Today, on February 1st, the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, visited the Caculo Cabaça dam in the Cuanza Norte province to oversee the progress of construction and lead the Project’s Steering and Monitoring Committee meeting.
At the outset of the visit, accompanied by industry experts, the minister conducted an extensive guided tour of the dam’s construction site.
The Caculo Cabaça dam, towering at 113 meters, will boast a nominal capacity of 2,172 MW, divided between two facilities. The reservoir will hold a useful volume of 92.6 hm³, equipped with five units and a hydraulic system with a nominal capacity of 1100 m³/s.
Additionally, the project includes two electrical substations, one at 400 kV and the other at 220 kV, linked respectively to the primary and ecological plants. The project encompasses three main elements: temporary river diversion, core civil engineering works, and the procurement, installation, and commissioning of electromechanical equipment. The construction timeline spans 80 months. This initiative forms part of the nation’s strategy to augment electricity production capacity.
It’s notable that on May 20, 2023, President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço ceremonially initiated the river diversion.
Regarding the workforce, out of 2,598 workers, 84.26% are domestic, while 15.74% are expatriates. Construction commenced in August 2017, with commercial operations expected to commence by late 2026.
Following the visit, the Steering and Monitoring Committee convened to address contractual, technical, financial, and payment matters. Among those present were the primary contractor CGGC, subcontractors like Voith and the Griner/Omatapalo consortium, project inspectors, and other stakeholders.
In conclusion, Minister João Baptista Borges underscored the imperative of adhering strictly to the construction schedule, underscoring the project’s strategic significance for the nation, with electricity generation slated to commence by the end of 2026. João Baptista Borges João Baptista Borges
