A recent update on Angola’s Lucapa solar photovoltaic plant shows the plant would be able to start producing power by the first quarter of 2024. The solar power plant has reached around 61% of its completion whereas the mechanical assembly along with the installation of the solar PV panels and other support structures is 90% complete.
The solar plant is under development in a 3-hectares of land in the Lucapa Municipality in the Lunda-Norte province. The plant is part of a set of seven solar projects, with a total capacity of 370 MWp, that are being developed in several provinces. The construction work of the Lucapa solar plant began in 2021.
Approximately 11,000 out of the total 12,090 solar panels in the Lucapa plant have been installed. The wiring connections of the panels, equipment testing, along with the construction of the control room & support buildings, are yet to be done.
João Baptista Borges, the Angolan Minister of Energy and Water, recently visited the solar plant site and monitored the project status. According to the Minister, Lucapa has significant ‘economic activity’. The future plant will help in adding clean and cheap energy to the national grid, reducing fuel consumption.
The Lucapa solar project is valued at over €19,706, with 80% of the financing provided by Sweden and the rest by South Africa. The project also includes the construction of a distribution network for 1,500 home connections which will benefit over 49,000 people.
The overall access to electricity in Angola is around 46.9%. The government authorities expect that solar energy will benefit around 1.2 million households across the country, with a view to promoting access to cleaner, reliable, and cheaper electricity.
