Serengeti Energy, an independent power producer (IPP) based in Kenya, has announced the commissioning of the Nkhotakota 1 solar photovoltaic plant in Malawi’s Central region. The initial capacity of the solar park is 21 MWac and is now connected to the Malawian national grid.
The Nkhotakota solar park is a project developed by Serengeti Energy and the Dubai-based solar energy developer and investor Phanes Group. The solar farm is planned to be increased to 38 MWac with the commissioning of its second phase.
The commissioning of the Nkhotakota 2 solar plant is planned to be commenced within a few weeks. According to Serengeti Energy, the second phase of the solar park has reached mechanical completion while testing and commissioning are underway.
Once all the phases are completed, the Nkhotakota solar power plant will have the capacity of generating 7 GWh of electricity annually. The electricity produced will be fed into Malawi’s power grid under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the state-owned power company Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM).
Patrick Silungwe, Serengeti’s Country Manager in Malawi, thanked the Malawian government for their support in the project’s success and their commitment to increasing renewable energy development. According to Silungwe, the overall project development cost is estimated at $40 million.
The Nkhotakota solar project developers have received funds from U. S. International Development Finance Corporation. The solar park is also covered by a $64 million guarantee from the pan-African financial institution, Africa Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), under its Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF).
