Angola aims to boost energy access by 50% by 2025

Minister of Energy and Water in Angola, João Baptista, Borges has announced the country’s plans to increase access to electricity from 42.8% to 50% by 2025.

Speaking at a recent event, the Minister said the Ministry of Energy will work to achieve the electrification rate with a 7.2 percent increase. João Borges explained that the expansion of energy is currently underway with the interconnection of the central/south and north/east regions, integrating at least more than seven provinces, as well as the expansion of the distribution network inside the country.

The Minister added that the measure will also save hundreds of millions of litres of fuel consumed annually in thermal power stations and make more than 1 million new household connections in the country.

Borges emphasised that the aim is to achieve at least 72% of contribution from clean sources in the energy matrix by 2025, assuming the continuous development of the country’s Energy Security Strategy and the construction of projects with new sources of non-conventional renewable energy.

The official explained that, between 2017 and 2022, notable progress was made in the field of electricity production, whose capacity reached 6GW with an increase of more than 50%.

Borges said two electrification projects were recently approved comprising the eastern and southern regions, which will benefit more than one million people with the installation of 1GW of solar photovoltaic energy.

The National Strategy for Renewable Energies foresees the possibility of installing solar plants estimated at 55GW, almost 10 times more than all the production capacity currently installed in the country.

The factor will be important in preserving the reservoir levels of the main dams and in reducing thermal production of both diesel and gas.

Nomvuyo Tena | https://www.esi-africa.com/