Luanda: Approximately 70% of the energy consumed in Angola comes from renewable sources, with hydropower representing more than 60% of the national electricity matrix, the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, Jos© de Lima Massano said on Thursday in Luanda. Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Luanda International Conference on Energy and Water, the minister stressed that this situation reflects a progressive reduction in operational costs and the Executive's commitment to environmental protection.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Jos© de Lima Massano mentioned that the investment the country has made in these subsectors has allowed it to quadruple its energy production capacity in the last ten years. Angola has transitioned from a system marked by frequent interruptions to a reality of modernization, with production increasing from 1,772 megawatts (MW) in 2012 to 6,400 MW in 2025. Furthermore, the country also boasts a network of high-voltage transmission lines that already totals 5,950 kilometers.
Regarding water supply, the Minister highlighted ongoing structural investments in the provinces of Luanda and Icolo e Bengo, with particular emphasis on the Bita and Quilonga Grande projects. Combined, these systems will have the capacity to produce more than 777,000 cubic meters of water per day, benefiting approximately 7.5 million consumers.
In addressing the Program to Combat the Effects of Drought in Southern Angola, the Minister pointed out that ongoing actions are strengthening the resilience of communities in the provinces of Cunene, Namibe, and Hula, with a strong impact on family farming and livestock. In Namibe, work is underway to rehabilitate 43 dams, supported by the first issuance of green bonds by the Angolan Government. Construction has commenced on the Bentiaba and Bero dams, with the Carumjamba, Giraºl, and Inamangando projects in the preparatory phase.
In the province of Cunene, alongside the operational Cafu Canal, the Executive is working on completing the Calucuve, Ndue, and Cova do Leo dams. The Minister also reiterated Angola's potential to assume a prominent role in the African energy architecture due to its geolocation and hydroelectric and solar capabilities. Projects like Caculo Caba§a and the binational Baynes dam with Namibia are seen as drivers for continental interconnection and future export of surpluses to the Central and Southern regions.
Jos© de Lima Massano called for the participation of private capital in the generation, transmission, and distribution chain, asserting that legislative reforms aim to provide greater legal security to national and foreign investors. On the macroeconomic level, he linked the expansion of water and electricity services to the diversification of the national economy. The agricultural and forestry sectors currently lead economic activity with nearly 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by trade with 19.27 percent. He noted the national economy's remarkable growth over the last two years, positioning it as the 6th largest African economy and the 3rd in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025.
He reaffirmed the crucial role of the water and energy sector in the goals of the National Development Plan (PDN). The 2nd International Conference on Energy and Water brings together more than 500 delegates, government officials, diplomats, experts, investors, and academics in the country's capital to discuss energy security and environmental sustainability.
