Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Ltd on Friday commissioned a 20MW/40MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Kanengo in Lilongwe, marking the country’s first utility-scale battery energy storage facility.
The $20.245 million project, funded by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), is expected to improve the stability, reliability and flexibility of Malawi’s national electricity grid.
Malawi’s Minister of Energy, Jean Sendeza Mathanga, said the project was a key component of the country’s development agenda under the Malawi 2063 strategy.
“For decades, we have been at the mercy of the clock and the weather, but today we begin an era of energy independence on our own terms. Today, we are not just commissioning a facility of steel and lithium; we are commissioning the engine of our development,” Mathanga said.
She said reliable electricity was essential to achieving Malawi’s industrialisation objectives.
“There is no industrialisation without stable, reliable and affordable power,” she said.
Mathanga said the battery storage system would strengthen energy security, improve grid stability and support the country’s transition to a more resilient electricity sector.
“The BESS project is a cornerstone of our national energy compact, serving as a silent guardian of our national grid,” she said.
She added that the project would provide more reliable electricity to hospitals, schools and businesses while supporting greater integration of renewable energy into the national grid.
“Solar power may have sparked our energy revolution, but battery storage will sustain it,” she said.
Mathanga thanked GEAPP for funding the project and called on other development partners to support similar investments in Malawi’s energy sector.
Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi said ESCOM had improved its operational performance and communication with stakeholders while working to address electricity supply challenges.
“We are encouraged that ESCOM, through improved communication and operational performance, is working towards eliminating load shedding,” Saidi said.
He said the government would continue supporting investments aimed at strengthening Malawi’s electricity sector.
GEAPP Vice President Koech said the battery energy storage project demonstrated the value of partnerships between governments and development organisations.
She said the project was implemented through collaboration between the Government of Malawi, ESCOM Ltd and GEAPP, with engineering support from JIVO and Lahmeyer International.
Koech added that GEAPP was also supporting the establishment of the Southern Africa Battery Energy Storage Systems Centre of Excellence at Mzuzu University, in partnership with the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.
The centre will provide training, research and knowledge-sharing on battery energy storage technologies for utilities, policymakers, researchers and private sector stakeholders.
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