Government of São Tomé and Príncipe approved NAPRE and NAPEE

The recent approval by the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) of the NREAP - National Renewable Energy Action Plan (available here) and the NEEAP - National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (available here) established objectives, strategies, and solutions to make the country's energy transition a reality by 2030 and 2050.

These documents are a strong commitment by the Government of STP and will reshape the country's dynamics and infrastructure, as they address urban and rural contexts, and will have a strong impact on cross-sectoral policies such as climate mitigation/adaptation, trade, industry, education, research, buildings, transport, tourism, health, agriculture, fisheries energy and other sectors of the economy.

NREAP and NEEAP were developed by the Government of STP, with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), within the scope of the project "Strategic program for the STP promotion of investment in renewable energies and energy efficiency in the electricity sector ". These Plans define trajectories and identify the measures and programs that must be implemented to achieve their goals and are aligned with the national goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and universal access to energy.

Its execution involves multiple projects and investments, some of which have already started, such as photovoltaic solar plants, mini-grids, electric mobility, biomass projects or energy efficiency. However, much remains to be done, as the NREAP sets ambitious goals to significantly increase the penetration of renewable energies, in order to correspond to 72% of the total installed electrical capacity, by 2030. The NEEAP defines energy efficiency objectives to reduce the demand for energy by 8.7% in 2030 and by 12.9% by 2050.

This energy transition foreseen by NREAP and NEEAP will be complemented by ongoing projects for the rehabilitation of energy production, transmission and distribution infrastructures, and projects to support the strengthening of institutions, policies, regulatory framework and training and capacity building of government areas involved in energy sector management, as well as other stakeholders. Smart grid management, energy storage to cope with large penetrations of renewable energy and digitization will also be key factors for success.

There is also a strong commitment to increasing women's participation in the energy sector through initiatives such as the Women Sustainable Energy Program, designed to empower women and involve them in realizing these Plans and building a just and inclusive energy transition.

NERAP and NEEAP will be presented and discussed in a webinar on the April 21st, promoted by the Lusophone Association of Renewable Energy (ALER) with support from UNIDO, within the scope of the “Strategic Program for the Promotion of Investments in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Sector”. of Electricity in São Tomé and Príncipe", funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Registration for this webinar here.