Interconnection of the country’s eastern, southern regions among priorities

Angolan government has mentioned the interconnection and electrification of municipalities in the country’s eastern and southern regions, with the use of water and solar sources, as one of the main challenges until 2025.

The strategy is intended to improve the services, currently restricted to 42.8% of the population only, estimated at over 33 million inhabitants.

In these regions, like the provinces of Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico (East) and Cuando Cubango, Namibe, Cunene and Huíla (South), still report a high consumption of diesel for energy production, which makes the very high costs.

Of the total of 164 municipalities that make up Angola, 90 to 100 need interconnection and electrification, a challenge that is on the Government’s agenda.

Therefore, the priority of the Ministry of Energy and Water for the coming years is to interconnect the Center and South, via Huambo/Lubango and the East (Capanda/Malanje/Xamuteba/Saurimo), the incumbent minister João Baptista Borges told the ““Grande Entrevista” programme of the Public Television of Angola (TPA).

Among other challenges, the minister pointed out the growth of cities, with the emergence of new neighborhoods and residences, which will also need electricity.

He added that in terms of production, the country has a surplus, but still with a distribution deficit.

The minister also announced several projects underway and others are yet to start in some parts of the country.

As example he referred to the near completion of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Luachimo (Lunda Norte) and Matala (Huíla) dams, increasing the respective powers from 18 to 40 megawatts and 8 to 34 MW.

He stated that these megawatts will add to the hydroelectric potential exploited of 3,648.82 MW, out of a total of 18,000 MW of potential in the country’s main hydroelectric basins, such as Kwanza, Longa, Catumbela and Cunene.

In addition to hydroelectric potential, the country also has thermal power stations and solar panel centres.

Reach half the population

The sector’s strategy, said the minister, includes actions that will allow, by 2025, half of the population to have access to electricity, so the sector will have to make close to 370,000 connections per year, to reach the recommended target. .

Currently, estimates point to 42.8%, and, to reach 50% by 2025, the sector will have to execute around 1.7 million home connections throughout the country, said João Baptista Borges.

The minister was revealing the existence of planned projects in the field of energy distribution, using recent lines and solar energy.

As for the solar energy, he recalled that Angola has projects that will cover around 160 locations in the east and south of the country, with plans to provide access to electricity for six million people.

On solar energy, he recalled that Angola has projects that will cover around 160 localities in the east and south of the country, with plans to provide access to electricity for six million people.

Optimistic and without revealing the investments to be made, he only referred that the Executive would resort to the external financial market.

He announced that a line had been mobilised for the East project that would make it possible to cover the three provinces already mentioned, as well as those of Bié and Malanje.

The electrification of the southern region is waiting for a credit line to be approved in June this year.

In Angola, the energy matrix has the potential of hydropower, thermal power stations and solar panels, which work in synchrony among the five regions of the country.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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