The Secretary of State for Energy, Arlindo Carlos, announced that the Saurimo photovoltaic plant, located in Lunda-Sul, Angola, will commence operations later this month, providing a capacity of 26.13 megawatts of clean energy.
Constructed on a sprawling 65-hectare site, the project is a collaboration between the South African company ‘Sun África’ and ‘MCA Angola’ and comes with a price tag of 38.839 million euros.
It boasts a staggering array of 44,850 solar panels, poised to benefit approximately 171,565 residents in Saurimo.
During a press briefing following his visit to Saurimo, Arlindo Carlos highlighted that the photovoltaic plant is undergoing testing and is expected to be fully operational within days.
He further assured that the Ministry of Energy and Water is committed to expanding electricity supply to other areas like Cacolo and Muconda, addressing the existing energy deficit in Lunda Sul.
Accompanied by Cláudio Pemessa, the Deputy Governor for Technical Services and Infrastructure, and the CEOs of ENDE and PRODEL, Arlindo Carlos inspected various sites including the photovoltaic plant in Saurimo, Nhama, Txicumina, and the construction of UPS 01.
Saurimo, with a population exceeding 534,000, currently relies on a variable power supply of 19/25 megawatts generated by the Nhama and Txicumina thermal plants.
ENDE, the National Energy Distribution Company in Lunda Sul, manages 30,600 customers, including 1,700 on the prepaid system, demonstrating the region’s growing demand for reliable energy solutions.