Angola’s President, João Lourenço, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, emphasizing the country’s strides toward sustainable development.
In his speech during the 79th session, he highlighted significant government investments in renewable energy, particularly in the construction of hydroelectric dams and photovoltaic parks, which now account for 67% of Angola’s energy matrix.
President Lourenço revealed that Angola currently produces over 6,500 megawatts of electricity and is constructing the Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric dam, which will add more than 2,000 megawatts to the grid.
He also announced the upcoming development of the country’s largest photovoltaic park, with $1.5 billion in financing from the U.S. Eximbank, set to power numerous locations in the provinces of Huíla, Cunene, Namibe, and Cuando Cubango.
The President underscored the importance of ongoing public and public-private partnerships aimed at building high- and medium-voltage transmission lines to connect Angola with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) grid, via Zambia and Namibia.
He invited investors to sell electricity produced in Angola to mining regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, as well as other SADC nations, including South Africa, the region’s largest energy consumer.
In addition to energy projects, President Lourenço spoke about Angola’s commitment to the international climate agenda and ongoing efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
He also highlighted investments in the health sector, mentioning rapid progress in constructing and equipping hospitals across the country, as well as the development of a program to train and recruit healthcare professionals for the national health system.
