Escom has announced emergency load shedding measures after a drop in electricity generation capacity caused by faults at two major hydropower units.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the utility disclosed that Nkula A Unit 2 and Kapichira Unit 4 went offline in the early hours of May 21, 2026, at approximately 2:59 a.m. and 3:26 a.m., respectively.
The outages reduced available electricity generation from the country’s key hydropower stations from 348.15 megawatts to 306.75 megawatts, forcing the company to begin emergency power rationing in some areas.
According to Escom, the unscheduled load shedding is necessary to maintain the stability and reliability of Malawi’s national electricity grid.
The company also warned customers that electricity interruptions could occur outside the regular load shedding timetable as efforts continue to stabilise the system.
Escom apologised for the inconvenience caused and appealed to customers for patience and understanding while restoration efforts continue.