MEGA (Mulanje Electricity Generation Agency)

Providing hydro-power to over 700 households, enterprises and public institutions

2019 SEED Africa Award Clean Energy Mulanje, Malawi

We have absolutely no hesitation recommending MEGA and endorsing a project which will enable them to expand the mini grid and achieve the critical mass required for sustainability. Lujeri Tea Estatesmallholder farmers obtaining hydro energy from MEGA

MMCT would wholeheartedly recommend that further recognition and support to MEGA would enable further environmental and socio-economic improvements in this remote part of Malawi. Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT)

Based on the above drivers, MEGA has adopted the following founding principles that will guide the new organisation through its launch and future operation: to provide an energy supply that is widely available and reliable at an affordable cost and supplied in an environmentally and financially sustainable business model. MEGA Business Plan

This business couldn’t be profitable if there was no electricity. I’d have to close the shop at 5pm because it would get dark and no-one would come here. Because of electricity I have lights and there are lights outside the shop too. I can stay open as late as 10pm and I still have customers. Fabiyano MawieaShop Owner in Nessa Village

MEGA is an innovator and a first in a number of areas. We were the first licensed IPP in the country and we have succeeded where many others have failed to date. Through careful engineering and proper implementation we have been able to build some very resilient infrastructure, which has already proven itself in the most recent floods. General Manager MEGA

MEGA produces and distributes electricity to remote areas at the Mulanje Mountain tea growing areas, serving smallholder farmers and the rural population. Their Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority approved tariff is divided into a lower level to social services, a medium level to households and a higher level to local enterprises.

The business model, developed together with DfID Business Innovation Facility (BIF), determines the break even after 1 MW distributed to 5,000 connections. After 2 years, MEGA reached 25% of that target.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts

Through its services, the enterprise enables the community to achieve better education and healthcare, increases business development opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and improves overall quality of life.

Connecting 740 households / 6,350 people to uninterrupted power supply
Providing access to electricity to five primary schools / 1,965 children
Powering one clinic to enable a quality health service to over 250 people 24 hours per day

Generating a total 260 kVa capacity of clean hydro-energy
Adopting conservation agriculture, perennial tea planting, & fruit tree growing
Planting 120,000+ seedlings for mountain cedar cloud forest enrichment
Training 1,200 smallholder farmers in farmer field schools (over 50% women)

Installing a 11 km distribution mini-grid
Establishing a prepaid metering system with three tariffs (commerce, household and social)
Enabling 56 new enterprises using electricity to enter into business, including maize mills, welders, barbershops, saloons, grocery shops, video shows and battery charging centres

Multimedia

Partners

This enterprise is supported through its partnerships with various stakeholders, ranging from national and international organisations, investors, research institutes, suppliers, governmental bodies, NGOs, other social and environmental enterprises and more.

Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) is responsible for biodiversity conservation and enables improved water access for optimised electricity production.

Practical Action is a technical consultancy that assists in the engineering, distribution, productive use and social justice aspects of MEGA's work

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Daniel Kloser

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Tel: +265 997 133380

www.mega.mw

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In the SEED Library you can find all our publications, latest news, blog posts, toolkits, videos, event reports, case studies and more

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Explore our Topics section to learn more about how collaboration around eco-inclusive entrepreneurship drives global agendas