Ndalatando – The minister of Energy and Water, João Batista Borges, on Thursday in Cuanza Norte Province, highlighted the progress of the Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric dam, under construction in the municipality of Cambambe.
According to the minister, who was speaking after a meeting he had with the Technical Committee for Guiding and Monitoring the Works, the progress of the excavation for the replacement of the two tunnels and to access this.
He said that the tunnels, each five kilometres long and 16 metres in diameter, are infrastructures where the turbines will be installed, whose construction works are progressing well.
Despite the progress of work on this front of the project, he emphasised that due to the complexity of drilling the tunnels, the construction of many other infrastructures of the hydroelectric complex is being delayed because they will require some readjustments in order to meet the contractual deadline.
João Baptista Borges pointed to technical situations that require the integration of some of the equipment needed for the work to progress, as well as difficulties with the geological conditions that were not expected, due to the underground work, as constraints that contribute to the delay on other fronts.
The minister also pointed to constraints on the project's financial lines, such as delays in payment to the project's inspector or designer, a key entity in approving the project and ensuring that contractual deadlines are met, adding that the Ministry of Energy and Water will work together with the Ministry of Finance to regulate this situation.
João Baptista Borges recommended the holding of permanent meeting to all those who are part of the work's execution in order to avoid constraints.
To the director of the project, Augusto Chico, despite the constraints, the works progress in the order of 14,07% of its physical execution, while financial execution is at 15%.
He said that various infrastructures had been built to help speed up construction work on the dam.
Energy production at the Caculo Cabaça dam is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with the first turbine to go into operation.
The work, which began in 2017 and is valued at more than five billion dollars, currently employs 2,500 people, including nationals and foreigners.
The project is co-financed by the People's Republic of China for the civil construction of the hydroelectric power station and associated transport system, worth 4.5 billion dollars and by the Federal Republic of Germany for the supply and assembly of electromechanical equipment, budgeted at USD 1.02 billion.
He said that a lot of infrastructure had been built that would help speed up the construction of the dam.
Energy production at the Caculo Cabaça dam is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with the first turbine coming on stream.
The work, which began in 2017 and is valued at more than five billion dollars, currently has 2,500 employees, including nationals and foreigners.
The Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric project is expected to produce 2,172 megawatts (MW) and will be part of a range of dams in the middle Kwanza, such as Cambambe (Cuanza Norte), Capanda and Laúca (Malanje).
The dam is being built by the Chinese state-owned China Gezhouba Group.
In addition to the meeting, João Baptista Borges visited all the works underway at the hydroelectric plant, such as the main power station, tunnels, dam, shipyards, bridge and others.
EFM/IMA/AC/jmc
