Angola Lands Multi-Million Deal Which Will Steer Growth In Renewable Energy Sector

Angola’s current electrification rates are estimated to be 43 percent for urban areas while for the rural areas it is less than 10 percent. Because of the low electricity access, most businesses and homes depend heavily on diesel generators for power.

The government of Angola however, instituted an ambitious infrastructure plan which aims at Increasing electric power availability to meet the ever-increasing energy demand.

As part of the government’s long-term development strategy, Angola targets 60 percent electrification rate by 2025 out of which 70 percent will be derived from renewable sources.

Renewable energy has slowly grown to become the preferred option for many economies because it is clean, cheaper and inexhaustible. Angola is also considering renewable energies as a vehicle for sustainable development of the living conditions of people more so those in the rural areas.

The Southern African country holds great potential for renewable energy production. Mapping studies by the Ministry of Energy and Water in 2014 identified the potential for 16.3 GW solar power, 3.9 GW wind power, and 18 GW in hydropower throughout the country.

The country has landed a new deal which will propel growth in the renewable energy sector. Spanish company “V and V Rending S.A” is investing at least USD 180 Mn in the production of wind energy in Kiwaba Nzoji municipality, Malanje province.

The investment is also in line with Angola’s National Adaptation Program for Action, which aims to promote renewable energy (notably hydropower, solar and wind mini-projects) and extend rural electricity grids.

The company’s Chairperson, Pedro Luís Villar López gave details about the investment in a recent meeting with Domingos Eduardo, the deputy governor of Malanje for the political, economic and social sector.

While addressing the press during the meeting, López said the Ministry of Energy and Water (MINEA) had already carried out the feasibility studies adding that the assembly of the wind power plant is set to begin in January 2020.

The Spanish company chair disclosed that the project entailed the construction of a 100-kilometer high-voltage power transmission network but did not give information regarding the plant’s production capacity. It is anticipated that the project will generate up to 300 jobs.

Featured Image Courtesy: Wind Europe