Praia, May 9, 2025 (Lusa) - Cabo Verde will have renewable sources contributing to electricity production on all the islands and will increase the penetration rate in the archipelago this year, the public companies in the sector announced on Friday.

"A renewable energy penetration rate of 21.6% is expected by 2025 and new photovoltaic solar energy projects on five islands (Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Fogo, Maio and Brava), making renewable energy available on all islands," reads the statement issued after a general meeting on Thursday in which the activity plans and budgets for 2025 were approved.

The documents highlight the forecasts that wind production on the island of Santiago will reach a penetration rate of 38.5% and that solar energy will reach 36.1% on the island of Sal.

The government has set itself the goal of having 50% of its energy produced from renewable sources by 2030.

Even so, on the country's main tourist island, Sal, with dozens of resorts welcoming thousands of European tourists, a new 15.2 MW diesel power station is to be built - a project supported by the French Development Agency.

There are also plans to invest in modernising the grid: around a fifth of the energy produced is lost, especially on the island of Santiago, where the figure is almost a third.

Likewise, a programme will be launched to combat water losses, a sector in which the electricity companies are also involved.

The sector is made up of the electricity companies Electra, EISEC (distribution), EPEC (production) and ONSEC (operator), the first two of which have financial deficits, while the latter two have surpluses, the statement concluded.

LFO/AYLS // AYLS

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