Nkhotakota, 10 December 2021
An Introduction
Who is Serengeti Energy?
Serengeti Energy (previously known as rAREH) is an independent power producer developing, constructing and operating renewable energy projects up to 50MW in sub-Sahara Africa. Serengeti Energy provides early stage development capital and long-term equity investment, together with expertise and experience in the development, financing, construction, and operation of power plants.
From our headquarters in Nairobi, supported by our offices in West Africa (Senegal) and South Africa (Cape Town), the Serengeti team presently manages a portfolio of 6 operational hydro plants and 3 projects under construction in Uganda, Malawi, and in Sierra Leone. In addition, the company is developing a significant number of further projects which will serve markets in Africa with affordable and clean power.
Serengeti Energy is backed by reputable shareholders being (i) KfW, the bilateral development bank of the Federal Republic of Germany, (ii) Norfund, the Norwegian state-owned bilateral development bank, and (iii) Nordic Development Fund, a development finance institution owned by 5 Scandinavian governments.
A Press Briefing during the Construction Progress Meeting of the 21MW Serengeti Nkhotakota Solar Project- among Malawi’s first solar projects, the Vice President of Malawi was in attendance.
Serengeti Energy’s Development Director, Mr. Wilfred van den Bos began his speech by welcoming the esteemed guests to the construction progress ceremony of the 21MW Serengeti Nkhotakota Solar PV Project. The guests mentioned were; the Honorable Vice President Mr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, representatives of the Ministry of Energy, PML, ESCOM, MERA, representatives of the German Embassy and US Embassy, representatives of the Serengeti stakeholders KfW, Norfund, and NDF, representatives of the district and local community and other distinguished guests. Mr. Wilfred van den Bos highlighted the importance of this construction progress meeting to Serengeti Energy, the Sponsor of the project as well as the EPC contractor Sunel and their subcontractors.
He pointed out that full construction of the project officially started in April 2021 with a groundbreaking ceremony witnessed by the Minister of Energy. Over 185 containers with equipment have been delivered to site since then and a local workforce of 200+ are diligently working to completion of the project, which includes installing 60,000 solar panels on 60 hectares of land and building a sub-station together with our technical partner Escom. The presence of the Vice president of Malawi was acknowledged as a sign of support from the Malawi Government for the progress of the project.
The project is expected to be completed by end Q2 2022 and will make a significant contribution to Malawi’s electricity supply. The plant will produce around 57 million KWh, which is sufficient to supply around 100,000 households in Malawi with electricity. He as well as the Serengeti Energy would be looking forward to working with the local community and other players in the Malawi power sector to bring success to the important endeavor.
Mr. Wilfred van den Bos ended his speech by thanking all the institutions and partners who gave their support for the fulfillment of the construction progress ceremony. He was especially grateful to the Government of Malawi, the Ministry of Energy, ESCOM, PML, and MERA for providing continued support during the work to develop the project. As well as our senior lender DFC. We much appreciated that the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany joined us today at the visit and their continued support.
The progress of the Solar Power Plant Construction impressed the Vice President
Honorable Saulos Chilima, Malawi’s Vice-president was delighted by the progress of the construction work of the Serengeti Solar Electricity Plant in Nkhotakota District.
The VP toured the Power Plant currently under construction, on Friday the 10th. He observed that the construction of the 21MW Serengeti Nkhotakota Solar Power Plant was in line with the aspirations, pillars, and enablers of the country’s development agenda (MW2063) of creating an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation.
He accredited the achievement of Malawi’s aspirations, to the availability of a sustainable economic infrastructure that can supply adequate energy.
On the president’s behalf, the VP was thrilled and delighted to learn that 21MW Serengeti Nkhotakota Solar PV Project was now at an advanced stage towards the contribution to the production of sufficient power.
He confirmed that new entrants with more independent power producers that will offer diverse sources of energy are acceptable by the current legal and regulatory framework in the energy sector.
Head of Mission for the German Embassy, Sabine Lindeman, stated that the Malawi-Germany partnership identified that the economic development of the country was going to be impacted by the promotion of a sustainable and sufficient supply of electricity.
She detailed that the consumption of firewood and charcoal would be reduced, as a result of a supply of adequate electricity each day, this will have an impact on the health of the environment and the community.
Lindeman confirmed that the Nkhotakota Solar Power Plant is part of the Malawian Government Plan aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on hydropower which represents over 90% of its energy assembly.
She had observed that this reliance had left the country susceptible to frequent power shortages during drought and that shortfalls are still covered through expensive yet inefficient and dirty diesel generators.
Lindeman said that Malawi aspires to reduce her overdependence on hydrogenated power and diesel generators, she added that the government was proud to take part in that goal through solar power in Nkhotakota.
She declared that the German Government through KfW had contributed $74 million to Serengeti Energy effectively sponsoring the solar project as well as many other renewable energy projects in the region.
Prior, Traditional Authority Kalomanjira and Member of Parliament for Nkhotakota Central, Peter Mazizi, asked the company to realize its pledge on corporate social responsibility such as constructing a clinic, rehabilitating some feeder roads, and supporting needy students among others.