Mozambique-Malawi interconnector at 56% completion

The Mozambique-Malawi Interconnection Project (MOMA) has reached 56% progress, energy authorities have disclosed.

The 218-kilometre 400 kilovolts high voltage power transmission line, starts from Matambo in Mozambique to Phombeya Power Sub-station in Malawi’s Balaka district.

So far, line construction is at 69.43%, 152 towers have been erected out of the 190 targeted and 12.66 kilometers has string out of the 77 kilometers target.

Speaking during a media interface and tour of the project infrastructure, minister of energy Ibrahim Matola commended the progress made on the project saying it is a step forward in attaining uninterrupted power supply to all.

“Malawi will be tapping power from the pool, which is Southern Africa Power Pool and with that, we can also share or sell to other neighbouring countries. So, as we have seen the line, we will be tapping 50 megawatts but there is a chance that we can go further when we need more power from this line of Mozambique,” Matola explained.

Meanwhile, while acknowledging the delay in the project, ESCOM’s chief operations officer Maxwell Mulimakwenda is upbeat of completing the project by the new set deadline.

“One of the problems that we faced on the Malawi side is the issue of soil conditions. So, by the time that the previous consultants did the studies, they estimated that about 15% of the terrain from here, from Beya to Mwanza, would be rocky, but 85% would be good soil conditions. But what has turned out to be is the opposite; 85% has been rocky conditions and 15% good soil conditions.

“The whole line has to be completed from here to Matamba in Mozambique. So, for the Mozambique side, we estimate that it will be finished around March, April and then commissioning,” Mulimakwenda explained.

In November 2021, President Lazarus Chakwera and his Mozambique counterpart Felipe Nyusi presided over the launch of construction works for the power interconnector transmission line and the actual work started in March last year.

The MOM project is being funded by the Malawi government, World Bank, European Union (EU) and KfW to the tune of $127 million.