The solar energy market is an industry that is rapidly growing across the globe. On the African continent, Angola has taken the lead in that fast-growing market. Overall, the African continent has been developing ways to produce solar energy at full capacity. And Angola is the country that has been leading the way. Building on its unmatched wealth of natural resources, the Angolan government is well-positioned to leverage renewable resources to achieve its targeted 9.9% GW of installed generation capacity and a 60% electrification rate by 2025. As sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest economy, Angola is strongly committed to the use of renewable energies to support the national electricity system through the country’s 2025 Angola Energy Strategy.
Solar power has been important for Africa because it can help the continent reduce emissions and widen access to electricity. Nevertheless, the continent is only in the early stages of building its solar resources. Angola led the way in terms of installed capacity with 284MW, followed by South Africa (111.8MW), Egypt (80 MW), Ghana (71.3MW), and Mozambique (41.9MW). The country also commissioned two major large-scale projects for 2023—the 188MW Biópio solar plant and the 96 MW Baia Farta solar plant, both developed by the consortium MCA Group, Sun Africa LLC, and Hitachi ABB. With the country’s installed currently standing at 5.6 GW, increasing power availability to a growing urban and peri-urban population is amongst the Angolan government’s highest stated priorities.
Backed by public-private partnerships between renewable energy independent power producer Total Eren, Sonangol, and local renewable energy developer Greentech, the $82 million Quilemba Solar Park is expected to deliver 35MW of renewable energy to the country’s Huíla Province upon completion, which is expected by the end of 2023. Upon finalization, the Quilemba Solar Power Park will assist Angola in achieving substantial savings in fuel oil used in thermal power plants while expanding the role of PV energy utilization in the country’s southern territories.
Angola is undeniably a power to be reckoned with in the solar energy market. If it achieves the goals targeted for 2025, it will become the main African producer of electricity in the world. This means that the solar energy industry will be generating hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in revenue and create massive employment for ordinary people. Angola could become the new destination for economic opportunities in the solar energy market.
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