EDP to invest €4M in São Tomé and Príncipe

Portugal’s energy giant EDP (Energias de Portugal) is to invest €4 million in two electricity power stations (solar and hydro) on the island of Príncipe.

The objective in the first phase is ti build a solar powered park and the second a mini-hydro-electric power station taking advantage of the water resources on the island.
A committee from EDP met with various government officials from the small African islands republic on Friday and representatives of various institutions including the São Tomé Electricity and Water Company (Emae) and the General Regulation Agency (Ager) to study the project.
“It proved a very pleasant meeting in which the Prime Minister, Jorge Bom Jesus was present to participate in a “a frank discussion as we are available to support and invest in this project,” said a spokesperson for EDP in an interview with Jornal Económico.
The goal is to bring access to electricity to the entire population as well as promoting and supporting new business which will set up in the Autonomous Region of Príncipe.
The EDP project to construct two power facilities on the Island of Príncipe is part of a development agreement signed by the government of the former prime minister, Patrice Trovoada that never moved forward.
“The discussions have been somewhat tricky” said the spokesperson, Guilherme Pereira. “People have changed job posts within government entities but we are on the right road,” he said.
The contract signed by the current government will bring a “clean and sustainable energy solution based on renewable energy to the island of Príncipe.”
Pereira added that the project would be the first pilot project to be developed in this domain and then the project could be replicated on the island of São Tomé where the population is greater and there is a greater need for energy.
“The guidelines of the project have to be well define in order to reach an agreement on very important issues such as charges and the framework for this project,” said Pereira who is the Director of International Relations for EDP.