Chibia - The Angolan government plans to complete, by 2027, three million new low-voltage electricity network connections across the country, with the works underway on the electrification system, the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, announced Tuesday in the municipality of Chibia.
Speaking to journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Huíla, the minister stressed that the investment made will bring more electricity to the Huambo-Lubango and Lubango-Cahama (Cunene) routes, the latter of which will be a new line, as part of the interconnection of the national system.
He said that the Gove-Cuvango-Menongue interconnection is about to be launched, as well as the development of the cities of Malanje, Chamuteba and Saurimo, with sources from the Caculo Cabaça and Laúca hydroelectric plants.
João Baptista Borges stressed that the creation of autonomous electrification systems with solar panels was underway in 56 locations in the east of the country, as well as in Bié, Malanje, Cuando Cubango, Cunene, Huíla and Namibe, a project that includes more than 60 systems.
“In this way, we will have the eastern and southern provinces of Angola interconnected, at a time when we are already moving towards 50 percent electrification of the country and the goal is to bring energy to half of the country's population by 2027,” he said.
The minister invited the private sector to bet on the business, since there is a surplus in production and the possibility of investing in the interconnection between neighbouring countries is opened.
The governor of Huíla, Nuno Mahapi, considered that the visit of Minister João Borges encourages all the challenge that still persists in the region, especially the interconnection of the north, center and south system.
He considered that all conditions are being created to resolve and relaunch the industry and the private sector in the province, in which energy is a fundamental factor. JT/MS/DOJ
