Japan donates dredging equipment to ESCOM

The government of Japan has donated dredging equipment to the government of Malawi worth MK490 million Japanese Yen (about US$4.54 million at present value) to help Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) enhance its work of generating electricity in the country.

Minister of Natural Resources, Energy & Mining Bright Msaka received the donation on behalf of the Malawi government and ESCOM.

Speaking after receiving the donation, ESCOM Board Chair, Jean Mathanga applauded the Japanise government for the timely donation.

“The dredger has come at a right time when reservoir pond capacity at ESCOM power stations is decreasing due to siltation and the old dredging equipment is nearing the end of its life-span,” she said.

She said siltation resulting from deforestation and poor farming practices is one of the challenges that ESCOM faces in generating electricity.

Mathanga said the dredging equipment will assist ESCOM to restore its pond reservoirs to their original pond capacity- It is expected to increase the volume of water at the intake pond to 90% in twelve months.

On his part, Ambassador of Japan to Malawi, His Excellency Shuichiro Nishioka, said that the equipment is “Japan’s advanced technology”.

It includes a dredger boat, a pusher boat, tow tipper boats, two long arm excavators, two standard excavators, two tipper trucks, a low-bed truck and a weed harvester all valued at 490 million Japanese Yen (about US$4.54 million at present value).

The dredging equipment donation has been made under the The Malawi – Japan Grant Aid for the Forest Preservation Programme where Japan is aiding Malawi in mitigating effects of climate change.