Angola’s power sector is characterized by its two main natural resources, petroleum and hydropower. The country has three vertically integrated but overlapping utilities: Empresa Nacional de Electricidade (ENE), Empresa de Distribuição de Electricidade (EDEL) and Gabinete de Aproveitamento do Médio Kwanza (GAMEK). The latter, GAMEK, is concerned primarily with hydropower development and currently owns 520 MW of large hydro capacity. It has recently begun work on the 2,067 MW Laúca hydropower station.  Despite high resource potential and opportunities for cross-border export, Angola’s power sector faces significant challenges, including a relatively low electrification rate. Based on 2013 data, Angola’s national electrification rate reached 30% (18% in rural areas, 46% in urban areas).

Sources:

• www.iea.org
• www.engineeringnews.co.za/
• www.afdb.org/