By Cosmas Kaunga | ESCOM Outreach Officer
Following a workshop in Blantyre, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Limited, in collaboration with the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), toured the corporation’s Phombeya Substation in Balaka on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The visit aimed to assess progress on the Mozambique-Malawi (MOMA) Interconnection transmission line.
Phombeya Substation serves as the connection point for the 218-kilometre transmission line from Matambo Substation in Tete, Mozambique, which will enable Malawi to trade and import 50 megawatts of electricity.
Speaking during the visit, ESCOM System and Market Operations Manager, Mike Mkayenda, highlighted that the project is a crucial step toward integrating Malawi’s electricity network with SAPP.
“This connection will allow us to trade and import power from Mozambique, strengthening Malawi’s energy security,” he said.
Mkayenda said the stakeholders reviewed the progress at Phombeya Substation and confirmed that most of the groundwork is complete. The structures are in place, and conductor stringing has reached approximately 70% completion.
“If all goes as planned, we should be receiving 50 megawatts from Mozambique by September this year,” he said.
“This will significantly ease our current power shortages, as we are shedding about 40 megawatts during peak hours. Once this power comes in, load shedding will be a thing of the past.”
Mkayenda expressed confidence in meeting the September deadline, noting that Mozambique has also made significant progress, covering about 70% of their work.
“While ESCOM expects to complete its part by June or July, our colleagues are also making good progress,” he said.
“The presence of stakeholders from Mozambique and Zimbabwe underscores the commitment to ensuring timely completion. We will also visit Matambo Substation in Mozambique soon to assess their progress firsthand. This mutual verification gives us confidence that the deadlines will be met,” he said
Earlier, ESCOM Chief Engineer for Transmission, Leonard Machonjo, confirmed that ESCOM had successfully erected all 197 electrical towers planned for the Malawi side.
“We reached this milestone on April 8, 2025. Our counterparts in Mozambique, Eletricidade de Moçambique (EDM), have also made significant progress, where a total of 337 electrical towers are being elected,” he said.
Machonjo said overall the project is now 95.2% complete.
Charles Madzodze, an engineer from SAPP, commended the work done so far, emphasizing that ESCOM is well-prepared for the commissioning of the transmission line.
The visiting delegation included representatives from EDM, Mozambique’s power utility; Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), Mozambique’s power generator supplying the electricity; and the SAPP Coordination Centre, which oversees electricity trade in the region. Officials from Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) also participated, given their role in regional interconnections.
MOMA project marks a milestone in regional energy cooperation and is expected to enhance Malawi’s electricity reliability while fostering greater integration with the Southern African power market.
