Golomoti Solar is to commence construction in Malawi
Malawi, Dedza: The 20 MWAC Golomoti Solar project with a 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) in Malawi has secured finance.
Image for illustration purposes
Malawi, Dedza: The 20 MWAC Golomoti Solar project with a 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) in Malawi has secured finance.
The project will be financed by InfraCo Africa and its project partner JCM Power.
Golomoti Solar will be the first commercial-scale solar photovoltaic plant in Malawi to include a BESS. Along with its sister project, Salima Solar, Golomoti is among the first commercial-scale solar photovoltaic plants in the country.
Located in Dedza, approximately 100 km south east of Lilongwe, the Golomoti Solar plant will facilitate delivery of much-needed clean power to Malawi’s national grid.
With support from Business Energy and Industrial Strategies International Climate Finance through the UK’s Energy Catalyst and RINA, the project will incorporate a state-of-the-art 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion BESS.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Minister for Energy Hon. Newton David Kambala, said: “I have the singular honour to officially launch the construction of the 20 MWAC solar plant with storage, here at Golomoti in Dedza District.”
Gilles Vaes, CEO of InfraCo Africa, which is part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group, commented: “As part of our commitment to Malawi’s renewable energy sector, we are pleased to be working with our partners at JCM to deliver a further 20 MWAC of clean power to the grid.”
Golomoti Solar has benefited from knowledge-sharing with its sister project, Salima Solar, with both projects key to transforming regulatory frameworks around Malawi’s renewable energy sector.
Salima Solar is expected to begin delivering power to Malawi’s national grid in early 2021, with Golomoti becoming operational in the latter half of 2021.
Source: ESI Africa