The first phase of Angola’s 520MW Capanda hydroelectric project has been inaugurated.
The US$2.6B project, in northern Malanje province, was inaugurated by Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. The Angolan Government approved a US$113M loan secured by Russia Unified Bank that, along with another US$130M from Brazil, will be used to complete the project.
The project consists of four turbines, two of which are now online at a power of 260MW, supplying Cacuso district, where the project is based, and the cities of Luanda and Malanje. When the four turbines are all online, they will provide 520MW that will supply power to 6M people in the provinces of Luanda, Bengo, Kwanza-Norte and Kwanza Sul.
Capanda has been working as an experimental system since January 2004, when the first 130MW turbine came online, which was then followed by the second later that same year. Presently, the power transmission lines are connected to Cambambe dam, located in northern Kwanza-Norte Province
The second stage of the project is expected to be completed in 2007.
Inauguration was witnessed by the President and the first deputy spreaker of the Angolan Parliament, Joao Lourenco. Construction of Capanda began in 1982.