The Ministry of Energy and Water will implement, in the coming days, all the projects already identified in the fields of electricity transport and distribution with a Chinese company.
The statement was made by the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, made on Thursday, in Macau, Republic of China, where he will participate from the 19th to the 21st of this month, in the 15th International Investment and Construction Forum.
The official emphasized that the Chinese company selected for this purpose has “large” investments worldwide in the design and management of electrical energy transmission lines.
However, the news released by the Angop agency does not mention the name of the company, the value of the contract or how the company was selected.
According to the government official, it is planned to sign a protocol of understanding that will be the guardian of a set of contracts for the construction of the electricity transport system.
He said that the priority in Angola has to do with expanding the electrical system to the south and to other countries in the region, in order to mitigate negative climate effects.
In an interview with Chinese television in Macau, João Baptista Borges stated that in Angola, more than 20 billion dollars from China’s credit line have already been invested in the energy and water sectors, with the largest financing from that Asian country concentrated on the hydroelectric dam of Caculo Cabaça, the largest in Angola, with 2,170 MW, where a total of 4.5 billion dollars will be spent.
For the official, it is in the interest of the Angolan State to see friendship ties with the People’s Republic of China strengthened, remembering that 40 years of diplomatic relations were recently celebrated, during which important agreements were signed that reflect the interest of seeing more investments private sector in Angola, especially in basic infrastructure, on which the country’s economic and social development is based.
“At this meeting we want to better understand the potential of Chinese industry and technology and get to know companies in the energy and water sectors better, being able to facilitate the construction of infrastructures that allow us a more resilient economy and commercial exchange, as well as promoting expansion of access to electricity for the population”, he said.
On the other hand, he mentioned that in sub-Saharan Africa electricity access rates are below 50 percent and particularly in Angola it is at 43, aiming to increase it to reach 50 percent by the end of 2027, benefiting 16 million citizens .
For this reason, he continued, cheaper and greener energy is being produced, through dams and solar panel technology with the support of China.
2024-06-20 22:01:42