| Type | Parastatal |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Blantyre, Malawi |
Key people | Kamkwamba Kumwenda Chief Executive Officer |
| Parent | Government of Malawi |
| Website | www |
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi Limited (ESCOM) is the state-owned power transmission and distribution company in Malawi. It is entirely in control of transmission and distribution of electric power in the country. ESCOM represents Malawi in the Southern African Power Pool. It should not be confused with its South African equivalent Eskom. [1]
The headquarters of the company are located in ESCOM House, along Haile Selassie Avenue, in the central business district of Blantyre, the commercial and financial capital of Malawi. The ESCOM House sits directly across the street from Shifa Hospital. The geographical coordinates of the company headquarters are:15°47'16.0"S, 35°00'38.0"E (Latitude:-15.787778; Longitude:35.010556). [2]
When initially created in the 1980s, ESCOM monopolized the functions of (a) generation (b)transmission and (c) distribution of electric power throughout Malawi. In 2015, the government of Malawi began planning the unbundling of the company to allow private investors to enter the Malawian market. [3]
Escom is saddled with low tariffs and payment arrears. The company is heavily indebted and is loss-making. It lacks creditworthiness and is unable to attract private investment into the electricity sector, because power-purchase agreements with Escom are not financially viable. It is unable to upgrade infrastructure and increase generation capacity. [3]
In January 2017, Escom was split into two companies. Electricity Generation Company Malawi Limited (Egenco) is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the power stations owned by the Malawian government. At that time, the power stations had generation capacity of 351 megawatts. Escom retained the role of bulk-purchaser, transmission and distribution to the consumer. Escom is also the sole seller to foreign customers. [4]
Thomson Mpinganjira serves as the chairman of the ten-person board of directors. [5] Mr. Kamkwamba Kumwenda is the Chief Executive Officer. He leads a team of nine senior Directors in running the day-to-day affairs of the company. [6]
The economy of Malawi is $7.522 billion by gross domestic product as of 2019, and is predominantly agricultural, with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. The landlocked country in south central Africa ranks among the world's least developed countries. In 2017, agriculture accounted for about one-third of GDP and about 80% of export revenue. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The government faces strong challenges: to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, to face up to environmental problems of deforestation and erosion, and to deal with the problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Malawi is a least developed country according to United Nations.
Mulanje, formerly called Mlanje, is a town in the Southern Region of Malawi, close to the border with Mozambique, to the east. It is near the Mulanje Massif.
Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited is an Indian electricity supplier to the districts of Karnataka namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi district, Chickmagalur and Shimoga. It has its headquarters at Mangaluru. The company was formed on June 2002.
ESCOM United is a Malawian football club based in Blantyre. The club was relegated from the Malawi Premier Division in 2012–13.
Namibia Power Corporation, commonly known as NamPower, is the national electric power utility company of Namibia. The company is responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the country. Its activities are licensed, supervised and regulated by the Electricity Control Board (ECB) of Namibia.
The Nkhula B Hydroelectric Power Station, also Nkula B Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power plant on the Shire River in Malawi. It has a power generating capacity of 100 megawatts (130,000 hp).
The Electricity Supply Companies, also known as ESCOMs, are responsible for electric power distribution in state of Karnataka. Its origin was in Karnataka Electricity Board. This distribution entity was incorporated to provide efficient and reliable electric power supply to the people of Karnataka state
The Nkhula A Hydroelectric Power Station, also Nhula A Hydroelectric Power Station, is a hydroelectric power plant on the Shire River in Malawi. It has an installed capacity of 36 megawatts (48,000 hp), with three 12 megawatts (16,000 hp) generating sets. The power was developed in stages, with the first phase involving the installation of three 8 megawatts-generating turbines. Phase I of the power station was officially opened in 1966.
The Tedzani Hydroelectric Power Station, also Tedzani Hydroelectric Power Complex, is a complex of integrated hydroelectric power plants across the Shire River in Malawi. It has installed capacity of 111.7 megawatts (149,800 hp), with four power stations adjacent to each other, sharing some of the physical infrastructure and electro-mechanical connections.
The Wovwe Hydroelectric Power Station, also Wovwe Power Station, is a hydroelectric power plant on the Wovwe River in Malawi. It has installed capacity of 4.35 megawatts (5,830 hp), with three generation units of 1.45 megawatts each.
The Khammwamba Thermal Power Station, also Khammwamba Power Station, is a proposed coal-fired power plant in Malawi, with planned installed capacity of 300 megawatts (400,000 hp).
Burning of charcoal and wood fuel provides approximately 94 percent of the energy in Malawi. Much of the renewable hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped. As per 2018 Population and Housing Census, the national electrification rate in Malawi was 10%, with 37% of the urban population and only 2% of the rural population having access to electricity.
The Electricity Generation Company Malawi Limited (Egenco) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to generate electric power for use in Malawi and for possible sale to neighboring countries. As of April 2018, Egenco's generation capacity was 351 megawatts (471,000 hp). In May 2021, Egenco's generation portfolio increased to 441.55 megawatts (592,130 hp), when the 19 MW Tedzani IV Hydroelectric Power Station, was brought online.
Kholombidzo Dam, also Kholombidzo Hydroelectric Power Station is a planned 200 megawatts (270,000 hp) hydroelectric dam in Malawi.
Salima Solar Power Station, is a 60 megawatts (80,000 hp) solar power plant, in Malawi, in Southern Africa. The power station was constructed between December 2018 and November 2021.
Press Corporation Limited, also Press Corporation Plc, is a business conglomerate, partly owned by Press Trust, a sovereign trust fund, of the government of Malawi, that is outside of the direct control of the Malawian government. Press Corporation Limited is the largest conglomerate in Malawi, and has ownership in 15 companies in Malawi, including 8 subsidiaries, 4 joint ventures and one associate company.
The Ruo–Ndiza Hydroelectric Power Station is an operational 8.25 megawatts (11,063 hp) hydroelectric power plant in southeastern Malawi, at the border with Mozambique.
Nkhotakota Solar Power Station, is a 21 MW (28,000 hp) solar power plant under construction in Malawi. The solar farm is under development by a consortium comprising independent power producers Phanes Group and Serengeti Energy Limited.
The Bwengu Solar Power Station is a 50 megawatts solar power plant, under construction in Malawi. The power station is under development by a consortium led by Quantel Renewable Energy, an independent power producer (IPP), based in the United States. Construction began in February 2022, with commercial commissioning expected in the first quarter of 2023. The energy generated at this solar farm is expected to be sold to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).
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