By Quintas Benjamim
Africa-Press – Angola. The inauguration, this year, of the Luele mine constitutes a landmark event in the province of Lunda Sul, in the economic field and opens up new perspectives for diamond production, in what is considered the second largest open pit mine in Africa.
Located in an area of 104 hectares and with a useful life of 60 years, Luele has capacity for 1,500 workers and, in the first phase, the expectation is that it will reach just over one million carats per year and a gross revenue of 60 million dollars year.
Inaugurated by the President of the Republic, João Manuel Lourenço, it is estimated that at least three thousand direct jobs will be created by 2026, thus contributing to family income and social development in the country.
Since 2017 until September this year, 37.7 million cubic meters of ore have already been removed from the Luele mine, allowing the recovery of just over five million carats.
In terms of global expenses, 635.3 million US dollars have been injected so far , with 65% of this amount applied to the mining area and 25% to the treatment plant.
The Luele kimberlite chimney is located in the Luele river basin, 35 kilometers from the city of Saurimo. It was discovered in November 2013, as a result of geological research carried out by Sociedade Mineira de Catoca (SMC), in order to strengthen and increase its mineral resource base.
The Company has the following shareholding: Catoca, with 50.5%, Endiama (25%), Falcon (19.5%), Reform (4.0%) and IGEO (1%).
Catoca seeks new horizons
The Catoca mine, located in the municipality of Saurimo, with 28 years of production, could be transformed into an underground mine, as it has reached its useful exploration time, within 10 to 13 years.
After reaching this period, the open-pit mine will reach the exhaustion of its reserves, located 600 meters deep.
Currently, drilling and research are being carried out to obtain data that serve as a basis for carrying out feasibility studies for the construction of an underground mine.
With around 10 thousand direct and indirect workers, the mine has existed for 28 years, being the fourth largest open pit mine in the world and responsible for more than 75% of Angola’s diamond production.
Clean energy production
In another development, the province of Lunda Sul was awarded a photovoltaic plant, which will produce, from the first quarter of 2024, 26.9 megawatts of clean energy in the municipality of Saurimo.
The plant is being installed in an area of 65 hectares and is valued at 38 million and 839 thousand euros. So far, all 44,850 planned solar panels have already been installed, with only the electrical connections, equipment testing, construction of the control room and support buildings remaining.
The project is being carried out by the North American companies “Sun África” and the Portuguese company “MCA Angola” and, when completed, will benefit 138 thousand people in the city of Saurimo.
These solar energy projects will extend, in the near future, to eight municipal and communal headquarters in Lunda Sul, to benefit 246 thousand 175 inhabitants, totaling eight thousand 801 household connections.
Still in the energy sector, the year was marked by the arrival of a gas turbine, which is expected to generate 28 megawatts of energy and with its entry into operation, the province of Lunda Sul will have 94.2 megawatts of energy.
Road rehabilitation and ravine containment
In the field of roads, emphasis is placed on the construction and rehabilitation of the Biula/Cazage and Muconda section on National Road 240, covering a length of 159 kilometers, the project of which will be carried out in 36 months and is budgeted at 162 billion 71 million 860 thousand and 136 kwanzas , which will guarantee the creation of one thousand and ten direct and indirect jobs.
The road will connect the municipalities of Biula and Cazage (Dala) to the municipality of Muconda, and will have a cross section of 11 meters, two lanes, each measuring 3.50 meters and two meters of paved shoulder.
The province also benefited from rehabilitation works on the 80 kilometers of the Saurimo/Dala section, along National Road 180, which was scheduled to be completed this December.
Another notable note recorded in the province of Lunda Sul, in 2023, has to do with the inauguration of the bridge over the Muanguês river, in the city of Saurimo.
Budgeted at nine million and 348 thousand US dollars, the bridge, 138 meters long and 11 meters wide, connects the municipalities of Saurimo/Lucapa, from the EN 180.
In the ravines chapter, works have begun to contain a ravine measuring 1,34 meters long, two meters wide and one meter high, in the municipality of Muconda, which will be completed in six months, in a project valued at one billion and 550 million kwanzas with the creation of 70 jobs.
ANGOP
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