Angola has inaugurated the Luau Photovoltaic Solar Park in Moxico Leste province — a 31.85-megawatt facility covering 60 hectares, equipped with 54,912 solar panels and an energy storage capacity of 79 megawatts — in a development that President João Lourenço and government ministers have framed as both a transformative social infrastructure project and a strategic pillar in the development of the Lobito Corridor, one of Southern Africa’s most important regional trade and transport routes.
The facility is expected to supply electricity to 20,573 households and benefit approximately 94,000 residents across the province — a region that sits more than 1,300 kilometres from Luanda and borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it one of the most logistically remote and electricity-deprived areas in the country. Minister of Energy and Water João Baptista Borges, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, described the solar park as going far beyond the installation of solar panels. “This project represents progress, inclusion, sustainable development, and hope,” he said, pointing to improved food preservation, access to education through evening lighting, and better functioning of public services and local businesses as immediate community benefits.
For project implementer MCA Group — active in Angola’s energy sector since 2017 and now managing a portfolio of seven solar parks in the country — the Luau installation presented a formidable logistical challenge. Chair Elisabete Alves described construction as demanding extraordinary coordination: “The biggest challenge was logistics. Transporting equipment from abroad and from Luanda to such a remote area required significant coordination.” Construction began in June 2024 and concluded in May 2026. Alves praised the government’s energy strategy as forward-looking and technically sound, noting that combining Angola’s hydroelectric and solar potential strengthens grid resilience and long-term system stability. Future MCA projects in the country will incorporate advanced lithium battery storage systems to further improve reliability across the portfolio.
The Luau Solar Park is financed by Standard Chartered Bank and Euler Hermes under a total investment of approximately €1.027 billion, and forms part of the broader ‘Angola Energia 2025’ initiative targeting the electrification of 60 rural communities across six provinces — Bié, Malanje, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Moxico, and Moxico Leste — by 2027. Authorities have described the national programme as one of the largest public renewable energy initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Borges was explicit about the strategic dimension of electrifying Luau specifically: “This is not just a local investment. It is a fundamental component of the Lobito Corridor’s success. With this infrastructure, Luau becomes a strategic hub, strengthening the corridor’s competitiveness, sustainability, and overall impact.”
Source: Angolan Mining Oil and Gas