Dundo - The Governor of Lunda-Norte province, Deolinda Satula Vilarinho, stated Friday that the entry into operation of the Luachimo hydroelectric dam will boost the attraction of private investments for the province and sustainable development.
The governor made this statement during the inauguration of the Luachimo dam, highlighting that the infrastructure places the province in a privileged position in terms of attracting private investment and opens up new perspectives for the growth of the extractive industry.
She stated that the exponential increase in the dam's production capacity will allow a significant growth in the province's electrification rate, especially in areas with agricultural, tourist and diamond production potential.
She called on companies in the mining sector operating in the province, especially in the Dundo-Nzangi corridor, to take advantage of the dam's energy availability, with a view to reducing fuel costs.
On the other hand, she called for the preservation of infrastructure and energy transmission lines, 'as their vandalization could result in huge costs to the State and affect new projects'.
Inaugurated by the Minister of Energy and Water, João Borges, the production capacity of the largest energy project in Eastern Angola, which comprises the provinces of Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul and Moxico, was increased from 8.4 megawatts (MW) to 34MW.
The government spent 212 million dollars for the rehabilitation and expansion work. It was financed through a credit line from China.
The contract included the rehabilitation of mechanical equipment, the execution of a new hydraulic circuit sized for 240 cubic meters of water per second, consisting of a water intake, adduction channel, loading chamber and return channel.
A new 60 kilovolt substation was also built and the access road to the dam was remodeled, including the passage to the power station.
The plant's new infrastructure is 35 meters high, the equivalent of an 11-storey building, in an area 50 meters long and 30 meters in cross section.
The old power station building was rehabilitated to serve technical education institutions, with the aim of being the first museum in the energy sector in Angola.
The project also includes the recovery of the 85-kilometer high voltage transmission line to the mining town of Nzagi, in the municipality of Cambulo, with an additional value estimated at 40 million dollars.
The last stage of the project foresees the expansion of the distribution network to the Lucapa headquarters, including the town of Calonda.
The transport line will also pass through the towns of Fucauma and Cassanguidi, taking into account the existence of economic activities, especially in the mining sector. HD/DOJ
