In a first for the country, Malawi has officially inaugurated a 20 MW hybrid solar plant with grid-connected battery storage.

The Golomoti facility comprises bifacial solar panels and a utility-scale 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS). Commercial operations began in March, complementing the country’s 60 MW Salima solar plant launched last year.

Malawi’s President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera said at last week’s inauguration that the project aligns with the country’s national goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2040. The project ‘promises to give an energy mix away from fossil fuel-powered generators that contribute to climate change, taking us 80 MW closer to our goal of having 1000MW supplied to the grid’.

The Golomoti plant will support Malawi’s existing hydro-generation facilities, reducing the country’s reliance on diesel generation. The BESS will also ensure a more stable grid during times of intermittent renewable-energy capacity add-ons.

21 June 2022
Image: Gallo/Getty Images