According to a statement by Phanes Group, Nkhotakota will see the implementation of one of the first solar projects in Malawi, after the first phase of construction of the project will be completed in March. The project will successfully be carried out after raising $67 million (about K50 billion).

Back in 2017, Phanes Group and its partners won the contract, following an international call for tenders launched by Malawi, which at the time involved 21 international companies. Years further, the plant is a partnership between Phanes in collaboration with responsAbility Renewable Energy Holding and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic), the US government’s development finance agency. Upon completion, the project will add 46 MW of clean energy to the local power supply.

The plant has also been hailed as a means to enable Malawi to reduce its dependence on hydropower, on which 95% of the country’s energy resources are based.