On February 2nd, 2024, João Baptista Borges, the Minister of Energy and Water, briefed on the advancements of the Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric dam project within Cambambe, Kwanza Norte. This update followed a session with the Technical Committee tasked with the project’s oversight. Borges emphasized the progress in carving out two water return tunnels and a separate tunnel for turbine hall access. These tunnels, measuring five kilometers in length and 16 meters in width, play a crucial role in housing the turbines. The construction milestones for these tunnels have reached about 22% and 11% completion, respectively.
Borges shed light on the intricate challenges of tunnel drilling, foreseeing delays across different project areas due to essential adjustments for timeline adherence. Unforeseen technical and geological hurdles have surfaced, contributing to these delays. Financial hurdles, including delays in payments to key inspectors or designers crucial for project verification and meeting deadlines, were also pinpointed as significant challenges. Borges pledged to work in tandem with the Ministry of Finance to resolve these financial issues and advocated for continuous collaboration among project participants to avert further delays.
In spite of these hurdles, the project director, Augusto Chico, revealed that the dam’s construction has achieved approximately 14.07% physical completion and 15% financial completion. He recognized the extensive infrastructure work completed thus far, which is anticipated to hasten the construction phase. Energy production at the Caculo Cabaça dam is anticipated to commence in October 2026 with the operationalization of the first turbine.
Initiated in 2017 with a budget surpassing five billion dollars, the project currently employs around 2,500 individuals, encompassing both local and foreign workers. It receives substantial financial support from the People’s Republic of China, contributing 4.5 billion dollars towards the civil works of the hydroelectric facility and its associated transport systems, and Germany, which has provided 1.02 billion dollars for the procurement and assembly of electromechanical components.
Expected to generate 2,172 megawatts (MW) of power, the Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric initiative will join the network of dams along the mid-section of the Kwanza River, alongside others such as Cambambe (Cuanza Norte), Capanda, and Laúca (Malanje). The project’s construction is under the stewardship of the China Gezhouba Group Corporation, a state-run entity. Beyond participating in the meeting, João Baptista Borges also reviewed the progress of construction efforts at the site, including the primary power station, tunnels, the dam itself, construction yards, bridges, and additional structures.
