Angolan state-owned oil company Sonangol marked the completion last week of the second phase of its US$42.8 million Falcão project, which will supply gas to the combined power plant and fertiliser factory in Soyo, reports Lusa.
Angola’s resources minister, Diamantino Azevedo, considers the Soyo factory vital for the country’s efforts to become self-sufficient in soil improvers and fertilisers.
He noted that the government was providing support for Angolan business group Opaia, part of a consortium along with Sonangol that is building the factory. Production of fertilisers at the factory is expected to begin around 2027.
[See more: Subsistence family farming dominates the agricultural sector in Angola]
The Soyo fertiliser industrial complex is expected to cost around US$2.2 billion to build. The annual production capacity of around 1.2 million tons far exceeds current domestic demand, enabling Angola to meet its own needs while also supplying much-needed fertiliser to the broader Southern African region.
The increased agricultural production capability, Azevedo explains, will help strengthen food security in the country. No longer needing to spend foreign currency on importing fertiliser will also free up those funds to be channelled into other areas.
The Falcão infrastructure project, completed over 26 months beginning in September 2021, will provide up to 150 million cubic feet of gas per day to the Soyo facility.
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