Starting this Sunday, September 25 until October 30, Malawi will be experiencing up to 19 hours of blackout every Sunday.
This is according to Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).
ESCOM has said in its statement that Malawi will be experiencing up to 19 hours of blackouts for industrial customers and an average of 14 hours for domestic customers every Sunday during the period.
In its statement, EGENCO has said this is because it will be shutting down Nkula A and B on the Sundays.
According to the company, this follows what EGENCO divers found on 30th July 2022 when they discovered that trash screens were missing.
The new fine trash screens installation process will require draining the dam at Nkula Power Station intake and consequently completely shutting down Nkula A and B to allow for safe working environment for our engineers, welders and divers.
This means that 135.1 megawatts out of the total currently available hydropower capacity of 252.55MW will not be available for supply to the national grid on the Sundays for the stated period.
“These works are necessary to ensure that no trash gets into the tunnel which could damage the machine turbines and underwater parts. It is therefore very important that we finish these works before the onset of the rain season and therefore have the tunnel and machine turbines protected from trash and debris including logs and rolling rocks. Thus ensuring sustained and efficient power generation at Nkula B power station,” the company said.
Malawi is already experiencing blackouts lasting over 8 hours of blackout a day and EGENCO said these will be resolved after the Kapichira Power Station is rehabilitated.
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This is a very worrisome situation in my motherland. I hope Mr president will woke up from slumber to resolve the issues.