Executive Summary
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The Laúca Hydroelectric Dam is Angola’s largest power generation project and the second-largest hydroelectric facility in Africa, delivering 2,070 MW of clean energy.
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Developed by GAMEK and built by Odebrecht (OEC), with major equipment supplied by ANDRITZ Hydro, the $4.3 billion project powers 10 of Angola’s 18 provinces and supports up to 10 million people.
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Laúca generates 8,640 GWh annually and plays a central role in Angola’s 2025 goal for 60% electrification and 66% renewable energy generation.
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The project created 60,000+ jobs (direct and indirect), elevated technical capacity through large-scale vocational training, and integrated ESG initiatives that meet global benchmarks.
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Laúca stands as a model of how strategic infrastructure, built through global-local partnerships, can fuel economic transformation and environmental stewardship.
Laúca Dam: A Vision Forged in Water and Power
Nestled in the heart of Angola, where the mighty Kwanza River winds through valleys and escarpments, stands one of the most ambitious infrastructure undertakings in African history: the Laúca Hydroelectric Dam. At once monumental and deeply strategic, Laúca represents not just a triumph of engineering, but a profound shift in Angola’s socio-economic and energy landscape.
At full capacity, it delivers over 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable power—enough to energize a continent’s ambition and electrify the pulse of a rising nation. Yet this project transcends its technical specifications. It is a story of national resilience, of leveraging international collaboration, and of building a future in which energy is not a privilege for the few, but a platform for prosperity for all.
“This project is more than infrastructure. It is a symbol of what Angola can achieve when we connect our natural resources with human ambition,” said João Baptista Borges, Angola’s Minister of Energy and Water. “Laúca is the backbone of our electrification strategy and a model of sustainability in Southern Africa.”
Over a decade in the making, the Laúca Dam has become a cornerstone of Angola’s Energy 2025 vision—a long-term development strategy to ensure clean, affordable, and accessible power across the nation. It is the culmination of Angola’s commitment to move beyond fossil dependence and embrace renewable power as a foundation for inclusive economic growth.
A Giant of Power: Scale and Strategic Role
The Laúca Dam is not just the largest hydroelectric facility in Angola; it is the second-largest in all of Africa, surpassed only by Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam. With a total installed capacity of 2,070 megawatts—including six 340 MW Francis turbines and a separate 65.5 MW ecological unit currently being completed—Laúca has redefined the scope of Angola’s energy ambitions.
Located in Kwanza Norte province, 282 kilometers southeast of Luanda, the dam forms the heart of a national hydropower cascade. Working in tandem with upstream (Capanda, Cambambe) and future downstream (Caculo Cabaça) projects, Laúca represents Angola’s power backbone, feeding the grid with a staggering 8,640 GWh annually—a figure that now covers nearly half of the country’s energy demand.
What makes Laúca especially strategic is its impact beyond the turbines. The electricity generated reaches 10 out of Angola’s 18 provinces, transforming regional economies and stabilizing power flows in urban and rural centers alike. Cities such as Luanda, Huambo, and Malange—once energy-deficient—now benefit from consistent electricity, drastically reducing reliance on diesel generators and lowering energy costs.
“Laúca is not just producing power; it is powering progress,” said Manuel António, Director of Planning at GAMEK. “Every kilowatt generated is another step toward industrialization, education, and improved quality of life for Angolans.”
Laúca’s role in the national Energy 2025 strategy is equally significant. Angola aims for 60% electrification and 66% renewable energy share in its grid by 2025. With hydropower now accounting for the lion’s share of generation, the country is positioning itself not just as a consumer of global energy innovation, but as a regional leader in clean power development.
Infrastructure: Engineering the Backbone
Constructed across the formidable Kwanza River, the Laúca Dam is a showcase of hydroengineering mastery, combining civil, mechanical, and environmental ingenuity to deliver scale, sustainability, and strength. At 132 meters high and with a reservoir covering 188 square kilometers, Laúca’s scale rivals that of some of the world’s most iconic dams.
Built by Brazilian engineering powerhouse Odebrecht Engenharia e Construção (OEC), the dam required more than 3.5 million cubic meters of concrete and an army of engineers, surveyors, machine operators, and environmental scientists. Over 8,000 workers—drawn from all 18 provinces of Angola—contributed to the build, supported by an international team of specialists.
The civil works were only one part of the puzzle. ANDRITZ Hydro, headquartered in Austria and Germany, delivered the project’s core electromechanical systems—including six Francis turbines, each capable of delivering 340 MW, and the eco-flow powerhouse responsible for maintaining minimum environmental discharge. These units were installed with precision by Elecnor, Bardella, and Sistechne, using advanced digital control systems and switchgear designed for high-efficiency operation under Africa’s demanding conditions.
Supporting this megastructure is a robust transmission infrastructure. Designed and implemented by NHID (Rede Nacional de Transporte de Electricidade), the high-voltage Laúca–Bita transmission line connects the dam to Luanda and other demand centers, reinforcing the national grid and enabling future energy trading with neighboring countries.
But Laúca is not just a functional machine—it’s an engineered ecosystem. Facilities for water treatment, sediment control, and erosion management were built into the dam’s foundation. A technical training center equipped with labs and simulators was established nearby to ensure local workers could learn to operate and maintain the complex systems. An internal city—complete with housing, clinics, cafeterias, and recreational areas—was built to support thousands of workers during construction and remains a valuable asset for the community.
“From turbine installation to grid integration, this project was about more than concrete and steel. It was about capacity—technical and human,” said Eng. Domingos Nascimento, Senior Project Engineer at OEC Angola.
The Laúca Dam stands today not only as a monumental feat of infrastructure, but as a living blueprint for how African nations can build, operate, and own world-class energy systems—anchored in technical excellence and community inclusion.
Global and Local Partnerships: Building Bridges of Expertise
Behind the engineering marvel of Laúca lies a powerful story of collaboration—between continents, cultures, and capabilities. From its earliest planning phases, the dam was envisioned not as a stand-alone project, but as a coordinated national effort with global backing. Spearheaded by GAMEK (Gabinete de Aproveitamento do Médio Kwanza) under Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water, and owned by the state utility ENE, Laúca was made possible through a tightly orchestrated alliance of international and Angolan entities.
At the core of this alliance was Odebrecht Engenharia & Construção (OEC), the Brazilian contractor entrusted with the project’s civil execution and electromechanical assembly. With deep experience in hydro projects across Latin America and Africa, OEC brought global best practices and extensive knowledge of tropical geotechnical conditions. But it also brought something deeper: a commitment to train, hire, and empower Angolan talent. Their “Program Acreditar” initiative offered 180 hours of vocational training, English and IT literacy, and leadership development—investments that extended beyond the job site.
Crucial to the dam’s technological success was the role of ANDRITZ Hydro, which supplied all major turbines, generators, and the eco-flow powerhouse system. Manufactured in Austria and Germany and assembled on-site, these machines are among the most efficient and durable in their class, capable of operating for decades with minimal intervention.
Other essential global contributors included:
- Intertechne Consultores (Brazil): Engineering design and plant operations advisor.
- Elecnor (Spain), Bardella, and Sistechne (Brazil): Electromechanical assembly partners.
- Efacec Power Solutions (Portugal): High-efficiency power transformers.
- Lahmeyer International (Germany): EPC consultancy and compliance advisor.
- COBA Consultants (Portugal): Technical assistance and construction supervision.
- SRK Consulting (South Africa): Environmental and social due diligence.
On the financial side, Laúca was backed by a combination of Brazilian and Chinese credit lines, along with support from institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Gemcorp Capital. This hybrid structure ensured both liquidity and compliance with international lending standards.
“The success of Laúca is a reflection of disciplined collaboration,” noted Ana Paula Fernandes, senior project advisor at COBA Angola. “When global technology meets national ambition, the results are transformative.”
At the local level, firms like Somague Angola and NHID played vital roles in civil works and transmission infrastructure, while Angolan suppliers delivered food, materials, and support services—embedding the dam within a local ecosystem of economic activity.
This seamless integration of global engineering muscle and domestic capacity is perhaps Laúca’s greatest triumph. It demonstrated that Angola was not just a host to international expertise—but a co-creator of 21st-century infrastructure.
Supplier Contributions: Powering Progress, Empowering a Nation
The success of the Laúca Dam project is inseparable from the strategic contributions of its diverse and multi-national supplier ecosystem—an intricate value chain that fused global innovation with local knowledge. These partnerships ensured not just on-time delivery, but long-term sustainability and Angolan empowerment.
At the center was ANDRITZ Hydro, which supplied and installed the heart of the powerhouse: six 340 MW Francis turbines and generators, along with the specialized 65.5 MW eco-flow unit. These machines—designed in Austria and Germany—are built for durability and precision, enabling high-efficiency generation even during seasonal fluctuations in the Kwanza River. ANDRITZ’s on-site commissioning and training ensured that local teams could maintain and operate these systems for decades to come.
Odebrecht (OEC) managed civil construction and electromechanical assembly, deploying both heavy construction equipment and expertise in managing large-scale infrastructure in developing regions. Under OEC’s leadership, logistics hubs, worker housing, roads, and technical labs were built in parallel with dam works, creating a full-service ecosystem on-site.
Key contributors also included:
- Elecnor S.A. (Spain), Bardella, and Sistechne (Brazil): Responsible for the complex electromechanical assembly of generators and support systems.
- Efacec Power Solutions (Portugal): Delivered and installed split-phase power transformers, enabling reliable grid connectivity and voltage regulation.
- Lahmeyer International and COBA Consultants: Provided critical EPC oversight and technical review services, ensuring international compliance, safety, and quality standards.
- SRK Consulting: Played a pivotal role in environmental and social risk assessment, supporting long-term ESG compliance.
- NHID (Angola): Designed and built the high-voltage transmission infrastructure, especially the vital Laúca–Bita line that now supplies Luanda.
Importantly, the project’s developers made a concerted effort to include Angolan suppliers and contractors. Local construction firm Somague Angola contributed civil works under the OEC umbrella, while regional businesses were engaged for food supply, plant material, fuel logistics, and auxiliary construction inputs.
“From turbine shafts to transformer steel, from concrete mix to cafeteria produce, every contribution was a link in a larger chain of trust and coordination,” said Carlos Matos, Logistics Coordinator for GAMEK. “And that chain now extends deep into Angola’s domestic economy.”
This integration of suppliers wasn’t just efficient—it was intentional. Through procurement transparency, training programs, and shared planning systems, the Laúca Dam became a national supply chain incubator, preparing Angolan firms and workers to participate in future mega-projects.
Socioeconomic Transformation: From Power to Prosperity
Few infrastructure projects in Africa have left as deep and tangible an imprint on a nation’s socioeconomic landscape as the Laúca Dam. Beyond megawatts and engineering feats, Laúca’s real power lies in its ability to transform livelihoods, economies, and futures—particularly for the people of Angola.
At the peak of construction, the project created over 8,000 direct jobs, with more than 90% filled by Angolan nationals. Workers came from all 18 provinces, and many were from nearby communities that had never before seen a project of this magnitude. The ripple effects were even greater: estimates suggest over 60,000 indirect jobs were supported across transportation, catering, supply, and ancillary services.
One of the cornerstones of this transformation was Odebrecht’s Program Acreditar, a vocational training initiative that delivered over 180 hours of instruction per worker. The program covered not only technical construction skills, but also English, IT literacy, and leadership development—ensuring participants graduated with more than just paychecks; they left with pathways.
“I started here pushing wheelbarrows. Now I’m managing site teams,” said Armando, a local foreman who completed the training program. “Laúca gave me more than a job—it gave me a future.”
The project’s social investment went beyond workforce development. Schools, clinics, recreational areas, and housing were built to support workers and surrounding communities. Local farmers supplied food to the site, small businesses found demand in construction supply, and income-generating projects in surrounding villages began to take root.
Electrification, too, has had a profound impact. With Laúca now powering 10 out of 18 provinces, reliable electricity has become a growth enabler. For the first time, small businesses and manufacturers can operate without diesel generators, hospitals can refrigerate medicines reliably, and schools can extend learning into evening hours.
“Electricity is the base of development,” noted Eng. Sebastião Domingos, Energy Policy Advisor to the Ministry. “And Laúca is the base of electricity.”
Crucially, the dam’s legacy is not locked in concrete; it lives on in people. The thousands of Angolan technicians, engineers, and electricians trained during Laúca’s build are now being redeployed across the country on new projects—from solar farms to regional substations—making Laúca a national training ground for future infrastructure leaders.
ESG and Environmental Management: Balancing Power with Responsibility
Building a hydroelectric facility of Laúca’s scale on the biodiverse Kwanza River required more than technical excellence—it demanded an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship, social equity, and long-term governance. From the earliest planning stages, ESG principles were embedded in the project’s DNA, setting new benchmarks for infrastructure delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa.
A comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was conducted in accordance with both Angolan regulations and the rigorous standards of international financiers, including the World Bank and IFC. The findings informed a broad-ranging set of mitigation and management plans aimed at minimizing the project’s ecological footprint and maximizing community benefit.
One of the project’s most notable innovations is the inclusion of an eco-flow powerhouse, designed to release a continuous environmental flow of at least 122 m³/s into the Kwanza River. This ensures that downstream ecosystems and aquatic species receive the water needed to survive—an essential safeguard against ecological degradation.
Additional environmental measures included:
- Reforestation and habitat rehabilitation in affected zones.
- Wildlife monitoring to minimize species disruption during construction.
- Water treatment systems to control sedimentation and pollution.
- Greenhouse gas mitigation, including vegetation clearing protocols to reduce methane emissions from submerged organic matter.
“Environmental integrity was a non-negotiable,” emphasized João Fortunato, Environmental Lead for SRK Consulting. “From biodiversity buffers to spill containment, every layer of Laúca was designed with future generations in mind.”
On the social front, the project implemented a Resettlement and Compensation Action Plan (RCAP) to address displacement and land acquisition issues. Affected families were provided with fair compensation, alternative livelihoods, and access to upgraded services like clean water, education, and healthcare.
Public health and awareness campaigns also became pillars of Laúca’s ESG blueprint. Teams from OEC and GAMEK conducted environmental education, sanitation, and malaria prevention programs in nearby communities—efforts that have had a lasting impact on regional well-being.
Governance, too, was tightly managed. Stakeholder consultations were held regularly with local communities, NGOs, and government bodies, ensuring transparency and accountability at every step. Independent ESG auditors and international consultants monitored compliance, while Angolan ministries ensured alignment with national development priorities.
Importantly, many of these initiatives continue beyond the construction phase. Ongoing environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessments, and community development programs are in place, reflecting Laúca’s long-term commitment to responsible stewardship.
Execution and Long-Term Outlook: Delivering Scale with Precision
Executing a hydroelectric project of Laúca’s magnitude in one of Africa’s most logistically challenging environments required more than blueprints and budget lines—it demanded foresight, adaptability, and precision across every layer of the supply chain. From the 132-meter-high dam wall to the kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines, the challenge wasn’t only to build big—it was to build smart, safely, and sustainably.
Laúca’s construction began in July 2013, with the first turbine coming online in 2017. Over the next three years, successive units were commissioned on schedule, culminating in the completion of the sixth turbine in December 2020. The environmental flow powerhouse—designed to support downstream ecological health—is currently in its final phase, marking the project’s full realization.
Managing rising river levels, steep terrain, and seasonal rainfall required highly coordinated logistics. Pre-fabrication techniques were used to streamline on-site assembly, while mobile batching plants were deployed to reduce transportation risks. Specialized geotechnical works, such as anchoring the dam into the Kwanza’s riverbed, were executed using advanced modeling systems and drone-assisted surveying.
“We knew we were building more than a dam—we were building a national legacy,” reflected Sérgio Godinho, Lead Project Engineer at Intertechne Consultores. “That required engineering rigor and human resilience.”
Key to this successful execution was risk anticipation. By using digital twins and real-time monitoring systems, project managers could track progress, detect anomalies, and make proactive decisions. This ensured the highest levels of safety for the workforce—especially critical in remote conditions—and minimized delays.
Looking ahead, Laúca is positioned to be a long-term energy anchor for Angola and the Southern African region. With more than 50 years of expected operational life, the dam’s infrastructure has been designed for durability, scalability, and minimal maintenance. Transmission systems allow for future energy trade with neighboring countries, supporting regional integration goals under the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Perhaps most important is Laúca’s transferable impact. The human capital developed through this project—thousands of trained technicians, engineers, and environmental stewards—now form a national talent pool for Angola’s next generation of infrastructure and energy initiatives.
onclusion: Water, Power, and the Future of a Nation
The Laúca Hydroelectric Dam is far more than a powerhouse on the Kwanza River—it is a national milestone, a symbol of modern Angola’s ability to envision, execute, and sustain world-class infrastructure. It speaks not only to the country’s hydrological wealth, but also to its determination to turn that natural capital into long-term, inclusive development.
In a world where energy security, climate resilience, and economic diversification are global imperatives, Laúca offers a blueprint rooted in renewable power, local empowerment, and international collaboration. It has energized 10 provinces, supported millions of livelihoods, and established a legacy of knowledge, skill, and national pride.
“Laúca was a dream many believed would take a generation to achieve,” said António Baptista, Senior Advisor at ENE. “We’ve proven it can be done—not just by importing solutions, but by building the expertise and institutions to sustain it ourselves.”
Its legacy is also profoundly human. From the young trainee who became a certified turbine technician, to the rural clinic now powered by clean electricity, to the engineer who helped reforest a riverbank—Laúca’s true power lies not just in megawatts, but in the countless lives it has elevated.
And yet, its impact continues. As Angola looks toward its Energy 2025 goals, with electrification rates surging and hydropower accounting for over 66% of generation, Laúca stands as a foundation—stable, scalable, and sovereign.
For C-level executives, investors, and infrastructure leaders watching Angola’s rise, Laúca sends a clear message: Africa is not just a destination for development—it is a driver of innovation, a builder of systems, and a steward of sustainability.
In the shadow of Laúca’s towering dam wall, one sees the reflection of a nation’s ambition. A vision carved in concrete, energized by rivers, and powered by people.
