Hydropower
Tedzani IV Hydropower Plant
The construction of Tedzani IV hydro power plant is expected to add 18.5MW to the generation capacity. The project is funded by a Japanese Government grant through JICA amounting to USD52 Million and a counterpart funding amounting USD4.1 million from the Government of Malawi through EGENCO. The appointed contractor is Mitsubishi, a Japanese company who further sub-contracted Chalice Energy, a Turkish company with Japanese shareholding. The power plant is expected to be commissioned by December 2021 and Construction works commenced on 11th June, 2019 and the Plant is expected to generate 18.5 MW upon commissioning. Contractually, the Plant is supposed to be commissioned in October, 2021 but currently, construction works are already at about 70%, with the construction of the tunnel, penstock and powerhouse nearing completion. More information of the project can be accessed on http://www.egenco.mw/projects.php?slug=implement-tedzani-iv-power-plant
The Fufu hydropower project is located in the Northern Region of Malawi on South Rukuru river and has a maximum gross head of 414.3 m and a maximum reservoir storage capacity of 138 Mm3, the energy generation of the Fufu project is 1128 GWh with 705 GWh of peak production. The design capacity of the high head hydroelectric power plants is 261 MW. The investment cost is estimated at USD 702 million and the project is planned to be implemented purely by the private sector with the construction period spanning for 5 years commencing in 2024 and to be fast-tracked depending on the availability of financing. The project has the potential to increase the power generation capacity in the country at the same time diversifying electricity generation sources away from the Shire River.
The project layout comprises the main following components:
The dam, 114 m high above foundation implemented on the South Rukuru River in a narrow gorge area.
  • A hydraulic adduction system to the power station composed of:
    • A water intake including a shaft valve
    • A headrace tunnel 4305 m long
    • A surge shaft
    • A penstock approximately 1200 m long
  • A tail race canal 34 m long with an outlet discharging into the South Rukuru River near the outlet of the river into Lake Malawi
  • The North Rumphi water transfer composed of:
    1. A weir approximately 5 m high
    2. A water gallery transfer about 10 km long
  • The construction of a new national road about 15 km long connecting the existing national road upstream and downstream of the reservoir.

    • The following are the expected benefits in implementing the project:

    • Increased hydro-power production that will stabilize Malawian power system;
    • Cover the presently suppressed power demand;
    • Access to the financially attractive source of renewable energy;
    • Improve the operation of the downstream located plants (existing and planned): Hamilton Falls and Kapichira;
    • Reduce the flood peaks in the areas prone to floods downstream from the dam;
    • Cover the existing and future needs for peak capacity and energy on a long run;
    • Together with the downstream located plants at Shire River, represent one of key players on the regional power market (SAPP) for provision of peak power.
    The Mbongozi Hydroelectric Project includes the construction of two hydro power plants with combined power generation of 41MW (1x16MW, 1x25MW). It includes the construction of two Earth dams; one at Mphindapasi on Bua River and Chimbwazi on Chimbwazi River, a tributary of Bua (on the downstream) and connected with a canal/tunnel, a powerhouse, a substation, spillways, reservoirs, turbine bases, a control unit, a switch yard and an admin office, the installation of generators, turbines and transformers, and the laying of transmission lines.
    The Government of Malawi (the Government or GoM), through its Ministry of Energy, is in the processing of developing a 350 megawatt (MW) hydropower project (HPP) at Mpatamanga Gorge on the Shire River in Southern Malawi. The Mpatamanga Hydropower Project (MHPP) with a Regulating Dam (RD) (the Project) will be located between the existing Tedzani and Kapichira hydropower plants about 50 km west of Blantyre. The Project is listed in the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) for the energy sector as part of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Plan. SADC and SAPP have prioritized the Project using SAPP agreed criteria, and the Mpatamanga Project falls within the third tier of projects to be implemented between 2015 and 2027. At the national level, the proposed Mpatamanga Project is a flagship project of the Government to contribute to reducing energy shortages and enhancing energy security. According to the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Action Agenda Report (May 2017), Malawi has more than 2,000 MW of hydropower potential with large hydro continuing to dominate Malawi’s installed capacity (75 percent of capacity) in the near term (business-as-usual scenario). The proposed Mpatamanga Project is at the top of the priority list in the least cost generation expansion plan prepared under the World Bank-IDA supported Integrated Resource Plan and remains the first of the uncommitted projects recommended for financing support. However, given fiscal constraints, the Project cannot be funded entirely using public financing and the Government therefore decided to implement the Project as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The GoM entered into a PPP Relationship Agreement with the World Bank’s investment arm International Corporation (IFC) and a consortium of Electricite de France (EDF) and SCATEC as the Strategic Sponsor. Subsequent to this Agreement, a Project Company called Mpatamanga Hydropower Project Limited (MPHL) with Government of Malawi through EGENCO, IFC and EDF and SCATEC consortium as shareholders was incorporated for project development. The Project (including the Transmission power lines) will be located in Traditional Authorities (TA) Kunthembwe in Blantyre, Mlauli and Symon in Neno and Nsamala in Balaka districts. For more information visit the website https://www.mpatamangahydro.com
    The African Development Bank supported the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining to conduct the Feasibility Study of the Kholombidzo hydro power electric plant with the objective of evaluating the energy generation potential and feasibility of the development of this hydropower scheme. The main objective of the Feasibility Study was to assess project viability, determine optimum project layout, estimate investment requirements and all other requirements to support whether to proceed to project financing (appraisal and due diligence by financial institutions). The Kholombidzo falls are located in the middle Shire River, upstream of Nkula Falls and the first falls downstream of Liwonde. Kholombidzo Power Plant will rely on water from the Shire River, which is the only outlet of Lake Malawi. The Shire River has a natural discharge curve that is directly related to the lake level but controlled under certain conditions by Kamuzu barrage at Liwonde.
    Kholombidzo HPP concept is governed by the prevailing topographic, hydrological, geotechnical and environmental and socio-economic conditions at site. The hydropower scheme is utilizing a natural head of 55 m and can provide 210 MW of power generation capacity.
    The projects key technical characteristics is as follows:
    1. The total hydropower cost is approximately USD 511.5 million corresponding to a project specific cost of 2401 USD/kW.
    2. The tentative schedule envisages a period of 66 months (5.5 years) for project implementation including a development phase of 18 months and a construction period of 48 months.
    3. The Kholombidzo HPP has an assessed average continuous generation potential of 138 MW (1212 GWh/year) corresponding to a plant factor of 0.65.
    4. The average revenues, for a unit energy price of 6 cUSD/kWh, are estimated at USD 70.5 million It is capable of generating an estimated NPV, for a discount rate of 8 %, of USD 127 million over the 50 year evaluation period, having a B/C ratio of 1.2 and an IRR of 10.8 %.
    5. The levelized cost of energy generation is 4.9 cUSD/kWh. These favourable financial indicators are resilient to construction delays and to some extent to higher investment costs but sensitive to material changes in electricity prices and energy generation (water availability). The total length of the power waterway is 4.2 km.
    6. The surface powerhouse is equipped with four 53.3 MW class Francis turbine coupled to a 63 MVA generator, operating at a rated net head of 58.8 m. The rated flow is 100 m3/s per machine, totalling 400 m3/s.
    7. The switchyard for a voltage level of 132 kV is located in an excavated platform between the powerhouse and the surge chambers.
      8. The electrical network connection is assured by two 132 kV Overhead Transmission Lines with approximately 16 km long between HPP and Phombeya substation.
    9. The run-of river development involves the construction of a diversion dam and appurtenant structures, the left bank waterway and the power generation system.
    10. The dam with central gated spillway is located 160 m downstream of the existent Matope Bridge and consists of a 16.8 m high concrete gravity dam founded on a gneiss rock mass outcropping in the river bed.
    11. The total crest length is 265 m at elevation 470 m.a.s.l. The dam with full supply water level at 468 m.a.s.l. impounds a reservoir of 26.7 million m3 capacity and an inundated area of 21.7 km2.
    The power waterway, designed for a flow rate of 400 m3/s, comprises the following major components:
    1. Intake at tunnels portal near the dam left abutment;
    2. Two headrace tunnels, circular section (inner diameter 8.0 m), concrete lined and constant slope. Each tunnel supplying water to two of the four generating units;
    3. Two cylindrical surge chambers, one per tunnel, with 32.0 m of internal diameter and 38 m high, to provide protection against transient events and ensure stability of operation;
    4. The headrace tunnels end with steel lined sections that bifurcate into four tunnels upstream the four generating units installed at the powerhouse; Four tailrace tunnels, circular section (inner diameter 7.4 m), concrete lined, that connect the draft tubes of the powerhouse to the outlet portal near Mkundi river;
    5. Unlined tailrace canal, trapezoidal section with bottom width of 40 m and constant slope, conveying water back to Shire River.

        6. The development of the project comprises establishment of design criteria for dimensions of the different project components and study of design variants in project components to optimize the final solution. The layouts are developed using topographic mapping and geological/geo-technical information obtained in previous tasks of the present study.