In a rare drive to continue policies of previous government, President Peter Mutharika has reverted to the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) which was the policy of the Joyce Banda led administration, The Daily Times has learnt.
Featuring high on the list of components the current administration has fished out from the Banda administration blueprint is the much anticipated coal fired power plant at Kamwamba in Balaka.
Latest findings indicated that Mutharika courted China to invest K855billion in number of sectors including power generation capacity of over 300 megawatts and construction of a modern Chileka International Airport within three years.
Energy, Mining, Environment and Natural Resources Ministry spokesperson Joseph Kalowekamo confirmed that the initiative is part of the ERP.
“We have revived some of the projects that were there [in ERP], but suffice to say it is still in the infant stage because our plan is to generate at least 1500 megawatts by the year 2020.
“So we are looking at a number of projects that can be implemented to reach that target,” said Kalowekamo.
He said government is casting the net wider to ensure that its ambitious energy project has materialised hence reviving the discarded ERP.
Kalowekamo further said government is conducting a number of feasibility studies on potential hydro power sites such as Kolombidzo,
Kampatamanga, lower Futsu and others in a drive to increase generation sites.
When asked about the proposed Peoples Party (PP) plan of having a power plant on Bua River in Kasungu, Kalowekamo said: “Actually government did a feasibility study on two sites, Chizuma and Kazomo each with a potential of generating 15 megawatts.
“As we speak right now there’s one Independent Power Producer [Sino Hydro from China] interested in both sites. They want to redo the feasibility study on both sites before starting generating electricity.”
He added that on Ngongozi River in Ntchisi, a Malawian company, HE Power Producer is currently looking for funds to start generating electricity of over 40 megawatts.
Commenting on the matter, former Energy and Mining Minister’s administration Ibrahim Matola said the current administration lacks focus.
“The PP administration designed short, medium and long term plans within its first 100 days culminating into a limit to power outages. We went further to sign an MOU with Mozambique to tap power from Cabora Bassa which is 270 kilometres away from Matambo Substation in Mozambique to the proposed Phombeya substation in Malawi,” he said.
Matola said the PP administration had a backup plan to sell Mozambique the same electricity by connecting to Nacala from Phombeya but claims government has no interest in the plan.
But Kalowekamo said government has signed an MOU with several IPPs to help generate electricity.
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