African Development Bank approves grant for Malawi’s hydropower infrastructure

• 2 days ago (2025-12-11)
• David Flin

Africa 355 Hydropower 152

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a grant of €22 million for the rehabilitation of Malawi’s Kapichira and Nkula B hydropower plants. The rehabilitation of the plants will cost a total of €110 million.

Kapichira I (64 MW) and Nkula B (100 MW) are currently operating significantly below capacity due to ageing infrastructure and recent cyclone damage. The rehabilitation will increase annual energy generation by 55 per cent, from 916 GWh to 1426 GWh while extending the operational life of the facilities to 47 years. The plant’s performance is expected to improve from 80 per cent to 95 per cent.

The Government-owned Electricity Generation Company will act as the executing agency. Implementation is scheduled for March 2026 to December 2030.