Solar and Wind will be used to add a total of 60 megawatts (MW) towards Malawi’s power grid, courtesy of a German independent power producer (IPP) called Droedge Energy. The project will be launched after 18 months, according to Droedge Energy Strategic Key Account Manager, Carlos Giron.

“We have two projects we are developing; Mzimba Wind Project is valued at $128 million valued while Monkey Bay Solar Project is valued at $20 million. The Monkey Project is remarkable for us because it is the first of its kind in Africa,” Giron said. The development is an implementation made as Escom signed fourteen PPAs with four IPPs that could add 140MW to the national power grid.

Currently, the generation capacity by Egenco hovers between 230MW and 250MW, of which 71MW is produced from diesel-powered generators, hence, the coming in of the IPPs will improve the energy sector. Three other IPPs that have signed the PPAs are QUANTEL Renewable Energy Limited, Kanengo Solar Project Limited, Atlas and Energy Generation Company (EGENCO).