'Together, we will work to mobilize the renewable energy potential that Cabo Verde has to offer'

The Cape Verdean Renewable Energy Association (ACER) is set up at a time when the Government of Cape Verde has set ambitious targets for the renewable energy sector, and for which it has been implementing a strategy to attract more investment.

ACER, founded by about a dozen Cape Verdean companies and institutions, has as its main mission the promotion of renewable energies and energy efficiency in the country and the active participation in the ongoing energy transition process.

To this end, the main objectives were to constitute itself as  a single voice of the national business community in the sector, with public institutions  and national and international organisations in the sector, to promote the development of a harmonious national market for renewable energies,  an increasingly active participation of the national business community in this market and to be one of the preponderant actors in the process of energy transition of the country. Everyone is, therefore, invited to be an active part of the Association, so that these great common goals are achieved with the contribution of all and for the good of the country.

Cape Verde, a small and archipelagic country, without traditional natural resources, but with enormous renewable resources, namely wind and sun, will have to base its development on the promotion and massive use of renewable energies and a firm commitment to energy efficiency procedures. Recent technological developments in these sectors, particularly with regard to energy storage and the consequent resolution of the problem of intermittency of renewable energies, point to the viability of the energy transition process, the only way to sustain the country's development. This will require the mobilisation of enormous financial resources, but above all, human resources capable of leading, promoting and implementing the process. The goals set by the Government of Cape Verde are ambitious, but possible, as long as everyone mobilises for the same goal. Hence the need to join efforts, public sector, private sector, national and international organisations, to jointly leverage the development of this sector, which is transversal to the development of the country, a responsibility of all.

It is in this direction that the recently created Cape Verdean Renewable Energy Association (ACER) wants to work. Constituting itself as one of the national actors in the promotion of the massive use of renewable energies and energy efficiency measures in the country's development process, with the increasingly active and important participation of national companies in the sector, which we all want to be ACER’s members.

We take this opportunity to thank the great contribution of ALER – Lusophone Renewable Energy Association, the great driver of the creation of ACER and certainly one of our members that will support us in the no less important objective of creating a Lusophone network of Renewable Energy Associations, strengthening relations, namely with the Angolan Renewable Energy Association (ASAER) and with the Mozambican Renewable Energy Association (AMER) and in the integration of ACER in the network of ECOWAS Renewable Energy Associations.

Finally, we would like to appeal to all Cape Verdean companies in the sector and to all the country's institutions linked to the sector, in particular, to universities and training institutions to join this great mission, being an active part of the Association, so that, together, we can participate harmoniously in the country's energy transition process  which we all qualify as decisive for the success of Cape Verde's development.

Jansénio Delgado, Managing Director of Electric Wind and President of the Cape Verdean Renewable Energy Association

For more information about ACER, please contact: acer.geral.cv@gmail.com

Photo: Inforpress