ESL Co-Founder and Managing Director Owen Chitete visited JCM Power's Golomoti and Salima solar plants to learn how large renewable energy projects move from development into operation.
Energy Solutions Limited (ESL) Co-Founder and Managing Director, Owen Chitete, visited JCM Power's Golomoti and Salima solar photovoltaic plants on Thursday, 29 October 2026, as part of the company's efforts to strengthen its capacity to develop larger renewable energy projects.
The learning visit aimed to understand the successes and challenges involved in bringing projects of this scale from development into operation. These insights are particularly relevant as ESL pursues solar energy opportunities serving irrigation and mining, where reliable power is essential to productivity and commercial viability.
Learning from established projects in Malawi
Together, the two plants have a combined rated capacity of 80 megawatts (MW), offering a useful reference for the technical, financial and operational requirements of substantial renewable energy infrastructure:
- Salima Solar PV (60 MW): Malawi's first solar independent power producer, in commercial operation since 2021, using single-axis tracking on a 168-hectare site about 20 km from Salima town.
- Golomoti Solar PV (20 MW): in Dedza District, combining a 28.5 MWp solar array with a 5 MW/10 MWh lithium-ion battery storage system, in commercial operation since March 2022.
Relevance to irrigation and mining
In irrigation, solar energy can support water pumping and agricultural production. Successful projects require careful alignment between available water resources, pumping requirements, seasonal cropping patterns and the timing of electricity generation.
Mining applications present their own demands, including equipment starting loads, changing operating conditions and the need for dependable electricity. Assessing solar generation alongside storage, grid supply or other power sources is therefore essential to developing solutions suited to each operation.
Energy Solutions Limited extends its appreciation to JCM Power and the teams at Golomoti and Salima for hosting the visit and supporting knowledge exchange within Malawi's renewable energy sector.
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