New Solar Power Plants launched in Angola

On July 20th, in Angola, were launched two Solar Power Plants in the municipality of Biópio and Baía Farta, in the Province of Benguela.

The two projects of photovoltaic solar energy production are part of the “Energia Angola 2025” plan and have a capacity of 285 megawatts, in an investment of over 300 million euros.

The photovoltaic power plant in the commune of Biópio has now become the largest solar energy project in Angola with an installed capacity of 188.8 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply more than one million people.

The project has more than 500 thousand solar panels, spread over two parks which, in turn, are part of a set of seven with a capacity of 370 MWp, distributed across the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié, Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Norte, south and Moxico.

The photovoltaic power plant built in the municipality of Baía Farta, has an installed capacity of 96 megawatts distributed to the national electricity grid and powered by more than 261 thousand solar panels.

The two photovoltaic power plants are expected to initially benefit more than two million people.

These projects were awarded, in March 2021, to the Portuguese construction company, and ALER member, MCA. According to Jornal 24 Horas, the seven solar power plants were developed jointly by an international consortium composed of the companies MCA and Sun Africa, with the engineering component and the respective construction being fully carried out by MCA.

At the inauguration ceremony of the two photovoltaic solar plants, João Baptista Borges, Minister of Energy and Water, revealed that this expansion aims to provide energy access to more than nine million people over the next five years.

Also adding that the Executive has approved and has already contracted works that will make it possible to achieve this objective in 11 provinces: Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico (East), Huíla, Cuando Cubando, Cunene and Namibe (South), Luanda, Cabinda and Malanje (North) and in Bié, Center of the country.

A new financing package of more than three billion dollars is assured, which will serve to install a set of photovoltaic panels with battery storage in a total of 113 locations, municipal and communal seats, including distribution networks, public lighting and 967 thousand new connections.

The same plan also includes the installation of 448 rural water supply systems in the southern part of Angola.

Additionally, energy on-grid will be carried out in another 12 locations with the expansion of the existing distribution grid in another five areas, which will be in the periphery of large cities.

Source: Adapted from Jornal 24 Horas and Jornal de Angola