Angola opens up its oil and gas sector to multinational firms in a bid to boost economic growth

Luanda - Angola's energy sector is one of the most lucrative and prospective markets on the continent. The country’s upstream market is projected to grow more than 1.5% between 2022 and 2027.

Increased government focus on the development of hydrocarbon assets coupled with the discovery of new reserves are poised to drive market growth in the coming years.

Oil and gas supermajor TotalEnergies’ flagship Kaombo project, situated in the country’s offshore Block 32, in addition to multinational oil and gas company bp’s PSVM development and integrated energy company Eni’s new production wells in the Vandumbu and Mpungi fields in Block 15/06 are poised to stimulate significant investment opportunities over the coming years.

As such, Angola’s upstream activities have seen the participation of service companies such as oil field service company, Halliburton; energy technology company, Baker Hughes; systems and solutions provider, FMC Technologies; engineering services company, Oceaneering International; energy services company, Weatherford; and global technology company, SLB. As the market expands, opportunities for service companies will soon follow.

Despite its position as a leading oil producer on the continent, Angola’s refining capabilities remain well below domestic demand. As such, the government has demarcated refinery development amongst its highest stated priorities, opening up new opportunities for service companies.

Upgrades to the country’s sole operating facility in Luanda to the tune of $235 million will be supported by engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, KT-Kinetics Technology. Meanwhile, three new refinery projects in Lobito, Soyo, and Cabinda are in the pipeline and are estimated to reduce imports by approximately $2.7 billion per year while providing new opportunities for public-private partnerships in the country.

Meanwhile, with aims to attract private investment for natural gas production, plans are currently underway to develop a second combined cycle plant in Soyo, with a capacity to produce 500 MW of energy produced by natural gas. The 720 MW Soyo I combined cycle plant was originally constructed by the construction and engineering company, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation, with turbines for the plant having been supplied by GE Renewable Energy.

The government has implemented an ambitious infrastructure plan to achieve its targeted 9.9 GW of installed generation capacity and 60% electrification rate by 2025. Part of this plan has included the expansion of the government’s budget dedicated to electricity production, transmission, and distribution from $482 million in 2021 to $490 million in 2022 while plans are currently underway to expand the grid from its current length of 3,354 km to 16,350 km by 2025.

Leading sub-sectors in Angola’s power generation sector include the provision of equipment for use in small-scale, off-grid projects including diesel and gas turbine generators; the development of utility-scale dispatch centers for energy load management; transmission expansion; and substation development.

Power generation and solutions companies active in Angola’s energy sector include power technology company, General Electric (GE); power technology provider, Cummins; construction machinery and equipment company, Caterpillar; and manufacturing company, Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Angola also boasts of numerous hydro and solar projects due to come online in the coming years, external financing and private project development will be key to supporting the southern African country’s green energy agenda, with service companies representing key drivers of the renewable energy market.

Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water has identified approximately 100 locations for the development of small-scale hydro projects capable of producing up to 600 MW of renewable energy. The country’s 960 MW Cambambe I and 700 MW Cambambe II hydropower projects have seen the participation of service companies such as EPC contractor, Novonor; electromechanical systems and services provider, Andtriz Hydro; global technology company, Voith; and renewable energy company, GE Renewable Energy. Additionally, the Laúca hydroelectric power plant is situated in the country’s Kwanza Norte Province.

Endowed with significant solar potential, various projects have been approved for development by the government as part of the country’s Angola Energy program, which aims to install 800 MW of solar energy capacity by 2025.

A project led by engineering and project development company, MCA Group, will develop the country’s flagship 370 MW solar power project, which will be comprised of seven photovoltaic plants, consisting of approximately one million solar panels.

Additionally, with the aim to begin commercial operations by 2024, the 35 MW Quilemba Solar Power Station is being spearheaded by TotalEnergies in partnership with Sonangol and solar systems solutions provider, Greentech. Other development companies active in Angola’s solar energy space include solar project developer, AfricaGlobal Schaffer, and clean energy solutions company, Sun Africa.

GAROWE ONLINE