Luena — The construction of the Luena Solar Energy Park, in eastern Moxico Province, whose delivery is scheduled for March 2024, is at 88% completion.
The well-known "clean and cheap" energy park will have 43,000 solar panels, with an installed capacity of around 26.9 MW, with capacity to serve 171,000 inhabitants.
The information was disclosed Friday, in the city of Luena, Moxico's capital, by the contractor of the MCA and SUN-Africa consortium, during an inspection visit to the project by the minister of the Environment, Ana Paula de Carvalho.
On the occasion, the minister spoke of the importance of the project that will contribute in reducing air pollution, through the reduction of fuel consumption, in the order of 20 million liters/year.
Currently, the city of Luena is mainly supported by thermal power stations, with an installed capacity of 27.5 MW, but at this time reduced to 12.5 MW, due to recorded malfunctions in two generators of the main Thermal Power Station, "WARTSILA ".
In addition to the Thermal Power Station, the city of Luena is being supplied by 6.5 MW, of the 12 produced in the Chiumbe hydroelectric plant, installed in the municipality of Dala, Province of Lunda Sul, but considered still insufficient to respond to demand from city where more than 460,000 people live.
The solar energy park is part of a program to build seven photovoltaic solar power plants in provinces such as Benguela, Moxico, Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte, Bié, Huambo and Namibe.
During the two days of work, carried out in Moxico, minister Ana Paula de Carvalho checked the functioning of the Wastewater Treatment Station (WWTP), as well as the Water Treatment Stations, on the outskirts of the city of Luena.
The government official also visited Cameia National Park, which is 102 kilometers from Luena, where he reaffirmed the government commitment to the protection of fauna and flora throughout the national territory.
Ana Paula de Carvalho said that the ministry has drawn up a plan to reopen the parks aiming to make them more attractive and profitable for the country's economy, through the promotion of tourism, having announced the opening soon of an international tender for the management of the Cameia National Park.
ISAU/TC/YD/MRA/jmc
