is complete,” the company said.
EGENCO supplies the power to Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) which then distributes the power to Malawians.
The loss of 100MW of capacity which comes from Nkula B has left ESCOM with 275MW against a forecast demand of 310MW, hence leading to blackouts across the country.
Several areas in the Capital, Lilongwe experienced power cuts for several hours on Tuesday. Blackouts were also reported in Salima, Kasungu and in the Northern Region.
