By Burnett Munthali
Malawi is edging closer to securing additional electricity supplies from Mozambique, with Energy Minister Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga confirming that negotiations for the long-awaited power import agreement are nearing completion ahead of its anticipated commissioning in December 2026.
According to local media reports, Mathanga said commercial negotiations and related arrangements had delayed the process but indicated that the Mozambique-Malawi Interconnector is expected to be officially inaugurated in mid-December 2026.
Under the agreement, Malawi will initially import 50 megawatts of electricity from Mozambique, with the potential to increase the volume depending on national demand and available generation capacity.
Mathanga said the additional electricity would strengthen Malawi’s power supply capacity and contribute towards addressing persistent electricity shortages affecting households, businesses and industries.
She made the remarks in Lilongwe on Friday during the launch of the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Fault Clearing Initiative, a programme designed to improve the corporation’s response to electricity faults and service interruptions.
The initiative introduces motorbikes and a mobile application to enable ESCOM technicians to reach reported fault locations more quickly, particularly in remote and hard-to-access communities.
The digital platform is also expected to improve the monitoring of field operations, strengthen supervision of technicians and enhance coordination between repair teams and ESCOM management.
Meanwhile, ESCOM Board Director Welford Sabola said the corporation had procured motorbikes to facilitate the initiative, confirming that some units had already been delivered while additional ones were expected.
The Mozambique-Malawi Interconnector and ESCOM’s Fault Clearing Initiative represent two complementary interventions targeting different aspects of the country’s electricity challenges: increasing available power and improving the efficiency of electricity distribution.
If commissioned as scheduled, the interconnector will initially add 50 megawatts to Malawi’s electricity supply, while the new fault-clearing system is expected to reduce delays in restoring power whenever technical disruptions occur.
