ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), owned by Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Afreximbank and Africa Transformation and Industrialization Fund (ATIF), the developer and operator of world-class industrial ecosystems across Africa, is proud to announce the signing of a development agreement with the Government of Malawi for the construction of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and a dry port in the North of Lilongwe, Area 55 in Malawi. This agreement, in line with ARISE IIP''s ambition to unlock Africa''s industrial potential, will support the Government of Malawi in advancing the country’s long term vision of becoming an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialised upper-middle income country by 2063.
With an investment of approximately USD 150 million in infrastructure development and in partnership with Afreximbank, the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the dry port will be located north of Lilongwe, in the designated Area 55 in Malawi. The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will aim to stimulate and attract multi-sector investments, both industrial and commercial, in the country and offers logistic services and inland container depot services to enterprises in Malawi. It will seek to promote the local processing of raw materials into high value-added finished products, with an emphasis on agricultural products and inputs. Arise IIP will oversee the majority of the project, holding a 65% stake, while the remaining 35% will be shared by the Malawian government and local investors.
Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2024 with the zone expected to become operational from 2026. The project is set to create approximately a minimum of 132,000 direct jobs and over 26,000 indirect jobs.
Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO of ARISE IIP commented: “It is a great honour to partner with the Government of Malawi for the establishment of an Integrated Industrial Platform and a dry port in the country. Leveraging our experience as developers and operators of industrial ecosystems across the African continent, we are committed to supporting the Malawian Government’s initiatives for national development.”
Honourable Sosten Alfred Gwengwe, MP, Minister of Trade and Industry of Malawi said "This collaboration with Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) represents a significant opportunity to boost trade, investment, and job creation in the country. Given Arise IIP’s proven success in developing major projects across Africa, we look forward to seeing the positive impact of our joint efforts."
ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) is a pan-African developer and operator of world-class industrial parks committed to making Africa thrive. We identify opportunities in commercial and industrial value chains across Africa, and conceive, finance, build and operate the necessary infrastructure, playing a catalytic role in supporting countries to transition to an industrial economy. We are driven by the pursuit of green growth; our ambition is to unlock the continent''s industrial potential while neutralising our carbon emissions and climate impact. ARISE IIP is currently present in Benin (GDIZ), Togo (PIA), Gabon (GSEZ), Côte d''Ivoire (ZIC), and more. GSEZ was ranked the world''s best special economic zone in the timber sector (2020 FDI ranking).
The life-changing moment for the Mthembanji community arrived in a 20-foot container: in July 2020, the village launched its 12 kWp solar-based microgrid. Within the distribution network, 60 households and small businesses were able to switch on the lights for the first time.
Until mid-2020, the remote village of Mthembanji, located in the Dedza township south of Malawi''s capital Lilongwe, remained one of the areas not connected to the national grid. People had never experienced a stable and low-carbon electricity supply. That all changed in July, when the 12-kW, solar-based microgrid was commissioned, despite the COVID-19 restrictions. Now 60 private homes and small businesses have access to the solar-powered system. People can now switch on the lights for better conditions for learning and working, can charge their phones and can connect electric appliances like refrigerators or TVs, which has had a positive impact on village''s sense of community and economic development.
Packed in an insulated 20-foot shipping container, the system includes SMA inverters and Tesvolt lithium-ion batteries. SMA Sunny Portal enables remote access to system performance data and generation capacity as well as alerting system managers for fast on-site troubleshooting.
The first-of-its-kind microgrid offers new possibilities for rural electrification. Cheaper and quicker to implement than individual solar home systems, microgrids of this size can be deployed in smaller communities that are of less interest to national utilities and larger mini-grid companies.
Having designed the system architecture and a sustainable business model, Strathclyde and United Purpose worked together with Cape Town-based solar company SustainSolar, Malawian electrical contractor BNG Electrical, and smart meters provider Steamaco (UK). SustainSolar completed the commissioning and final testing of the first microgrid to be installed under the Rural EASE (Energy Access through Social Enterprise and Decentralisation) project in Malawi.
Following the system''s installation, the site was visited by representatives from the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), who were impressed with the quality of the installation and innovative technology used in the system. MERA approval has been granted for the sales of electricity which has now begun.
This paves the way for a reliable regenerative power supply in Mthembanji. For the villagers, turning on the light for the first time with the help of solar power will remain a life-changing moment
Here you can find the original article by Aran Eales, Research Associate at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE), University of Strathclyde.
Microgrids are a clear pathway to Malawi''s energy future. The government of Malawi recognizes the country''s challenging energy conditions, with less than 10% of the population being connected to the national grid, and has outlined support for mini grids to achieve their rural electrification targets in its Energy Policy (2018). This installation marks the first step in a new social enterprise strategy to provide sustainable energy access to 1 million people over the next 10 years and to help achieve Malawi''s sustainable development goal 7, which targets universal access to secure, reliable and affordable energy.
Your blog post paints a truly inspiring picture of positive change in action. The news about a Malawi village being powered up with a solar-based microgrid is heartwarming and indicative of the real-world impact sustainable energy solutions can have on communities.
Thanks for your kind feedback!
Could you send me components detail and price please.
Unfortunately we cannot give you any information about this. You can ask the author of the article directly: https://ease.eee.strath.ac.uk/2020/06/27/switch-on-for-first-ease-microgrid/
His Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi; Mr. Gagan Gupta, President-Founder of ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), a pan-African developer and operator of world-class industrial ecosystems; and the President of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, unveiled ‘Magwero Industrial Park’, an integrated industrial park project located 10km from the capital, Lilongwe. This high-level ceremony was attended by over 5,000 guests, including numerous national and international project partners as well as local communities.
This ceremony follows the framework contract signed on June 19, 2023, between the Republic of Malawi, represented by the Malawi Export Development Fund, and ARISE IIP for the development of an integrated industrial park around Lilongwe under a public-private partnership. The agreement stipulates that the industrial park will be owned 65% by ARISE IIP and 35% by the Malawi Export Development Fund (EDF).Project financing will be provided by Afreximbank, a leading financial partner of ARISE IIP, amounting to USD 300 million.
Designed to expedite Malawi’s industrialization process through two pillars, diversification of its economy and valorization of its natural resources, the industrial park is set to host industrial units from various sectors, including:• Local processing of agricultural products such as soybeans, cotton, tomatoes, maize, peanuts, and retail food products.
• Manufacturing industry, featuring production units for glass, construction materials, lighting products such as LED accessories, plywood, and paper production.
Spanning 417 hectares, the industrial park enjoys a strategic location, situated 10km from Kamuzu International Airport and 10km from the capital’s city center, as well as being in close proximity to the Malawian railway network.
It will comprise an industrial zone, logistics warehouses, a residential area, an Internal Container Depot Terminal (ICDT), and ‘Plug and Play’ infrastructure, offering ready-to-use hangars for small and medium-sized enterprises.
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