The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) is inviting bids for the supply and installation of 33 kV and 11 kV distribution lines, 11 kV underground cables and capacity tanks, as well as for the electrification of periurban areas.
The assignment will be executed as part of the Energy Sector Support Project, which the Malawi government is financing using the proceeds of a $85-million loan from the World Bank’s International Development Association.
Says Escom procurement specialist Jack Thabwa: “Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from Escom, and a complete set of bidding documents may be [obtained] on submission of a written application and payment of a nonrefundable fee of $100.”
The deadline for the submission of bids is December 14.
Malawi has lined up a number of activities under the Energy Sector Support Project, which, besides other objectives, seeks to increase access to electricity for the country’s 16-million-strong population. Currently, only 9.8% of Malawians have access to electricity.
The project includes feasibility studies on the country’s major rivers to identify additional sites for hydropower generation.
The project is also exploring alternative sources of power for Malawi, including wind, solar and biogas.
Malawi, which generates up to 99% of its electricity from hydropower stations on the Shire river, has an installed generation capacity of 351.7 MW, compared with demand of 450 MW, which is projected to grow to 1 000 MW by 2020.