Malawi: Malawi's Power Lifeline to Mozambique Finally Switched On - but Consumers Warned Tariffs Must Be 'Cost-Reflective'

What the report says

Malawi’s long-delayed Mozambique-Malawi (MOMA) 400kV electricity interconnector has been completed, according to a statement from Malawi’s Ministry of Energy reported by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica. The project is intended to give Malawi a new route to import power from Mozambique and connect more fully to the Southern African Power Pool, which could help ease the country’s electricity shortages.

The ministry said the line was hot-commissioned and energized on August 8, 2026, and that a small initial power import of 5 megawatts was used to test metering equipment at Matambo Substation. Officials also said construction on the Malawian side had finished earlier, in February 2025, but commissioning was delayed on the Mozambican side after work was suspended following a fatal workplace accident. The report says safety measures were reviewed before construction resumed.

Tariff negotiations are now under way among the Ministry of Energy, ESCOM, Power Market Limited and Electricidade de Moçambique, with commercial trading not yet started. The ministry said the pricing talks are needed to make imports safe, reliable and commercially viable. Consumer advocates, including the Consumer Association of Malawi, warned that any tariff must be based on real costs and not set arbitrarily.

The development matters because the interconnector could strengthen Malawi’s power supply and improve regional electricity trade, but the final impact will depend on the cost and terms agreed before full commercial operation begins.