Available in Portuguese.
The Caraculo Solar Power Station was inaugurated on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, and will produce clean energy for domestic and industrial use in the province of Namibe, in Angola.
This is the first photovoltaic plant in Angola, located in the municipality of Bibala, 60 kilometers from the provincial capital, Moçâmedes, in a desert area and includes 46,000 solar panels, an operations building and other support structures, to produce in a first phase 25 megawatts of energy.
This undertaking was carried out by the Solenova consortium, which brings together Eni, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, through its subsidiary Azule Energy, and the Angolan National Petroleum Company, Sonangol, whose business model now also includes renewable energies, corresponding, moreover, to the Angolan executive’s strategy of strengthening the national electricity system through the Angola Energy Strategy 2025, whose aim is to ensure the production of 500 megawatts of renewable energy over the next two years.
The entry into operation of the Caraculo Solar Power Plant was witnessed by the ministers of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, by the Provincial Governor, Archer Mangueira, and will guarantee the energy needs of the province of Namibe, with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, also contributing to reducing the consumption of diesel used to produce electricity in thermal power stations, thus diversifying the energy matrix in Angola. It is expected that during its operating period this plant will reduce CO2 emissions by around 50 thousand tons and produce clean energy for at least 25 years. And with less need to resort to the use of diesel, it is estimated that the Angolan State could save, in this first phase alone, around 28 million dollars a year.
The energy produced at Caraculo will be injected into the southern distribution network, specifically into the transmission line that passes a few meters from the location of this unit, and will all be purchased and delivered to the National Energy Transport Network.
The Caraculo Solar Power Plant project foresees a second phase with an increase in production capacity to 50 megawatts, which will also make clean energy available to some regions of Huíla province.
For the President of the Angola African Energy Chamber, Sérgio Pugliese, “the inauguration of this photovoltaic plant demonstrates the commitment of the Angolan government with the energy transition and I remember that, during the Angola Oil & Gas Conference 2022, in one of his interventions the Minister Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, underlined that these structural projects for Angola’s energy sector would already be operational in 2023. This project by Sonangol and Azule Energy also confirms the importance of events such as the Conference and Exhibition Angola Oil & Gas 2023 and its contributions to sustainable development and a decarbonized economy.”
The renewable energy potential in Angola will be one of the main topics to be revealed and debated at the Angola Oil & Gas 2023 Conference and Exhibition, which will take place in September at the Talatona Convention Centre. .
Continue to follow the Energy, Capital and Power website, as well as the different pages on social networks, in order to obtain all the information about this important event.
