By Vincent Gunde
The Government of Malawi is implementing the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation – (ASCENT) Malawi project from 2025 – 2030.
ASCENT is a Regional Project designed to support Malawi in attaining its strategic goal of reaching to at least 50 percent electricity access by 2030, the project will be implemented by the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) and the Ministry of Energy.
The project is building on its predecessor – the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP) which improved the electrification rate from 14 percent in 2021 to 24.9 percent in 2024, and through MEAP, ESCOM managed to surpass its target over 190,000 connections were made against 180,000 target.Dowa Social Welfare Office calls children to care for their lives
Presenting the project to the District Executive Committee (DEC) in Dowa, ASCENT – Malawi’s Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Robert Chitembeya Msuku, said the project is being implemented in 27 districts saying ASCENT is a flagship Energy Project in Malawi and is contributing to the achievement of National Energy Compact and Mission 300.
Msuku said the project is being implemented with the objective of increasing clean and sustainable energy access in Malawi through Grid Connections, Off-grid connections through solar home systems, energy access for schools and health facilities and clean cooking solutions.
He assured the DEC that ESCOM will ensure that the targeted numbers are attained by 2030 saying ESCOM alone is expected to connect 235,000 households through the Project by 2030.
The Specialist said additionally, ESCOM will also connect 20,000 vulnerable households through readyboards.ESCOM bemoans attacks on its staff in Mangochi
Msuku asked the Council to support the project in meeting its objective stressing for the need of civic educating the masses on the dangers of vandalising ESCOM infrastructure as it is putting serious strain on the Government efforts to electrify Malawi.
The Specialist urged the council to take the message across saying the success of this project will depend on working together in addressing issues of vandalism, grievances redress mechanism and sustainability.
In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development Phillimon Maseko, thanked ESCOM for coming to the district to orient them urging the service provider on the need to have a contact person at a district level for information sharing.
Maseko requested ESCOM to ensure that people who applied and were not connected under MEAP should be prioritised under ASCENT Malawi project.
Maseko also requested ESCOM to let people benefit from the project through transparent way of getting information.FDH Bank supports Escom PIESA conference with K20 million
He called on ESCOM to decentralize some of the activities such as implementation of GRM activities at the district level so that the council be giving them reports other than them only processing from the head office in Blantyre.
The regional project – Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) is being financed by the World Bank with a total sum of 250.8 million US Dollars from 2025 – 2030.