The meeting provided a platform for the consortium to review progress, share innovations, and discuss the adoption of research outputs.

Participants also examined Malawi’s current renewable energy landscape, national strategies, and emerging opportunities for collaborative research.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, MUBAS Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ishmael Kosamu, emphasised the timeliness of the meeting amid Malawi’s ongoing energy challenges.

“This meeting could not have come at a better time than now, when Malawi is facing an energy crisis that challenges us to think together and develop sustainable solutions as renewable energy experts,” he said.

He added that the project aligns with Malawi’s Vision 2063, the National Research Agenda, the National Education Sector Investment Plan (2020–2030), and global aspirations under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Professor Ole Jørgen Nydal from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norway said the consortium is particularly focused on decentralised renewable energy solutions suitable for rural, off-grid areas.

“A major area of our work has been developing heat storage solutions for clean cooking,” he said.

As part of the programme, delegates visited the Mthembanji Solar Mini-Grid in Dedza to appreciate Malawi’s progress in expanding access to clean energy. Commissioned in June 2020 with support from the Scottish Government and the University of Strathclyde, the 18.8 kW mini-grid supplies reliable and affordable electricity to 75 households, businesses, and community institutions at tariffs as low as K139 per day.

The gathering brought together project coordinators; researchers; and key stakeholders in Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs), including officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining; and major energy service providers in Malawi, and participants showcased a range of locally developed, affordable, and sustainable technologies designed to address energy challenges in Africa.

EnergyNET is a multi-university project implemented by a consortium comprising Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) and six other universities in Africa (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Makerere University, Uganda; Mekelle University, Ethiopia; Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique; and University of Juba, South Sudan) and in Norway (Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU).

Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development II Programme (NORHED), the project aims to enhance education, research, and innovation in renewable energy technologies.