Tecnovia welcomes Angola’s Minister of the Environment on visit focused on waste management and the circular economy
On 18 September, Tecnovia welcomed Angola’s Minister of the Environment, Ana Paula de Carvalho Pereira, during a working visit to the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, focused on integrated waste management, material recovery and energy generation.
The visit formed part of a programme of cooperation and technical exchange between Angola and Portugal, aimed at sharing knowledge on sustainable waste management and identifying practices that could help strengthen Angola’s national waste management system.
The Minister was accompanied by a delegation with strong institutional representation, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Waste Agency (ANR), Adérito Mohamed, the National Director for the Environment, Hassana Lima, and the Director of the Office for Studies, Planning and Statistics, João Catinda. The delegation also included Gilma Pinto, Deputy Director of the Minister’s Office, Katiana Gregório, Teresa de Jesus from ANR, technical staff from the Ministry of the Environment, and Dionísia Demba, Counsellor at the Angolan Embassy in Portugal.
From waste to resource: circular economy at Mata dos Cavacos
The delegation was welcomed at the Mata dos Cavacos Industrial Centre, in Ribeira Grande, home to Tecnovia Açores and Tecnovia Ambiente. The delegation was accompanied by Miguel Barreiros, Director of the Tecnovia Group and Managing Director of Tecnovia Angola, and Francisco Morais, Director of Tecnovia Açores and Tecnovia Ambiente. The technical visit was led by Engineer António Ventura, who oversees Tecnovia Ambiente’s technical operations.
The Mata dos Cavacos Industrial Centre is one of the facilities where Tecnovia manages and recovers construction and demolition waste (CDW), giving new life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.
As the first licensed CDW operator in the Azores, Tecnovia Ambiente has received more than 595,000 tonnes of waste since its establishment in 2007. Of this, 85.5% has been recovered, while only 0.49% has been sent to landfill. Recycled aggregates are returned to the market as new raw materials, while wood waste is processed into wood chips and used as biomass for energy production, particularly to heat the boilers at asphalt mixing plants.
Ocean Pellets: energy from local forestry residues
The same industrial centre is also home to the Ocean Pellets factory, which produces wood pellets from locally sourced timber. This model is also based on circular economy principles: individuals and businesses can deliver wood and forestry residues to Tecnovia Ambiente’s facilities and receive payment for each tonne supplied.
Over the past five years, the factory has produced more than 16,000 tonnes of pellets, with regional industries among its main customers. This energy source makes use of local resources, reduces dependence on imported raw materials and helps lower the carbon footprint.
From collection to recovery: visit to MUSAMI
The programme also included a visit to MUSAMI, the organisation responsible for waste management and recovery on São Miguel, where the delegation was welcomed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nelson Santos, and the Secretary-General, Carlos Botelho.
Tecnovia also has experience in municipal solid waste management (MSW) and provides waste collection and transport services for MUSAMI across several municipalities on the island.
Together, the two visits provided the delegation with a comprehensive overview of the value chain, from waste management and material recovery to energy production. This knowledge could support the development of solutions tailored to Angola’s specific needs.
Experience in environmental infrastructure that extends beyond borders
Tecnovia’s experience in the environmental sector goes beyond waste management. The Group has an established track record in the construction of environmental infrastructure, including sanitary landfills, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), recycling facilities and waste sorting plants, among other types of projects.
For Tecnovia, this meeting reinforces the value of cooperation and knowledge transfer between Portugal and Angola in a rapidly evolving sector, where efficient resource management and waste recovery are becoming increasingly important.
The visit demonstrated how the experience developed in the Azores can serve as a starting point for new solutions and opportunities for cooperation with Angola.
Together, Crescemos a Fazer.
01.09.2026
