Angola Inaugurates $4 Billion Gas Processing Facility

Angola has officially launched a $4 billion gas-processing plant in the northern city of Soyo, marking one of the country’s most significant steps yet toward diversifying its energy mix and reducing dependence on crude oil. 

President João Lourenço presided over the inauguration, underscoring the government’s push to elevate natural gas as a strategic pillar of national development.

Speaking at the site, Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Diamantino Azevedo said the new plant, built by the Novo Consórcio de Gás (New Gas Consortium), is capable of processing 400 million cubic feet of gas per day sourced from Angola’s first standalone gas fields. Notably, the facility was completed several months ahead of schedule.

The consortium behind the project includes Azule Energy, Sonangol E&P, Chevron, and TotalEnergies, all of which hold strategic stakes in the country’s upstream sector.

With operations beginning Thursday, the plant is set to supply fuel to domestic power grids, industrial consumers, and liquefied natural gas exports. The project aligns with Angola’s long-term plan to broaden its energy portfolio, moving beyond oil by incorporating natural gas into electricity generation, petrochemical production, ammonia, and urea.

Azevedo emphasized that the new complex represents a “major contribution to Angola’s energy security and manufacturing capability,” adding that the country intends to continue developing both onshore and offshore gas resources. “This is just the beginning,” he said.

Azule Energy CEO Adriano Mongini hailed the inauguration as a “transformational milestone” for the nation’s gas industry. Azule, a joint venture between Italy’s Eni and BP, has already delivered key infrastructure for the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields earlier this year, paving the way for Angola to grow its role in Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

With global investors refocusing on African hydrocarbon assets amid shifting energy demands, Angola’s latest project positions the country to capture new opportunities in the regional gas market while supporting domestic industrialization.