Locally Generated Electricity Lights Up Nkhatabay Community

People in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Kabunduli in Nkhatabay are enjoying the luxury of electricity locally generated using mini generators made from scrap metal.

About 150 water driven generators are installed along Kavuzi River and are able to produce between 30 to 20 kilowatts of power each.

The development has been welcomed by the villagers who are benefiting from the project as they are able to access electricity despite being away from the electricity grid.

“We cannot talk of escom because the national grid is nowhere closer to this place, we therefore enjoy the luxury of electricity through what our local artisans have managed to assemble,” Violet Nkhata one of the beneficiaries from the initiative.

Commenting on the matter, Acting Director of Energy Affairs in the Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining, Joseph Kalowekamo said they have partnered with Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) in engaging the communities using these systems to come up with solutions they are facing.

“We do appreciate the initiative, we do appreciate the innovativeness that is there but we need to work on the safety issues,” He said.

Kalowekamo added “So what we are doing is engage with them, we do not want to impose things on them, so we are in discussions with them,”

The Department of Energy in the Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining is facilitating the establishment of mini-grids in a number of sites that include Bondo in Mulanje, Sitolo in Mchinji, Kavuzi in Nkhatabay and Mantchewe in Ntcheu.