Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Golomoti JCM Solar Corporation (JCM), a Malawi-registered special purpose vehicle owned by JCM Power, a renewable energy development company. The grant supports a feasibility study for the construction of a 17.5 – 40 megawatt solar power plant in the Golomoti region of Malawi. The study will be carried out by the U.S. engineering firm Power Engineers, Inc. based in Hailey, Idaho.  

Power Engineers, Inc. will work to determine the size of the solar plant, provide the government with vital analysis/documentation, and evaluate the implementation of an energy storage facility to strengthen the stability of the local grid. Through the project, JCM hopes to help the Government of Malawi expand energy access across the country and achieve 30 percent access by 2030, and 60 percent by 2040.

“USTDA is pleased to partner with JCM and Power Engineers in support of this unique project, joining a whole-of-U.S.-government effort to further develop Malawi’s energy sector,” said Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s Acting Director. “This study will also demonstrate how U.S. expertise can expand renewable energy and storage capabilities in an emerging market.”

“We look forward to working with USTDA and having their support,” said Justin Woodward, Co-Founder & Head of Africa at JCM Power. “USTDA’s contributions will allow Malawi to utilize its renewable energy resources and provide a starting point for sector growth and development in the country moving forward.”

JCM is co-developing the Golomoti Solar Initiative with InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG). This project represents one of the first to be developed by an independent power producer (IPP) under recent energy sector reforms in Malawi. Through Malawi’s first competitive bidding process for solar generation, this project was developed with assistance from Power Africa and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

This project supports the goals of Power Africa and the Electrify Africa Act. The project also builds upon the MCC’s infrastructure development and power sector reform projects in Malawi.