"At this time, the temporary river diversion has been successfully completed, and civil construction and electromechanical equipment works are underway for the main project," the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that VerAngola had access to.
With a physical completion rate of approximately 33 percent, this megaproject, considered a "projected capacity of 2172 MW [megawatts], 2120 MW of which will be from the main plant and 52 MW from the ecological flow plant."
The project, the Ministry states, "comprises a dam on the Kwanza River, at kilometer 289, a cavernous hydroelectric plant, and an underground hydraulic circuit in a tunnel extending over five kilometers on the left bank."
Expected to enter full operation in four years, that is, in 2029, the dam will be capable of storing a total volume of 436 cubic hectometers (hm3) of water in its reservoir. Furthermore, the "project will be equipped with four power plants, each with an installed capacity of 530 MW, and an ecological power plant equipped with a power plant with 52 MW."
"Full operation, with all four power plants, is expected in 2029. However, it is important to note that the power plants will be gradually injected into the national grid, automatically increasing the grid's power and, thus, providing more and better energy to Angolans, in line with the Executive's strategy and priority, aimed at universalizing access to electricity," the note reads.
In addition to bringing electricity to Angolans, this project has also generated jobs. Currently, the project's construction employs approximately 3700 people, and it is expected that, in a more advanced phase, this number will increase to approximately 6000 young employees, "absorbing local and other labor."
But the dam will not only foster employment. Once operational, the project will also contribute to improving the energy sector.
"The Caculo Cabaça dam, when fully operational, will inevitably increase the reliability of the interconnected grid, injecting power and quality into what already exists, nationwide, increasing the system's capacity," the statement reads, adding that the project will also, "given its scale, export energy to neighboring countries, increasing revenue for the public coffers."
Furthermore, it will also "boost the country's industrialization with clean and environmentally friendly energy."
"This project will allow energy from the national grid to be brought to the eastern region, which currently faces difficulties in accessing electricity, using thermal sources that are expensive to maintain and harmful to the environment," the government said, adding that "another strong point of this project is its socioeconomic aspect. With electricity, businesses, industries, and many other areas quickly emerge, boosting local economies, generating jobs and raising the standard of living and quality of life for citizens."
"In terms of social responsibility, this project aims to directly contribute to the development of neighboring communities and is already benefiting from outpatient care and medication assistance, as well as conducting prevention campaigns for various diseases, such as malaria," the statement reads.
Furthermore, it also provides drinking water to the communities, as well as "running a social literacy program in the communities, having installed sports and leisure facilities in several areas."
"Throughout the project, in later phases, more actions are planned, such as the electrification of neighboring communities, namely Quindongo, Mukila and Kissuba, in addition to important and impactful professional training programs for young people and the distribution of kits to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship," the note further states.
