Malawi fertilizer plant wins approval after weeks of safety review

Malawi’s environment regulator has cleared the Mulalo Granular fertilizer plant to begin operations, ending weeks of delay over safety and pollution concerns and moving the country a step closer to producing crop nutrients domestically.

The Malawi Environment Protection Authority approved the start of production at the plant in Mchemela, Dowa District, after confirming the company had met environmental requirements and filed an acceptable environmental management plan, according to World Fertilizer. The facility is owned by businessman Napoleon Dzombe.

The clearance follows public debate over the delayed launch. Parliament had convened a committee to examine what was holding back the factory, while the regulator flagged the risk of heavy-metal exposure for nearby communities, gaps in emergency safety preparedness, and the plant’s proximity to the Kang’ona River, where inadequate wastewater management could threaten downstream water users and aquatic life.

Local fertilizer output is a priority for Malawi, where farming is dominated by smallholders and fertilizer supply depends heavily on imports paid for in scarce foreign currency. Domestic production could ease that pressure and shorten supply lines into rural growing areas, though the plant’s capacity and product mix have not been disclosed. The approval lands as African producers press ahead with a wave of new capacity, from Dangote’s multibillion-dollar expansion to smaller domestic plants aimed at import substitution.

Source: World Fertilizer

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