Matala - The President of the Republic João Lourenço said on Friday in the municipality of Matala, Huíla province, that the transmission and distribution of electricity should be the 'priority of priorities' in the sector, taking into account the sustainable development of Angola and the well-being of citizens.
According to the Head of State, speaking to the press after inaugurating the Matala Hydroelectric Power Plant, this priority comes from the fact that only ten of the country's 18 provinces are connected to the national grid.
Without neglecting production, in which the country is already self-sufficient, João Lourenço suggested the possibility, in the near future, of exporting energy to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, as well as injecting electricity into the grid of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), from Ruacaná (Cuando-Cubango).
On the other hand, João Lourenço recalled that of the two major basins in the country, the main one is the Cuanza where there are already three large dams, namely Kapanda, Laúca and Cambambe, which recently benefited from restoration works.
At the moment, he said, in the same basin, the Caculo-Cabaça dam is under construction, which will be the largest of all in the country, with two thousand 171 megawatts.
He added that three new hydroelectric plants are planned to be built in the same location, namely “Zenzo” (1,000 megawatts), “Túmulo do Caçador” (500 megawatts) and Baynes (300 megawatts).
He said that with the future ventures combined with those that already produce, they will exceed seven thousand megawatts, in the Kwanza basin, to be gradually injected into the national energy grid.
João Lourenço inaugurated this Friday, in the province of Huíla, the Matala Hydroelectric Power Plant, where the Angolan Government invested 106 million, 940 thousand, 676, 12 Euros in equipment.
The increase in its production by 13.6 MW will be made possible with the entry into operation of the third turbine, and will mitigate the deficit recorded in recent years and improve the service of electricity distribution services to communities connected to the southern interconnected system.
The project will also make it possible to reduce the operating cost of thermal power plants, by reducing fossil fuel consumption and ensuring the continuity of electricity production for the next 20 years or more.
Matala is a village and seat of the municipality of the same name. It has an estimated population of 355 thousand 456 inhabitants. MS/LHE/VIC/DOJ
