The electrification project will reach over 1 million people in 60 communes across the provinces of Malanje, Bié, Moxico, Lunda-Norte, and Lunda-Sul. On Wednesday, November 15th, the consignment and groundbreaking ceremony for the Rural Electrification Project of Lunda-Norte province took place in Cafunfo, Cuango Municipality. The event was chaired by the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, accompanied by the Provincial Governor, Deolinda Vilarinho, and ambassadors from Portugal, Francisco Alegre, and Germany, Stefan Traumann, along with energy sector officials, including DNEER, PRODEL, and ENDE.
Company representatives signed the Consignment Document. PRODEL, representing the Angolan Government, will oversee and supervise the project, while the Portuguese group MCA will serve as the main contractor.
During the ceremony, the minister highlighted the project’s significance for the country’s electrification development, emphasizing President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço’s priority to achieve the established goals so that more Angolan families, even in remote areas, have access to clean and affordable energy. The aim is to reach about 70% of the national energy matrix with renewable energies by 2027, improving the quality of life for Angolans still without access to the public power grid.
In Lunda-Norte province, the project will benefit 74,368 families in 15 communes. In Cafunfo, where the project was officially launched, 29,150 household connections with pre-paid systems will be installed. A photovoltaic park with 72,000 panels will be built, capable of producing 41.4 megawatts and storing 111.45 MW in batteries for nighttime use.
Valued at 1.027 billion euros, the Cafunfo photovoltaic park will be built over three years. Angola is ideal for solar energy utilization, with an average annual solar radiation between 1,370 and 2,100 kWh/m²/year. Photovoltaic technology is most suitable for harnessing this energy due to its quick installation (less than a year) and low maintenance costs.
The project has strategic partners and financing of 1.2 billion euros from the German company Euler Hermes. It is part of the Angola 2025 Plan strategy, aiming to provide clean energy to urban and rural areas, expand the national power grid, and build photovoltaic parks, transforming Angola into a prosperous and modern country with greater integration into the global and regional economy.
Furthermore, the Angolan government intends to positively contribute to the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 4.2 to 8.0 million tons of CO2. Finally, João Baptista Borges urged the local population to preserve public assets and report acts of vandalism, which have occurred in various parts of the country.