Deal factsCountry: Mozambique, Malawi · Technology: Transmission · Stage: Commissioning · Size: 218 km, 400 kV; 50 MW rising to 200 MW · Parties: ESCOM, EDM, Malawi Ministry of Energy
Malawi’s Ministry of Energy has confirmed that the 400 kV Mozambique-Malawi (MOMA) electricity interconnector has been completed and energised, clearing the way for the country to begin importing power from its neighbour. The 218 km line linking the Matambo substation in Mozambique with Phombeya in Malawi was hot-commissioned on 8 August 2026 and has since carried an initial 5 MW test import to commission metering equipment. Commercial imports are planned to start at 50 MW and could rise to 200 MW once a tariff is agreed.
Construction on the Malawian side finished on schedule in February 2025, but outstanding works in Mozambique, including the crossing of the Zambezi River, pushed back full commissioning. A fatal workplace accident led to a temporary halt so that safety and safeguard measures could be thoroughly reviewed, according to Energy Secretary Elvis Thodi, who said the line “was successfully hot-commissioned and energized on August 8, 2026”.
Power cannot flow commercially until the commercial framework is settled. The ministry is finalising tariffs and other arrangements with the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), Power Market Limited (PML) and Mozambique’s national utility, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM). The Consumer Association of Malawi has already weighed in, with executive director John Kapito warning that tariffs must reflect actual costs and cannot be set arbitrarily, a reminder that the price of imported power will be scrutinised closely once it reaches Malawian bills.
The interconnector is intended to strengthen regional power trading and to improve Malawi’s electricity security by giving the country access to supply from beyond its own generation fleet. For contractors and equipment vendors, the commissioning also closes out a long-running cross-border transmission project and shifts attention to the substation, metering and market systems needed to run it day to day.
Why does this matter?
New 400 kV cross-border lines are rare in Southern Africa, and this one connects Malawi to Mozambique’s grid and, through it, to regional trading. Once tariffs are settled, 50 MW rising to 200 MW of imports will reshape Malawi’s supply planning and create demand for further transmission, substation and metering work on both sides.
What happens next?
Tariff negotiations between the ministry, ESCOM, PML and EDM must conclude before commercial trading begins. The first imports are planned at 50 MW, with capacity to scale to 200 MW, and the resulting tariff will be closely watched by consumers and by the regulator.
Sources: Nyasa Times: Malawi’s power lifeline to Mozambique finally switched on, but consumers warned tariffs must be cost-reflective; Malawi24: Govt moves closer to regional power; SolarQuarter: Africa Weekly: NERSA Advances Electricity Trading Reforms, Odyssey Raises $74M, Sinoma Adds 36 MWp Solar, Africa Eyes 17 GW Solar, CrossBoundary Launches Solar-BESS and More
More from the pipeline: all commissioned projects · Malawi · Mozambique · the full pipeline map
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