João Lourenço Authorizes $225 Million Power Grid Expansion to Connect 125,000 Homes Across Luanda and Icolo e Bengo
Angolan President João Lourenço has approved an investment of approximately US$225 million to launch the first phase of a major electricity grid expansion project aimed at improving power access in Luanda and the province of Icolo e Bengo.
The initiative, authorized under Presidential Decree No. 400/26 of October 28, is expected to connect more than 125,000 households to the national power network, benefiting over 500,000 residents in some of the country’s fastest-growing urban and industrial areas.
According to the government, the first phase of the Luanda and Icolo e Bengo Electricity Grid Expansion Project will focus on the development of Lot A, which covers the areas of Porto Seco, Funda, Viana Industrial Park, Zona Verde and Mundial.
The project includes the construction of three new substations, each with a capacity of 80 MVA, alongside the expansion of the Viana Industrial Park substation through the installation of an additional 40 MVA transformer.
Together, these investments will add approximately 280 MVA of installed transformation capacity to the network.
Infrastructure works will also involve the construction of 55 kilometres of 60 kV high-voltage transmission lines and the modernization of 48 kilometres of 30 kV medium-voltage lines, creating a total of roughly 103 kilometres of upgraded electrical infrastructure.
The government said the procurement process will be conducted through a simplified contracting procedure due to the project’s reliance on external financing.
The project has also been incorporated into Angola’s Public Investment Programme under the General State Budget framework.
Responsibility for overseeing the procurement process and validating all related administrative and contractual procedures has been delegated to the Minister of Energy and Water, who has also been granted authority to execute and sign the necessary contracts.
The investment forms part of Angola’s broader efforts to expand electricity access, strengthen transmission infrastructure, and support industrial and residential growth in key economic corridors around the capital.
