By Taonga Sabola
`Solar power producer, JCM Power, has said it is happy with the performance of its Salima Solar power plant.
President Lazarus Chakwera commissioned the $75 million Salima plant on November 16 last year, which added 60 megawatts (mw) to the national grid.
The solar photovoltaic plant is the largest plant in the country and has over 228,000 solar panels.
JCM Operations and Maintenance Supervisor Paul Beyard told Times Business at the weekend that the efficiency of the plant in its first five months has been impressive and that the plant is operating as expected.
The Salima solar project has continued to operate and support the country’s power needs in the past few months with Malawi losing 130 mw following devastation at Kapichira Power Station in the Chikwawa District in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ana.
“We haven’t faced any major challenges so far and continue to work closely with the Escom’s National Control Centre to coordinate power dispatch and continue to provide much needed energy into the national grid,” Beyard said.
JCM Public Relations Officer Jonas Sani said the project is committed to improving lives within the surrounding area not only through employment opportunities during constructions where 915 people were employed from mainly the local area, but through more impactful long term corporate social responsibility activities“`
