Copia Advances Angola Power Plant Toward 2029 Completion

Angolan engineering and technology company Copia Group of Companies is advancing development of the 2,172-MW Caculo Cabaça Hydroelectric Project power plant, with construction work 60% complete and final project completion targeted for 2029.

Speaking during a fireside chat at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town, Copia Chairman Adilson Mangueira Nelumba said the first equipment is scheduled for release by December 2027, marking a key milestone for a project aimed at expanding Angola's electricity generation capacity and supporting regional power supply.

“We are 60% completed in terms of work. The first equipment will be released in 2027, by December and the final stage completed in 2029,” he said. “With this, we are not only looking at providing power for Angola but also regional neighbors such as the DRC.”

The project represents an expansion of Copia's activities beyond its traditional quality control, technical supervision and transmission infrastructure services. Alongside its involvement in power generation, the company is strengthening its position in Africa's upstream technology market through proprietary seismic interpretation and oilfield management software, targeting growing demand for locally developed technical solutions across Southern Africa.

“At Copia, we looked at the value chain and recognized that while we don’t have the technology to acquire data or drill a well yet, but what we do have is the people and resources. We therefore created several software platforms,” Nelumba said.

Copia launched its Copia Six and Copia DynamicSim solutions, describing them as critical applications in seismic interpretation and oilfield management. The platforms form part of an effort to expand locally developed digital services, with commercial adoption and demonstrated project results the next evidence needed to assess their contribution.

“Copia Six was created in-house. This technology has already been deployed and we are already interpreting data using it. We opened an office in Namibia, where our clients have begun to use our software, and are looking at also opening an office in Mozambique. We accept local currency for these softwares, expanding access for local companies,” Nelumba added.

Copia’s existing work includes technical supervision and quality control for upstream projects, including seismic campaigns. The company has described its expansion into AI-assisted seismic interpretation and reservoir modelling, linking the digital offering to services already required during exploration and project execution.

According to Nelumba, “We have a strategic plan covering 2025-2030. Our goal is to become the number one engineering company in Southern Africa.”