Angolan President João Lourenço has personally inaugurated the Luau Photovoltaic Solar Park in Moxico Leste Province — a 31.85-megawatt clean energy facility that officials describe as a transformative milestone under Angola’s National Electrification Strategy and a strategically critical piece of infrastructure for the Lobito Corridor, one of southern Africa’s most important regional trade and transport routes.
The Luau Solar Park comprises 54,912 solar panels installed across a 60-hectare site and is equipped with an energy storage capacity of 79 megawatts to ensure stable and reliable electricity supply. The facility is expected to electrify approximately 20,573 homes across municipalities in Moxico Leste Province, benefiting an estimated 94,000 residents who have historically had little or no access to electricity. Angola’s Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, described the project as representing far more than the installation of solar panels — saying it embodies progress, inclusion, sustainable development and hope for communities that have faced decades of energy poverty.
Located more than 1,300 kilometres from Luanda and close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Luau is directly connected to the Lobito Corridor railway network — the transcontinental trade route linking Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito with mineral-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia. Borges said the solar park is not simply a local investment but a fundamental piece for the success of the Lobito Corridor, providing the energy infrastructure needed to improve the competitiveness, sustainability, and industrial capacity of the route and supporting broader regional economic integration.
The Luau Solar Park forms part of Angola’s wider Angola Energia 2025 programme, which aims to electrify 60 rural communities across the provinces of Bié, Malanje, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Moxico, and Moxico Leste by 2027. Authorities describe the programme as one of the largest public renewable energy initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total investment of €1.027 billion financed by Standard Chartered Bank and Euler Hermes and implemented by MCA Group. Moxico Leste Governor Crispiniano dos Santos called the inauguration an important step toward balanced national development and greater regional inclusion, saying the project demonstrates the government’s commitment to expanding infrastructure and creating economic opportunities in historically underserved parts of Angola. Borges said Luau’s abundant solar resources have been transformed into a driver of development, adding that the project is proof that Angola’s energy future can and should be built on clean, renewable, and accessible sources.
Source: angolanminingoilandgas.com