A tale of innovation, empathy, and sustainability.
Completed in 2021, the Golomoti Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Project in Malawi is more than just a remarkable civil project. It’s an inspiring story of how creativity, empathy, and sustainability can merge to create a best-of-class project that not only provides electricity but also touches the earth lightly.
Zutari led the team behind a project to bring electricity to one of the poorest countries in the world. The project faced challenges such as difficult ground conditions, a landlocked country, and a complicated site shape. However, the team used their creative intelligence to solve the problem and completed the project successfully.
Zutari was the Engineer for the Golomoti Solar Project in Malawi and undertook detailed design for this 28.5 MWp solar PV and Battery Energy Storage (BESS) project. The solar plant is coupled with a 5 MW/10MWh battery storage system and will provide the Malawian power grid with 20 MW of much-needed power.
The Golomoti PV project is the first to be built using Zutari’s innovative computational design tool, 7SecondSolar. Developed in-house, this tool enabled efficient optimization and design, resulting in cost and time savings. In the early stages of the project, multiple design iterations were possible in just a few hours instead of weeks, allowing Zutari to help the client with comprehensive design optimisations, providing greater certainty of capital expenditure right from the start of the project. These optimisations continued throughout the development process without the need to redo complex manual CAD drawings.
The power plant was modelled by Zutari in a 3D interactive space, continually updated to reflect the latest designs, and assisted in design discussions with the client and contractors. It made dynamic visualisation and movement possible around the virtual site and evaluated the potential for PV panel shading by having the panels track the sun''s position.
The result was a custom-designed solar PV plant that paid homage to the Baobab tree and adapted to the site’s complexities, enabling optimised energy production while ensuring the tree flourished. The design also considered the needs and constraints of the client, JCM Power, and the communities living next to the solar PV plant.
Co-creation and collaboration
The Client formed part of the project creation and delivery and had direct access to each team discipline. This allowed problems to be solved and actioned quickly, especially during construction works requiring rapid decisions.
As a trusted advisor to JCM Power and InfraCo Africa throughout the process, Zutari was involved in site identification, concept development, tender development/procurement, preliminary design, detailed design, and project execution. This included civil works, geotechnical investigation, foundation design, and electrical works.
Imagining what could be possible beyond the conventional way of delivering a solar PV plant enabled the design team to solve project complexities. The teams committed to finding the right overall solution – the tree, the villages and the land are part of the design and were not compromised to make the development possible.
The project aims to support ESCOM, which is a government-owned utility in Malawi, in its efforts to reduce poverty and business costs. This will be done by revitalising the country’s power supply and expanding access to power through the promotion of renewable energy development. Additionally, the project is in line with Malawi’s strategy of attracting more private investment in the energy sector.
The construction of the project has generated more than 550 job opportunities, out of which 85% were local jobs for Malawians. The project is committed to having a positive long-term impact and has collaborated with the community to develop a Social and Economic Development Plan. The plan focuses on Women Empowerment, Health and Sanitation, and Subsistence-based Sustainable Livelihoods.
Solar power has a significant impact on poverty reduction, social and economic development, and providing access to electricity to those living in energy-scarce countries such as Malawi. It has the potential to create a more sustainable future while enhancing the quality of life. The Golomoti Solar PV project is expected to contribute to this significant impact.
The project was an example of human-centred, planet-minded design – and the result is a best-of-class project enabling sustainable electricity production while touching the earth lightly.
*The Aurecon Africa business has been officially renamed Zutari as at 21 July 2020. Zutari acquired Aurecon Middle East on 20 November 2020.
Explore different types of political risk insurance guarantees provided to investors and lenders.
Learn about the progress MIGA is making in its mission to support economic growth, reduce poverty and improvepeople''s lives.
WASHINGTON, D.C.,July 22, 2022— MIGA has issued guarantees of $24 million to JCM Golomoti UK Limited for equity and shareholder loan investments into Golomoti JCM Solar Corporation Limited for the development, construction, and operation of a new 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in Malawi.
The guarantees will extend over 20 years and protect JCM against the risks of transfer restriction and breach of contract. The plant includes a battery energy storage system — the first in Malawi.
"MIGA is pleased to support ongoing electrification in Malawi and the first deployment of solar battery storage technology in the country," said Hiroshi Matano, Executive Vice President of MIGA. "By helping to diversify the energy supply, the new plant contributes to Malawi''s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy."
Malawi has among the lowest electricity access rates in the world, just 11.2 percent in 2019. Most of the existing generation capacity — 75 percent — is dependent on hydropower (a significant portion of it from Lake Malawi), which makes the country vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and leads to frequent and lengthy blackouts. Furthermore, peak demand is currently managed by using expensive and polluting diesel generators.
The government of Malawi proposes to increase electrification levels to 30 percent by 2030, seeking to increase electricity supply by new independent power producers and connecting new customers to the grid.
The photovoltaic plant, the second independent power producer in Malawi supported by MIGA, adds a new source of clean energy supply that will reduce CO2 emissions by 45,000 metric tons over its life. The 5 MW/10 MWh battery storage system was installed and made operational at the same time as the plant and has an expected useful life of up to 15 years.
Beyond managing the intermittency of solar supply, the battery storage system provides an opportunity for better load leveling, storing power during low demand periods and delivering during periods of high demand. This will lead to wider greenhouse gas reductions by lowering the load on more carbon-intensive peak-generating facilities.
"Support from MIGA has been a key aspect of advancing our projects in Malawi," said Christian Wray, CEO of JCM Power, parent company of JCM Golomati UK Limited. "The partnership makes it possible for independent power producers like JCM Power to deliver projects that have a positive impact on the renewable energy sector in Africa."
JCM is an existing MIGA client, having obtained guarantee coverage for their investments in the 60-megawatt Salima solar power project in Malawi in 2019.
JCM Power is an independent power producer (IPP) dedicated to accelerating social, economic and environmental sustainability in growth markets through the development, construction and operation of renewable energy infrastructure. Our driving vision is to advance the clean energy age. For more information, please visit
MIGA was created in 1988 as a member of the World Bank Group to promote foreign direct investment in emerging economies by helping mitigate the risks of restrictions on currency conversion and transfer, breach of contract by governments, expropriation, and war & civil disturbance; and offering credit enhancement to private investors and lenders.
Since its creation, MIGA has issued over $65 billion in guarantees across 120 developing countries.
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