The statements were made by the government official on the sidelines of the opening of the 15th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, after the meeting that the Angolan delegation held with the event’s general management.
The data corresponding to an installed capacity of about 64 percent justifies exceeding two thousand MW of installed capacity since 2015, which contributes to the removal of more than 12 million tons of carbon dioxide with the operational costs of the public electricity production company.
The official stated that by 2027, the country should reach a photovoltaic energy capacity of no less than nine thousand GWs, emphasizing that to achieve this objective during this period, Angola counts on a large participation of renewable sources on a scale of no less than 70 percent.
“Our mission is to move forward firmly and certain that we are increasingly reducing the emission of polluting gases into the environment,” he said.
Arlindo Carlos, who during the event presented Angola’s progress and strategy in adopting clean energy sources and combating the effects of climate change, highlighted that the Executive has been working towards diversifying the national energy matrix, more oriented towards decarbonization of production and distribution exercises at the local level and in other countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Central Africa.
At the forum, the official highlighted, Angola presented its vision on diversifying its energy matrix, giving priority to the energy transition from polluting sources to clean sources, namely hydraulic energy sources and non-traditional renewable sources, such as solar, biomass, and green hydrogen.
Sector Development Plans
Regarding renewable energy projects in Angola, there are some programs already completed and operating, such as the Saurimo photovoltaic park with a capacity of 26 MW, which has already contributed to a large reduction in the use of fossil fuels and a significant decrease in electricity costs.
In the same scenario is the Luena photovoltaic plant, which has also helped achieve the same objective as the Saurimo plant. Currently, the Caraculo solar photovoltaic plant is operating in Namibe province, with 25 MW of its energy capacity that “still adds much value to the Angolan energy matrix,” as well as the treasury area of the public electricity company, which has seen reduced difficulties in maintaining thermal park activity during certain periods of the day.
Regarding plans nearing completion, it is worth highlighting some initiatives, namely the solar photovoltaic park in Bailundo municipality, Huambo province, as well as the 65 solar systems for the southern region of Angola and the 60 municipal solar systems intended for the northern zone, while also considering projects in the eastern area of the country.