Angola has commissioned the Cazombo Photovoltaic Park, one of Africa’s largest off-grid solar PV and battery energy storage systems to date.
Developed by Portuguese infrastructure group MCA, the park features a 75.26MWh battery energy storage facility alongside a 25.4MW solar power plant in the eastern province of Moxico Leste. The project marks the country’s first fully autonomous solar-plus-storage power system designed to operate without fossil fuels.
The Cazombo Photovoltaic Park supplies electricity using solar power during daylight hours, with stored energy from its battery system ensuring uninterrupted supply at night. The installation is expected to serve more than 136,000 residents in Cazombo municipality, the capital of the newly established Moxico Leste province, an area that previously had little to no reliable electricity access.
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Rural Electrification Project
MCA said the project represents the region’s first major source of electricity generation and distribution, helping to expand access to power while improving energy stability and efficiency. Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water (MINEA) described the facility as a critical piece of infrastructure that delivers clean, affordable and environmentally friendly electricity.
The Cazombo project is the first to be completed under Angola’s Rural Electrification Project, a national programme aimed at deploying solar power plants combined with battery storage to create autonomous minigrids in remote, off-grid communities. A total of 46 solar minigrids are planned under the initiative, targeting 60 communities across six provinces.
Financing for the project was arranged by Standard Chartered Bank and supported by export credit guarantees from Germany’s Euler Hermes, reinsured by Portugal’s Cosec and South Korea’s K-Sure. Overall, Angola’s Ministry of Finance has mandated Standard Chartered to structure US $1.5bn in export credit-backed financing for the wider programme, including a US $1.39bn facility from Euler Hermes and additional commercial lending.
The inauguration ceremony at the Cazombo site was attended by Angola’s Minister of Energy and Water João Baptista Borges, alongside provincial governor Crispiniano dos Santos and Secretary of State for Energy Arlindo Carlos.
Launched in 2023, the solar park programme is being led by MCA Deutschland in partnership with a local subsidiary formed with Portugal’s M. Couto Alves Vias Grupo. Once completed in 2026, the 46 minigrids will collectively deliver 256MWp of solar capacity and supply electricity to around one million people in Bié, Malanje, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Moxico and Moxico Leste, all without reliance on diesel generation.
According to the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), Angola ranked fifth in Africa for solar installations in 2024, deploying 53.8MW during the year, though still trailing far behind continental leaders South Africa and Egypt.
