|
The Power Sector Overview Angola currently has approximately500 MW of generating capacity. The electricity sector in Angola comes under the Ministry of Energy and Water. The public utility in charge of electricity generation and transmission is ENE (Empresa Nacional de Electricidade). ENE is also responsible for the supply to the main urban centres, excepting Luanda, where distribution is the responsibility of EDEL (Empresa de Electricidade de Luanda). Significant portions of the power generation and transmission systems have suffered serious damage as a result of the long war. In consequence there is, outside Luanda, only local generation and no distribution network Electric current in Angola is 220 volts, 50 cycle. Voltage regulators and surge protectors are vital to protect expensive electronic equipment. Power outages and surges are frequent and overall there is an acute shortage of electricity in the country - about 15% of Angola's population have access to electric power. After years of war and decay, several large projects are planned to boost the generating and distribution capacity of the country. The rehabilitation of the Luanda distribution system has already started. Electricity consumption has also been severely constrained by the war. In spite of the booming population growth in Luanda (estimated at more than 4 million people), the growth in electricity demand has been less than 2 percent on an annual basis. This results from a combination of the near total collapse of industrial activity, reportedly presently working at around 10 percent of its nominal capacity, and the fact that the vast majority of the population has only very limited need for electricity as some 75% of Angolans subsist on less than $1 per day. The current suppliers of equipment for energy projects are Portugal, Spain, Brazil, France, Belgium, Sweden, USA, South Africa, Germany, Namibia and Norway.
Generation The Angolan power generation systems consist of three separate systems and some small isolated ones. The North system covers Luanda and the provinces of Bengo, Malanje, Kwanza Norte and Kwanza Sul. The Centre system covers the provinces of Benguela and Huambo and the South system covers the provinces of Huila and Namibe. ENE charges EDEL 3.6 cents/kWh.
Hydro Angola is blessed with significant hydro resources. But, as with all of the nation's infrastructure, the hydro sector has been severely damaged or neglected during the war. Angola plans to spend more than US$500 million over the next 20 years on building and restoring power facilities. Some US$200 million will be spent on dam rehabilitation. The country has 5 main dams. At present only three of these are functional - Cambambe is operating at full potential but, Biopo and Matala are not. Cambambe was allocated US$70 million and has been fully rehabilitated. Biopo and Matala will receive US$3 million and US$20 million respectively. The remaining hydro plants, Mabubas and Lomaum, which were badly damaged during the war, will receive the remainder of the funds. The construction of a massive new 520 MW power station at Capanda on the Cuanza River is underway, with the assistance of Brazilian and Russian contractors. Seven further hydro plants, with a total installed capacity of 16,505 MW, are planned on the Kwanza, Longa, Queve-Catumbela, Cunene and Cubango rivers. A hydroelectric plant, a Joint Venture project with ENE, on the Chicapa river has been proposed by Alrosa, a Russian diamond company, to power its proposed US$40 million investment.
SUMMARY OF HYDRO CAPACITY. Scheme Location River Nº of Groups Installed Power (MW) Present Situation Capanda Malanje Kwanza 4 520 Construction in progress Cambambe K.Norte Kwanza 4 180 Operational-for rehabilitation Matala Huila Cunene 3 40.8 2 operational in rehabilitation Lomaum Benguela Catumbela 3 35 Not operational-for rehabilitation Mabubas Bengo Dande 4 17.8 Not operational-for rehabilitation Biópio Benguela Catumbela 4 14.4 3operational in rehabilitation Chicapa L. Sul Chicapa 4 20 About to be built Source: ENE In 2001, hydropower generation represented 62% (1.017 GWh) of ENE total power generation.
Thermal Given the damage done to the hydro generating capacity, thermal power generation has become an important alternative source of generation. Most local governments outside Luanda, rely on diesel generators. Luanda has significant thermal generating capacity and oil companies rely heavily on it for their activities. Appendix A gives details of thermal generating installations.
Transmission The lack of capacity of the distribution network is due to natural ageing of the equipment, its poor maintenance and lack of investment, as well as the effects of war. As a consequence, the supply is unstable and coverage very poor. The northern transmission network is limited to the 220 kV line linking the Cambambe dam to Luanda and the 60KV line from Luanda to Kifangondo. The former was built in 1963 and designed for a maximum 200 MW active power transit. It is operating under precarious conditions, as a result of sabotage and lack of maintenance during the war. Frequent interruptions occur in the supply of the Luanda region, amounting to some 500 to 600 hours per year on average. A second 220 kV line was built in 1984 linking Cambambe and Luanda via Viana, also with a 200 MW maximum transit capacity. Unfortunately, this line has almost never been in operation and was completely destroyed by sabotage in the late 1980s. Two other HV transmission lines connect Cambambe respectively to the eastern cities of Ndalatando and Malanje and to Gabela and Sumbe in the south. They have also been partly destroyed several times and have been out of order since 1993. EDEL consumes some 1000 Gwatts per annum with electricity rate losses of 15%, a market of 106.200 recorded consumers and monthly revenues of US$1 million. Angola plans to spend more than US$300 million over the next 20 years on building and rehabilitating power lines. Details of current lines are at Appendix B.
Substations Luanda has two substations. That at Viana is only partially in service due to sabotage. It is served by two 220 kV lines, one coming from Cazenga and other from Cambambe. Cambambe dam, together with five thermal stations, feeds the Cazenga substation.
None of the substations outside Luanda are fully operational and many require complete rehabilitation. Details of substations throughout Angola are at Appendix C.
Prospects As is clear from the above, there is a vast amount of work needed to bring Angola's generating and distribution capacity up to a level that can meet its current needs. After 40+ years of war, Angola is rightly looking to make use of its enormous potential, whether in oil, minerals, agriculture or the manufacturing industries which add value to those natural resources. If this is to happen, it will require much more than simply reinstating the current capacity. In addition, the Angolan people will be looking to enter a more normal, and hopefully, prosperous phase. This could mean a significant increase in the demand for domestic electricity supply. According to ENE, the total rehabilitation of the entire electricity system requires an estimated investment of about US$1billion, of which US$334 million is for generation, US$236 million for transmission and US$75 million for substations . Details of investment plans are at Appendix D.
APPENDICES Appendix A: Angola Thermal Power Generation Scheme Unit Type Power(MW) Present Situation LUANDA CABINDA K.SUL MALANJE LUNDA S.
BENGUELA HUAMBO BIÉ NAMIBE HUÍLA
Appendix B: Angola's Main Transmission Lines From To Tension KV Length Kms Present Situation CAPANDA
CAMBAMBE
220
Installation in
Progress
Appendix C: Angolan Substation Distribution Substation
Nº Units Nominal Tension(Kv)
Triphase Nominal Power (MVA) Present
Situation
Substation
Nº Units Nominal Tension(Kv)
Triphase Nominal Power (MVA) Present
Situation
Appendix D: Investment Plans DOMAIN
SYSTEM
DESIGNATION
INVESTMENT ( IN MlLLIONS USD) |