Luena Solar Power Station

Luena Solar Power Station
Map
CountryAngola
LocationLuena, Moxico Province
Coordinates11°47′52″S 19°59′26″E / 11.79778°S 19.99056°E / -11.79778; 19.99056
StatusUnder construction
Construction beganJuly 2022
Commission dateJuly 2024 (Expected)
Construction costUS$39.13 million (€36.97 million)
OwnerMinistry of Energy and Water, Angola
OperatorEmpresa Pública de Produção de Electricidade (PRODEL)
Solar farm
TypeFlat-panel PV
Power generation
Units planned43000
Nameplate capacity26.91 MW (36,090 hp)
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The Luena Solar Power Station is a 26.91 MW (36,090 hp) solar power plant under construction in Luena, Angola. The power station is in development by a consortium comprising MCA Group, a Portuguese engineering and construction conglomerate, and Sun Africa, a renewable energy project developer based in Miami, Florida, United States.[1]

Location

The power station is located near the town of Luena, the capital of Angola's Moxico Province, in eastern Angola, approximately 1,130 kilometres (702 mi), by road, southeast of Luanda, the country's capital.[2]

Overview

The solar park is a ground-mounted solar panel design comprising 43,000 solar photovoltaic panels, with total generation capacity of 26.906 megawatts. The renewable energy infrastructure facility is owned by the Ministry of Energy and Water, Angola. Following commercial commissioning the power station is expected to be operated by Empresa Pública de Produção de Electricidade (PRODEL-EP), the national electricity generation company.[1][3][4] The construction site is reported to measure 52 hectares (130 acres).[5]

Developers

The table below illustrates the corporate entities who own a stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) company "Luena Solar Consortium", which won the contract to develop the power station.[1]

Luena Solar Consortium Shareholding
Rank Name of Owner Domicile Ownership (%) Notes
1 MCA Group Portugal
[1]
2 MCA Vias SA Angola
[1]
3 Sun Africa United States
[1]

Construction and cost

Construction began in 2022[6] and commercial commissioning is expected in 2024.[7] The construction cost is reported as US$39.129 million (€36.973 million).[6]

Other considerations

The power generated by the power station is expected to supply the town of Luena, which was supplied in the past by aging "fossil fuel sources". The solar farm is expected to reduce fuel consumption by approximately 19,515 liters daily, the fuel consumption of the area's thermal power plants.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Power Technology (1 August 2023). "Power plant profile: Luena Solar PV Park, Angola". Global Data. New York City. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Road Distance Between Luanda, Angola And Luena, Angola" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  3. ^ J.FrSebastião (10 July 2022). "Moxico: Luena will win a solar energy park in 2024" (Translated from the original Portuguese language). Menos Fios. Luanda Angola. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  4. ^ Angola Press News Agency (5 August 2023). "Luena photovoltaic plant with 88% completion". Angola Press News Agency. Luanda, Angola. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ Yunus Kemp (5 April 2023). "Angola: Luena Solar Energy Park On Track To Meet Deadlines". Cape Town, South Africa. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b Tatiana Costa (28 April 2022). "Construction of A Solar Energy Park In Luena Is Formalized. Project Will be Ready In Two Years". Ver Angola. Luanda, Angola. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b Matthew Goosen (11 April 2023). "Angola's Luena Solar Park Due for Completion by 2024". Energy Capital & Power. Cape Town, South Africa. Retrieved 14 August 2023.