Luanda: The construction of photovoltaic plants in various provinces has enabled the Angolan state to save approximately 200 billion kwanzas annually and significantly reduce fuel consumption by over 500 million liters.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Jos© Salles, the project director of the Angolan Public Electricity Production Company (PRODEL), highlighted the contributions of the Bi³pio and Baa Farta parks in Benguela, inaugurated in July 2022. These parks contribute the most to the savings, with each achieving annual savings of 215 million liters of fuel.
Additional power plants in the municipalities of Luena (Moxico), Saurimo (Lunda-Sul), Luau, and Cazombo (Moxico-Leste) further enhance the savings. Luena's plant saves 19.5 million kwanzas, Saurimo saves 19 million kwanzas, and Luau and Cazombo together save 27.6 million kwanzas. The Cazombo and Lucapa (Lunda-Norte) plants also contribute by saving nearly five million liters of fuel annually.
Following the inauguration of the Luau Photovoltaic Park, Salles emphasized the government's objective to phase out thermal power plants to simplify operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Luau facility boasts an installed capacity of 32.2 megawatts, benefiting more than 100,000 people as part of a broader rural electrification program. This initiative plans to establish solar power plants in 60 locations across six provinces: Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul, Moxico, Malanje, and Bi©.
These upcoming plants will feature 250 megawatts of photovoltaic panels and a 590-megawatt battery bank. Alongside the operational Cazombo and Luau plants, four additional photovoltaic systems are slated for Moxico-Leste. Moxico-Leste, with Cazombo as its capital, is set to become one of the newly formalized Angolan provinces by 2025, aimed at enhancing social services for the population.