Ondjiva – The Electricity Interconnection between Angola and Namibia (ANNA) programme was presented on Monday (May 20) to the communities of the municipalities of Curoca, Cahama and Ombadja, Cunene province, with a view to gathering ideas on the environmental and social impact study.
This is a project that includes a 400-kilovolt transmission line, with a length of about 362 kilometers, from the Cunene substation in Namibia to the Lubango substation, Huíla province (Angola).
According to the advisor of the ANNA Project, Isabel Silva, the objective of this program is to mitigate the current restrictions in the supply of electricity in the southern region of Angola and to establish a connection with the market of neighboring countries.
According to the source, in Angola, the electricity line will have a length of 331 kilometres, which will be operated by the National Transmission Network (RNT).
Isabel Silva said that, in order to comply with the requirements of international financing entities, it is necessary to carry out an environmental and social assessment study, with the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of the region.
She pointed out the safeguarding of pasture areas for cattle as one of the issues of interest to the province of Cunene, which has cattle as a source of wealth for local communities.
Isabel Silva added that the intention of the consultation is to obtain a social guarantee, through consultation with local authorities and traditional authorities, to inform the tradition of these regions, conserve nature and cultural aspects.
For his part, the municipal administrator of Curoca, Domingos Taby, said it was an ambitious project that will reduce energy problems in communities and mitigate environmental and social impact, and called on participants to contribute with their ideas to the progress of the project.
The act of consultation was attended by members of the municipal administration, representatives of political parties, traditional and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as civil society.
With an area of 7,998 square kilometres, the municipality of Curoca is administratively divided into two communes and 25 villages, with 56,000 inhabitants. FI/LHE/QCB/DOJ
