Sonangol, Angola’s National Oil Company, along with its partners, has inaugurated the first phase of the Caraculo Photovoltaic (PV) Plant, a 25 MW solar power plant located in Namibe Province. The inauguration ceremony, held on May 30, saw the presence of Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Energy and Waters, H.E. João Baptista Borges, Governor of Namibe, Archer Mangueira, and officials from Sonangol and Eni, an oil and gas supermajor.
The Caraculo PV Plant is a joint venture between Sonangol and Eni, with a total capacity of 50 MW divided into two phases of 25 MW each. The project, valued at $42 million, incorporates 46,000 solar panels and aims to reduce diesel consumption and support Angola’s energy transition. It is estimated that the plant will mitigate approximately 50,000 tons of CO2 equivalent.
Aligned with Angola’s Energy 2025 Strategy, the Caraculo PV Plant contributes to the government’s target of deploying 500 MW of renewable energy in the next two years. Production tests for the plant commenced in January, and it is expected to provide clean energy to the Provinces of Namibe and Huíla for approximately 25 years.