For Immediate Release
Press Release
Praia, Cape Verde – On Thursday, July 18, 2024, the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Power Africa, in partnership with the Government of Cabo Verde and the private sector launched a clean energy solar mini-grid plant located at Chã das Caldeiras in the Santa Catarina do Fogo Municipality.
The project, financed under the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Facility (EREF) with support from USAID and Power Africa, involved the design, supply, installation and commissioning of a 40 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic mini grid plant with 150 kW battery storage and a 50-kW generator. The project involved installing the generation equipment, building the required distribution network, and supplying smart meters for households in the 800-person community.
The project will provide electricity access to the small island community of Chã das Caldeiras, which is one of the highest settlements in the country, at an altitude of about 1700 meters. Located in a grape-growing region, the village has been ravaged by volcanic eruptions with no running water or electricity. In partnership with Sustainable Energy for All, ECREEE identified this village for the construction of a minigrid. Working with the local Cooperative Society of Farmers (AgrocoopChã) as well as the Municipal authorities, ECREEE engaged in a collaborative partnership to plan, develop, and execute the project to deliver electricity services to these farmers who have not had access to any modern energy services for several decades. With electricity in the village, the youth can stay and work in the village, internet facilities with hotpots will be set-up for both educational and leisure purposes, children can study after the sun has set, new businesses can spring up and existing enterprises can expand. The Government of Cabo Verde, through its Tourism Fund, and the Ministry of Energy will oversee last-mile connections to households, a community center, and micro-small and medium scale businesses, including a wine cellar and bottling facility.
The U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Cape Verde, Margaret McElligott commended AgrocoopChã, a farmers cooperative society, promoters of the mini-grid, and the Government of Cabo Verde working through the local authorities of the Santa Catarina do Fogo Municipality and the Ministries of Industry and Energy and Tourism and Transport for working together to see the project come to fruition.
“Partnership with the private and public sector is at the core of how Power Africa makes effective solutions like this mini grid a reality. It’s exciting to see communities like Chã das Caldeiras benefit from the country’s abundant clean energy resources,” Ms. McElligott said.