Angola is building a new oil terminal to increase its storage capacity.

The Angolan government took a strategic step towards securing its fuel supply with the inauguration on Monday of a new storage terminal in the province of Bengo, in the north of the country. This infrastructure, located in Barra do Dande, should increase the onshore storage capacity for refined petroleum products by more than 80%.

Owned by state-owned Sonangol, the Barra do Dande marine terminal has an initial storage capacity of 580,000 cubic metres. Its construction, carried out by the Brazilian company Odebrecht Engineering and Construction, represented an investment of 642 million dollars. This infrastructure aims to improve the country's strategic fuel reserve and reduce its dependence on imports.

Before the terminal came on stream, Angola's onshore storage capacity amounted to 676,968 cubic metres, according to a report published in October 2024 by the Angolan Petroleum Products Regulatory Institute. The addition of this new facility represents a major step forward in strengthening the country's energy security.

Despite its status as one of Africa's leading crude oil producers, Angola continues to import around 70% of its fuel needs due to limited refining capacity. The opening of the Barra do Dande terminal is part of a wider strategy to modernise and expand oil infrastructure, with the aim of making the country more energy self-sufficient.

This inauguration marks a significant step forward for the Angolan oil sector and should help to stabilise fuel supplies, while reducing the logistical costs associated with imports.