As power outages continue across Malawi, the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has warned consumers to expect power outages to last longer than the periods indicated in the scheduled load-shedding programme.

In a statement, ESCOM said the situation had been worsened by a significant drop in solar power generation on , which fell from 110 megawatts to just 10 megawatts due to cloudy weather.

The power utility also said the situation had been further compounded by the breakdown of one of the generating units at Nkula B Power Station, operated by the Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO).

On Monday, Minister of Energy, Jean Chifuniro Mathanga, officially commissioned the 10 Megawatt Salima Solar Power Plant, a move authorities described as a significant milestone in the country’s energy diversification.