Zambia - Fourth Phase of the Malawi Interconnector Project under the Regional Energy Transmission, Trade, and Decarbonization in Southern Africa Program : Addendum

Overview & Synopsis

Zambia - Malawi Interconnector Project for Zambia and Malawi has the development objectives of establishing a 400 kV cross-border interconnection to enable reliable, least-cost regional power trade, strengthening energy security and climate resilience, and supporting decarbonization in Southern Africa under the Regional Energy Transmission, Trade and Decarbonization in Southern Africa Multi-phase Programmatic Approach. Components: Component 1. Zambia transmission infrastructure comprises a 46.6 km, 400 kV double-circuit overhead transmission line from the existing Chipata West Substation to the Malawi border and the extension of Chipata West Substation, engineered for climate and natural hazard resilience through non-combustible steel towers, systematic vegetation management, consideration of aerial bundled conductors and fire-retardant coatings in wildfire-prone areas, equipment ratings reflecting extreme heat, careful siting to avoid high flood and landslide risk, and deep foundations and drainage where needed. Sub-components include construction of the overhead transmission line, substation extension and associated protection, telecommunications, supervisory control and data acquisition, and metering systems, and integration testing to achieve the planned 600 megawatt bidirectional transfer capability. Component 2. Malawi interface and regional system integration supports coordinated commissioning and operational readiness of the 145.6 km Malawi segment to Nkhoma Substation, alignment with Southern African Power Pool protocols for protection schemes, wheeling and trading arrangements, and preparation for increasingly bidirectional power flows as regional generation and demand evolve. Sub-components include interface engineering, protection coordination studies, metering and settlement arrangements, and operational procedures for dispatch and emergencies. Component 3. Environmental and social risk management delivers end-to-end compliance and mitigation across the corridor and substations, including land acquisition and wayleave management, compensation to project affected persons for physical and economic displacement, implementation of gender-based violence risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, grievance redress, and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions associated with land clearing, construction, and sulfur hexafluoride leakage. Sub-components include preparation and execution of safeguards instruments, wayleave and compensation delivery, community health and safety measures, and emissions tracking and reporting. Component 4. Project implementation support and capacity strengthens the Project Implementation Unit built on the Zambia–Tanzania Interconnector Project platform, with shared procurement, finance, monitoring and evaluation, legal, and environmental and social leadership, and dedicated technical and field staff to ensure timely delivery without resource competition, guided by a Project Operations Manual and overseen by a Project Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Energy. Sub-components include staffing and training for project management, procurement and contract administration, financial management and audits, monitoring and evaluation, safety, health, environment, and quality (SHEQ), and knowledge transfer to sustain institutional continuity.