Angola Unveils 25.40 MW Cazombo Solar Park To Boost Rural Electrification And Clean Energy Expansion

Angola has completed a major renewable energy project with the launch of one of Africa’s largest off-grid solar parks in Cazombo, located in the eastern region of the country. The Cazombo Photovoltaic Park was developed by Portugal’s MCA Group and is designed to improve rural electrification and provide clean, reliable power to areas that have long faced energy shortages. The project includes 25.40 MWp of solar capacity combined with a 75.26 MWh battery energy storage system, allowing the community to access uninterrupted electricity without depending on diesel generators.

The new solar facility will supply power to more than 136,000 people living in the Moxico Leste area, making it the first fully autonomous solar-plus-storage system in Angola and the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. The project was inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, who highlighted its importance for social and economic development in remote regions.

Financing for the project was structured with support from Standard Chartered Bank in the UK and backed by Germany’s export credit agency Euler Hermes. The guarantee was further reinsured by export credit agencies from Portugal and Korea. The initiative was promoted by PRODEL Ep, the public electricity producer responsible for expanding energy infrastructure across the country.

The installation features more than 40,000 solar panels and created around 300 local jobs during construction. It is expected to reduce the use of diesel by nearly 10 million litres each year, lowering emissions and supporting Angola’s clean energy goals. This project forms part of a larger rural electrification programme started in 2023, which aims to deploy 46 isolated solar mini-grids across 60 communes in six provinces by 2026.

Through this initiative, Angola is demonstrating a strong commitment to expanding renewable energy, improving energy access, and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.