A few years ago a Solar Power Plant was opened on Likoma Island by Malawi’s Minister of Energy.

It was good news because, according to the official blurb at the time, the plant was going to enable the Island (as well as Chizumulu Island) to be mostly powered by solar.

Considering that Likoma District’s economy is largely dependent on Fishing and Tourism, the self-sufficiency was something that would have helped the inhabitants.

But what’s happened to the solar plant since?

The short answer is that it’s running, and it has largely achieved what it promised. EGENCO commissioned a 1.3 MW solar array for Likoma and Chizumulu on 16 November 2020, officiated by then Minister of Energy Newton Kambala. The plant forms part of a hybrid setup with 1.8 MW of diesel generators (commissioned in December 2019) to provide backup and stability. At launch, EGENCO said solar would be the main source of power for the islands, with battery storage to smooth supply. (See this source)

By 2023, EGENCO reported that the hybrid system was saving the government about K26.5 million per month (≈K318 million per year) in fuel and operating costs compared with the old diesel-only setup. The combined available capacity for Likoma and Chizumulu is around 2.4 MW (1.3 MW solar + diesel backup), comfortably above the islands’ typical combined demand (about 0.4 MW at the time of commissioning), which has allowed 24-hour electricity and more reliable service for local homes and businesses. As of 2023, 1,620 customers on Likoma were connected. (see here)

For the local economy, that reliability matters. Likoma’s livelihoods are dominated by lake fishing (plus some cassava/rice farming) and a modest tourism sector; dependable power lengthens business hours, supports cold chains for fish, and improves services in lodges and guesthouses. Overall there’s been a positive response to the round-the-clock electricity supply since the solar plant came online.

Shortages on the mainland

Despite Malawi’s reported installed capacity of roughly 550–554 MW (this total includes hydropower plants, solar arrays and thermal/diesel generators), not all of that capacity is available to meet demand at every hour of the day. The 550 MW figure is a sum of nameplate or installed ratings (about 398–402 MW hydro, ~101 MW solar, and ~52 MW thermal/diesel in recent official tallies). Installed capacity is useful as a headline number, but it overstates how much firm, dispatchable power the system can guarantee at a given moment because of maintenance, seasonal water shortages (which reduce hydro output), intermittent solar output (nighttime or cloudy periods) and plants that are offline due to repairs.

That difference between installed and actually available generation is exactly why Malawi can report a national installed total of ~0.55 GW and yet operators say only about 350 MW is reliably available during some periods. System operators and utilities commonly report an available or operational capacity figure (for example, ESCOM’s recent statements and load forecasts show available generation nearer to the mid-300s MW), while peak demand can climb above 400 MW – creating a shortfall and forcing load-shedding. In short: installed capacity doesn’t equal continuously deliverable capacity. This is why when deliverable capacity falls short of peak demand, blackouts follow.

Malawi’s power grid isn’t just short on capacity- it lacks reliable, always-available energy and a safety buffer to prevent blackouts.

In terms of tackling this age old problem, it’s less about adding more power on paper; but more about ensuring the lights stay on, no matter what. That’s why official plans should focus on boosting firm capacity – the kind that’s consistently there – which is currently far below what’s needed.

Thus, Policymakers should stress on diversifying energy sources so that if one source fails – like low water levels in hydro dams – or is unavailable for maintenance, it doesn’t plunge large parts of the country into darkness. This means we need to increase the numbers of sources of power that are available to us from Geothermal and Solar to Hydro and Wind. We also have a large freshwater lake, so why don’t we look into tidal power as a source of energy? It’s about creating over-supply that guarantees stability, not just numbers.

Sources:

1. EGENCO – “Official Commissioning of 1 MW Likoma Solar Power Plant,” 16 Nov 2020; “Solar Power for Likoma and Chizumulu Islands”; EGENCO project page (Likoma/Chizumulu hybrid system).
2. Government of Malawi (Ministry of Energy) – Facebook release, 16 Nov 2020 (Minister Newton Kambala commissioning Likoma & Chizumulu solar plant).
3. The Nation (Malawi) – “Egenco saving K318m annually in Likoma,” 30 Oct 2023; “Likoma Island lights up with solar,” Nov 2020.
4. The Nation (Malawi) – “Peak-hour power outages to persist,” Aug 2025.
5. World Bank / Government of Malawi – National Energy Compact for Malawi (2025) (installed ~550 MW capacity; ~101 MW solar; firm capacity needs 774 MW; 1.49 GW target by 2030).
6. ESCOM – Load Forecast Report (2025) and public statements on available vs. peak demand (~350 MW available vs ~413 MW demand).
7. Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) – Regional demand/supply statistics including Malawi’s available vs installed capacity.
8. Travel Malawi Guide / Wikipedia – Likoma Island economic profile (fishing, small-scale farming, tourism).