Benguela - More than nine million people, especially in rural areas, are expected to have cheap and clean electricity supply in the next five years, thanks to the expansion of photovoltaic solar projects in Angola, the minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, said Wednesday.
The minister made the statement at the inauguration ceremony of the photovoltaic solar park in central Benguela Province, the largest photovoltaic plant in the country, with 549,000 panels installed in a total of 188.8 megawatts of power.
According to the minister, the government has approved and contracted companies that will install and manage the technological system that will guarantee power to more than nine million people in eleven provinces in the next five years, namely Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico (East), Huíla, Cuando Cubando, Cunene and Namibe (South), Luanda, Cabinda and Malanje (North) and in Bié, Centre of the country.
He disclosed that a new funding package of over 3 billion US dollars has been granted, which will be used to install a set of photovoltaic panels with battery storage in 113 localities, municipal and communal headquarters, including distribution networks, public lighting and 967,000 new connections.
Mr. Borges explained that the plan includes the installation of 448 rural water supply systems in the southern region of Angola.
Large-scale projects move forward
The minister announced the construction of three solar power plants to add 594 MW of renewable energy to the country's energy matrix, namely in the provinces of Malanje (400 MW), Cabinda (90 MW) and Luanda, with 104 MW.
The strategy, the minister said, includes the distribution of 152, 458 individual solar systems to more than 762,000 people, underlining that the heavy investment (more than three billion US dollars) is being added to roughly 540 million dollars spent on seven power plants under construction.
João Borges said the substitution of thermal energy by solar energy represents a saving of 275 million litres of diesel the state used to spend per year.
With the operation of these power plants, Angola will reduce annually the emission of about 935,000 tons of carbon.
