Excavation work has started for the construction of the 2,172 MW Caculo-Cabaça hydroelectric facility in the Kwanza Norte Province of Angola. Completion of the infrastructure development for the project is set for October 2026, while commissioning is scheduled to commence in 2028.
A ceremony commemorating the development took place on 20 May, and was attended by the President of Angola, H.E. João Lourenço, who ceremoniously authorized the provisional deviation of the course of the Kwanza River for use at the hydropower project.
The ceremony involved H.E. President Lourenço verifying the degree of execution of the Caculo-Cabaça Dam, with the chief of state reiterating that completion of the hydroelectric facility is poised to take place in 2026.
“I leave here with the feeling of what has already been accomplished to date, but that the act of diverting the river that we just witnessed a moment ago is an important milestone for the continuation of the works on this important project of the hydroelectric use of Caculo-Cabaça,” H.E. President Lourenço stated during the ceremony, adding, “Within approximately three years […] we will inaugurate what will be the largest hydroelectric dam in Angola and the third largest on the African continent.”
The run-of-the-river Caculo-Cabaça hydroelectric facility is being developed by Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water with a total investment of approximately $4.53 billion. Upon completion, electricity generated from the facility will be used to supply the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) – a competitive energy market and provider of sustainable energy solutions to the southern African region.
At full capacity, the Caculo-Cabaça hydroelectric power station is estimated to generate up to 8,123 GWh of electricity annually, with electricity generated at the plant set to be evacuated through a 400-kW power transmission line.
