On May 17, local time, the Luacim Hydropower Station in Angola, which was constructed by China Energy Construction Gezhouba Group, was successfully inaugurated, marking the official operation of the hydropower station after restoration and expansion. Joao Borges, Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Angola, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and delivered an important speech.

At the ceremony, Joao Borges warmly congratulated the successful completion of Luacim Hydropower Station in Angola, and highly praised the excellent performance of China NENG Construction Gezhouba Group in the project. He stressed that the Luacim hydropower station is not only a key project in Angola's clean energy strategy and action plan, but also a major driving force for the development of local power supply, agriculture, animal husbandry and mining industries, and has a far-reaching impact on improving social conditions.

Angola Luachim Hydropower Station is located on the Luachim River in the province of Lunda Norte, Angola, just 3 km northeast of the city center of Dundo. The history of the hydropower station dates back to 1953 when it began construction as an old power station and was officially commissioned in 1957 with an initial generating capacity of 8.8MW. In order to enhance the country's energy supply capacity, Angola's Ministry of Energy and Water decided to launch a major rehabilitation and expansion project in 2016. After careful design and construction, the power generation capacity of the Luacim hydropower station has been significantly increased from the original 8.8MW to 34MW, greatly improving its energy production efficiency and contribution.

The restoration and expansion project of the power station officially kicked off on January 25, 2017, and this major project was undertaken by China Energy Construction Gezhouba Group. Under the terms of the contract, the main works include the restoration of existing hydraulic machinery, the construction of a new aqueduct and a power plant with an installed capacity of 4×8.5MW. In addition, it also includes the construction of a new 60KV substation and the addition of a series of transmission and distribution network projects, including 60KV transmission and distribution lines, substation expansion and distribution network upgrades. These comprehensive measures aim to improve the operational efficiency and energy production capacity of the power station.

Ambassador Zhang Bin said that the official operation of the Luacim Hydropower Station is another milestone in the cooperation between China and Angola in the field of energy and water conservancy, which fully demonstrates the success of the cooperation between Chinese enterprises and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Angola. Looking forward to the future, he hoped that China and Angola could jointly promote more similar cooperation projects, jointly promote the economic and social development of Angola, improve the lives and well-being of local people, and jointly create a more prosperous and beautiful future.

At the grand inauguration ceremony, Minister Joao Borges and his delegation first watched a video detailing the construction process of the project, and then solemnly received the key presented by the project department, symbolizing the successful completion of the project. He was joined on stage by the governor of Lunda Norte, DeOrinda Villarino, and the governor of Mosico, Ernesto Muangara, to inaugurate a new phase of the hydropower plant with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Luacim hydropower Station is a key part of the power network in the province of Lunda Norte, Angola, which has largely alleviated the imbalance between electricity supply and demand in some towns in the province, ensuring the supply of electricity to nearly 200,000 residents and more than 30 industrial enterprises. In addition, the construction of the project has also actively promoted the development of the local economy, creating 3,000 direct jobs for the local society, and making a significant contribution to the economic and social progress of Lunda Norte Province.Editor/Zhang Liyuan