Malawi keen for Chinese investment into energy sector

• 6 years ago (2017-06-06)
• David Flin

Africa 303 Hydroelectric 17

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Malawi has expressed interest in energy cooperation with China to help tackle its energy crisis. Annie Kumwenda, Malawi ambassador to Zimbabwe, said that Malawi was keen to work with Sinohydro in power infrastructure development, when touring the Kariba Hydro South Extension Project being undertaken by China’s Sinohydro. She said Malawi was one of the few countries in southern Africa where Sinohydro had not constructed a power plant yet.

Kumwenda said: “Malwai is equally in need of power, and Malawi is keen to take up any opportunities, because it’s on our priority list of projects.”

She said that Malawi had vast potential for hydro power generation, as it has the third largest lake in Africa, Lake Malawi, and the Shire River, where most of its hydro plants are located. She urged countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to cooperate in the energy sector for the benefit of all the 15 countries in the regional bloc.

Sinohydro recently expanded Zambia’s North Bank Power Station by 360 MW, and is now undertaking a 300 MW expansion project on Zimbabwe’s Kariba South Bank Power Station. Zimbabwe expects the first 150 MW unit of the expansion project to come on stream by December 2017.