Government doubles renewable energy capacity and improves the water supply in Monte Trigo with an investment of 80 million escudos

The village of Monte Trigo, in the municipality of Porto Novo on São Antão, is set to benefit from a significant upgrade to its energy and water infrastructure as part of a public-private partnership supported by the Government.

The fishing community, with a population of around 275, was a pioneer in the country in providing 100% renewable electricity through a solar power station initially installed with a capacity of 40 kW, which is now set to be expanded to meet growing energy demand.

The project, which began in 2024 as part of the Programme for the Tourism and Environmental Enhancement of Rural Villages, aimed at ensuring basic water and energy services, involved the establishment of a public-private partnership between the Government of Cape Verde, through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, the Tourism Fund, the Nexos – Energy and Water Project (GEF-UNIDO), Luxembourg Development Cooperation and the company Águas de Ponta Preta, in partnership with Porto Novo Municipal Council.

This collaboration made it possible to double the capacity of the solar power station to 100 kWh and to install a desalination plant with a production capacity of 25 cubic metres of water per day, representing a total investment of around 80 million escudos.

Due to the geographical characteristics of the site and the complexity of the equipment – notably batteries and desalination systems – it was necessary to carry out a special logistics operation, involving transport by helicopter to deliver the materials. The equipment is already on site, and assembly work is scheduled to continue over the coming days.

Once the project is completed, Monte Trigo will have access to clean energy 24 hours a day, as well as a regular supply of drinking water, significantly improving the living conditions of the local population and promoting the sustainable development of the community.

As part of their monitoring of the construction work, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy, Alexandre Monteiro, together with the Minister for the Sea, Jorge Santos, visited the site on Friday 28 March to assess the progress of the project.

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