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Country Brief
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The independent republic of Angola in Eastern Africa covers an area of 1 246 700 km2. The country’s estimated 1997 population equaled 11.1 million. The capital city is Luanda. Other major urban areas are Huambo and Lubango and the ports of Lobito and Namibe. The official language is Portuguese. The local currency is the New Kwanza. The international time zone is GMT +1 and the international dialing code is +244
Although rich in natural resources such as diamonds, forests, farmland, and oil reserves, Angola’s long history of civil war and rebellion has left its economy and society in a state of chaos. Today the people of Angola are trying to work together to build the country back up in the aftermath of years of conflict. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 85% of the population. Oil production and the supporting activities are vital to the economy, contributing about 45% to GDP. To take advantage of its rich resources—gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, arable land, and large oil deposits—Angola will need to implement the peace agreement and reform government policies.
Energy and power sectors
Approximately 75 percent of Angola's power supply is generated by hydropower. The country’s 1997 total electrical consumption equaled 1734 GWh, 1400 GWh of which was generated by hydropower. In 1994 electrical energy production increased by 17.6%.
State-owned Empresa Nacional de Electricidade, ENE, is the principal organisation responsible for the generation and supply of electricity in Angola. In addition there are several privately owned generating companies. Distribution in Luanda, the capital, is carried out by EDEL (Empresa de Distribuicao de Electricidade de Luanda). Refinaria, of Luanda owns a 10 MW gas turbine plant. In 1996, 100 kWh/person was available to the Angolan population.
The Angolan power industry is making progress in rehabilitation after years of wars and neglect. Depending on the level of conflict in the area, Angola plans to spend US$800 million over the next 20 years to reconstruct the national power grid. Half of the budget will be spent in the first 5 years to restore power facilities. The next 15 years will concentrate on the establishment of a new power plant.
The Angolan Government, between 1998 and 2002, will spend approximately USD200 million on its National Dam Rehabilitation Programme. The country has six main dams, at present only three of these are functional and these are not operating at full potential. The other three dams were badly damaged during the war. Cambambe, Biopo and Matala hydro facilities are scheduled for renovation, and repairs could be undertaken at the Mabubas, Lumaun and Gove hydro stations.
The construction of a 520 MW power station at Capanda on the Cuanza River is underway, with the assistance of Brazilian and former Soviet contractors, and completion is scheduled for the end of 1999. This project will increase the country's generating capacity by 100%. The progress of this project will depend on stability in the area.
The government's plan is to create a national grid, linking the three regional electricity sectors, and establishing linkages with neighboring nations. Angola and Namibia are presently considering the development of a hydroelectric facility on the Kunene River. Two sites that have been considered are Epupa Falls and the Baynes Mountains, although the Epupa Falls location has met opposition from environmental groups and local communities.
Hydropower development
With numerous powerful rivers crossing the country, Angola has tremendous potential for generating electricity. Angola has an estimated hydropower potential of 150 000 GWh/year (not defined as technically or economically feasible), of which about 65 000 GWh/year is considered to be firm potential. Some 150 hydro plants could be built, excluding mini and micro plants (of less than 2 MW). There are approximately 10 hydro plants constructed in Angola. However, several are still out of service following damage sustained during the civil war.
At the end of the war ENE had approximately 358.3MW of available capacity of the 601.4MW of nominal capacity at its stations. In 1996, available hydro plant capacity was 208 MW, of 304 MW nominal capacity. There is also 260 MW of hydro capacity available from the first stage of the 520MW Capanda project in the Malange province. ENE's hydro plants generated 846 GWh in 1996 (excluding Capanda), of a total production of 1047 GWh (80.8 per cent). Once the Capanda project is complete Angola’s generating capacity is expected to double. This capacity, well above the country’s energy requirements, will place Angola in a good position to become a regional exporter of hydro-electric energy.
Further hydro plant developments are planned, including reconstruction of the Gove plant on the Cunene river and the new Jamba Ya Mina project on the same river. In 1991 Angola agreed to join Namibia in investigating proposals for further hydro-electric developments in Cunene River area. The Epupa scheme on the Epupa River in the south could also be carried out as a joint project with Namibia. Plans are also in place to recommission and refurbish a number of the existing hydro plants damaged during the civil war. Other hydroelectric projects include the second phase rehabilitation of the Lomaum Dam, and the expansion of capacity at Namibia's Ruacana power plant, which involves the release of more water from Angola's Gove Dam.
To meet increasing energy demands, it is aimed to increase annual production to 1500 GWh/year through the addition of new capacity. It is anticipated that electricity consumption could rise to about 150 kWh/person/year with increased capacity factors.
Future outlook<
The future development of the power sector in Angola is dominated by the urgent need to repair those power-plants and transmission lines that were damaged during the country's turbulent political changes.
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