Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC -Masdar, a global clean energy leader, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the 150-megawatt (MW) Quipungo Solar Photovoltaic project in Angola, and this is the first PPA in the country.
The Quipungo project is the first contracted location under Project Royal Sable as a proposed 500MW renewable energy project on three sites that will enhance the strength of the Angola power grid in the southern part and help the nation achieve its sustainable development goals.
It was signed with Rede Nacional de Transporte de Electricidade (RNT-EP), which is a state-owned offtaker. The agreement was signed by Masdar by Chief Operating Officer, Abdulaziz Alobadli, and on behalf of RNT-EP by Mauro Hernany Ferrerira Martins, Executive Director for Market Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
It was signed on the sidelines of the IRENA General Assembly, which was part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, watched by Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, João Baptiste Borges, Angola Minister of Energy and Water, Julio Belarmino Gomes Maiato, the Angolan Republic Ambassador to the UAE, Francesco La Camera director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, the Chief Executive Officer of Mas.
The PPA obtains long-run electricity offtake of the 150MW Quipungo Solar PV plant, in Huila Province in the south of Angola.
The agreement offers a platform upon which the broader 500MW portfolio can be developed in phase after phase, by making the first commercial anchor project under Project Royal Sable, which after completion, is likely to result in the creation of over 2,000 jobs, the provision of clean electricity to approximately 300,000 households, and increased capacity to supply power to the south grid in Angola.
However, the Project Royal Sable is another indication of the Masdar desire to build bankable large-scale renewable energy infrastructure in emerging markets to support national energy strategies and increase access to clean, reliable, and affordable power.
Francesco La Camera remarked, “The Quipungo PPA, signed at the 16th IRENA Assembly, is a testimony of the work and commitment that the UAE and Masdar, supported through IRENA’s Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform, are doing to turn national energy plans into concrete projects. The Quipungo Solar PV project will contribute to strengthening Angola’s power system and expanding access to clean, reliable electricity, improving thousands of lives and inspiring greater investor confidence in Africa’s energy transition.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi added, “Africa is the world’s fastest-growing continent, and that growth will depend on affordable, secure energy. As a pioneer of renewables in Africa, Masdar is committed to developing clean energy across the region. Signing our first Power Purchase Agreement in Angola represents an important milestone on this journey. The Quipungo PPA demonstrates how long-term partnerships and structured offtake arrangements can accelerate the deployment of utility-scale renewables that support national clean energy ambitions, economic development, and job creation, providing reliable, affordable clean power to local communities.”
Masdar is the largest renewables operator on the continent, with a joint venture, Infinity Power, which is currently operating 1.3GW of solar and onshore wind power plants in South Africa, Egypt, and Senegal, and has a 13.8GW project pipeline, including battery storage and green hydrogen plants, in different stages of development.
The addition of Project Royal Sable will help to achieve the Masdar target of 100 GW portfolio capacity by 2030.
