MALAWI EMERGENCY POWER RESTORATION PROJECT

About the Project


The Malawi Emergency Power Restoration Project (MEPRP) aims to restore power supply that was affected due to Cyclone Ana.

Malawi was affected by a tropical storm, Cyclone Ana, which hit most parts of the Southern Region that resulted from a heavy downpour that lasted for about three days around January 24, 2022. This caused a lot of damage to infrastructure and the environment including peoples’ homes, crop fields and road network.

The Cyclone also affected hydro-power generation facilities of Kapichira Station belonging to Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited that resulted in overtopping of the river training dike and fuse plug, erosion of the main dam slopes and damage to steel structures on the spillway bridge of the station. Apart from the permanent structures, the storm/floods also washed away heavy machinery on the dike and water vessels from where they were docked. Such being the case, Kapichira Power Station could no longer generate power amounting to 129.6MW, reducing EGENCO’s power generation capacity by 32%, and consequently reducing the power available to the national grid.

The Shire Valley Transformation Programs (SVTIP) irrigation intake that was adjacent to the Kapichira dam was also damaged by the floods

KAPICHIRA HYDROPERWER DAM REHABILITATION & STRENGTHENING

Amounting to $45million, this will return to resilient operation the 130 MW Kapichira hydropower plant through the rehabilitation of Kapichira dam and spillways.

EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE

Due to the floods, the water level overtopped (rose above) the training dike and washed away a significant portion. As of 25 January, the remaining dike was mostly submerged with only some few sections visible. This resulted in the flow of Shire River reverting to the original regime as opposed to going around the dike as initially intended during the construction of Kapichira Hydropower Plant.

Following the water overtopping  the training dike, the fuse plug was also breached by the floods, completely eroding it, including the cofferdam of the Shire Valley Transformation Programs (SVTIP) irrigation intake. Slopes of the main dam also suffered acute damage in various sections.  Most of the rock fill at the near side slope eroded away with the floods and sections of the far side slope also being eroded.

Further, dredging pipes at the intake that were anchored were ripped out of their anchorage towards the far side slope. Damage on the far side slope of the main dam indicated some damage to the core of the dam.

PHASES OF RESTORATION

The following phased approach will be followed in implementing the protection and rehabilitation of Kapichira:

Energy restoration to be implemented through raising water levels back to operational levels and by developing a temporary coffer dam upstream of the damaged infrastructure (the fuse plug and 200m damaged section of the embankment dam) in order to restore impoundment of the reservoir.

This phase would aim at (i) rehabilitating damaged infrastructure, (ii) upgrading the Kapichira power plant to enhance the resilience of the hydropower scheme, and (iii) supporting companion actions on O&M and importantly sediment management.

Info Centre

UPDATE ON KAPICHIRA POWER STATION RESTORATION EFFORTS

UPDATE ON KAPICHIRA POWER STATION RESTORATION EFFORTS Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO) wishes to update the public and all stakeholders on progress made in the power generation restoration efforts at the Kapichira Power Station following destruction of intake dam structure by Cyclone ANA. 1.      RESTORATION PROGRESS As earlier communicated, Kapichira restoration... read more

UPDATE ON KAPICHIRA POWER STATION RESTORATION EFFORTS

Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO) wishes to update the public and all stakeholders on progress made in the power generation restoration efforts at the Kapichira Power Station following destruction of intake dam structure by cyclone ANA. Breach through Kapichira Dam Fuse and part of SVTP Irrigation Intake ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE We... read more

OUTAGE OF KAPICHIRA POWER STATION DUE TO DAMAGES CAUSED BAY CLONE ANA

The Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO) wishes to inform the public and all stakeholders that due to the Cyclone Ana which hit Malawi and most Southern African countries on 24th January2022, Kapichira Power Station dam structure is damaged Tropical Storm Ana brought constant heavy rains that caused flooding in... read more