João Baptista Borges considered the project "an important milestone in the path that Angola is taking towards new renewable energies".
According to the minister, that diamond province, until 2008, did not have any source of energy production, with only a thermal plant with around five megawatts, with other equally thermal sources appearing later, solutions to respond to population growth and demand for ever-increasing energy.
The official highlighted that costs for the State have increased, due to the challenge of transporting fuel to the eastern region, as, in addition to being expensive, it is "practically all imported".
"This solution of increasing solar energy has in fact become the key to being able to have a source of energy production here that significantly reduces costs. We are talking about 43 million liters of fuel that were consumed last year, during 2023, predicting that this year we will have a reduction of 19 million with the introduction of this solar park", he said.
The Energy and Water portfolio holder highlighted the savings of almost 50 percent, with the supply of photovoltaic energy during the day and thermal energy at night.
"It is undoubtedly a big saving, the cost last year with 43 million [liters of fuel] was almost six billion kwanzas and we expect that we can have savings of almost three billion from now on", he highlighted the minister.
The Saurimo photovoltaic park (budgeted at 38.8 million euros) is part of a group of seven, with a total capacity of 370 MWp, in the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié, Lunda Norte and Moxico, which should be operational by at the end of this year.
