USTDA Grant For Feasibility Study For 40 MW Malawi

• USTDA has awarded a grant to a special purpose vehicle of JCM Power in Malawi to conduct feasibility study for a solar power plant in Golomoti
• US based Power Engineers will carry out the study to determine the size of the plant, which could be anywhere between 17.5 MW and 40 MW
• The study will also assess the implementation of a battery storage facility to strengthen the local grid
• JCM is developing the Golomoti Solar Initiative along with InfraCo Africa; with Power Africa and the Millennium Challenge Corporation assisting in its development

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant to a special purpose vehicle owned by renewable energy developer JCM Power in Malawi to conduct a feasibility study for a solar power plant that is expected to have capacity of 17.5 MW to 40 MW. The SPV, Golomoti JCM Solar Corporation, will set up the plant in the Golomoti region of Malawi.

Hailey, Idaho, US based engineering firm Power Engineers, Inc., will conduct the feasibility study to determine the size of the solar plant, provide the government with analysis/documentation and also evaluate the implementation of a battery storage facility which will strengthen the stability of the local grid.

"This project represents one of the first to be developed by an independent power producer (IPP) under recent energy sector reforms in Malawi," said USTDA.

JCM is co-developing the Golomoti Solar Initiative with InfraCo Africa, with assistance coming from Power Africa and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). On JCM's website, it mentions the company won the rights to develop 2 solar power plants in Malawi under the country's first competitive auction process. The plant will have 20 MW AC (26 MW DC) capacity for which JCM has negotiated a PPA with the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi Limited (ESCOM) that is subject to approval of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA).

The other project JCM won in the ESCOM auction is to come up in Malawi's Salima district, which the government wants to start construction by Q4/2018. In September 2018, JCM Power's SPV for the 60 MW Salima project, JCM Matswani Solar Corp Limited, signed a PPA with ESCOM (see Malawi's ESCOM Signs PPA For 60 MW Solar Project).

Also, in September 2018, South Africa's CSIR launched a tender to look for a consultant to prepare a solar PV technology roadmap for Malawi (see Consultant Sought For PV Roadmap In Malawi).