According to Maxwell Mulimakwenda, Operations Director of the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), the works on the Mozambique side have been delayed by more than two months due to the protests in the country. He pointed out that activities on the Malawian side are in the final stages, and that supervision of the work will begin by the end of March. The project is now expected to be completed by October. The power line is 218 kilometers long, with a transmission capacity of 400 kV (kilovolt), linking the Matambo substation in Tete province to the border with Malawi in Zobué.
The project was agreed in 2013 and is budgeted at 62 million dollars. The interconnection aims to strengthen the bilateral and regional energy market, with the potential to export surplus energy from Mozambique to neighboring countries. The construction of the power line was financed by a consortium of international partners, including the World Bank, the European Union, and the governments of Norway and Germany.
For Mozambique, in addition to the interconnection with Malawi, the line represents a strategic opportunity to export surplus energy, expanding the country’s reach in the regional energy market. The impact of the protests has not only been limited to the construction of the power line. The Mozambican government recently revealed that more than a thousand infrastructures were damaged during the demonstrations.
The destruction included factories, schools, health posts, electricity installations and even ambulances. The authorities also recorded more than 300 deaths due to the protests, with human rights organizations reporting major unrest and violence. Despite the challenges, the works continue to progress, and the authorities in both countries continue to work to minimize the impacts of the delay and ensure that the project is successfully completed by October. The power line, when completed, will play a key role in strengthening energy relations between Mozambique and Malawi, as well as contributing to improving energy supply in the region.
