Electra investe na melhoria dos serviços

Electra, the Public Electricity and Water Company of Cape Verde, intends to reduce losses, increase reliability and reduce the time of unavailability of power in the network. These are the main objectives of the company and now it has the help of new laboratories for calibration and testing of network equipments, in São Vicente and Praia.

The laboratories were established by Siemens Portugal in partnership with EDP International and are part of a series of projects whose financing is close to 5.1 million euros, supported by the European Investment Bank.

Manuel Silva, Executive Director of Electra Norte, said that the new laboratories will allow the measurement of the "correct functioning" of metering systems, fraud detection, as well as transformers and protection systems. This are "very important" elements in the transmission and distribution of energy.

In addition to the laboratories and training of local technicians, from São Vicente and Santiago, the project also includes materials to reinforce the network and a pilot project for energy storage, which will allow Electra to increase the penetration of renewable energy with the maximum network stability.

In the framework of the "six islands" program, co-financed by Japan, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Cape Verde, Electra has also been investing in significant improvements in energy coverage and public lighting, with installation of new low voltage networks in the city of Porto Novo, Santo Antão.

Under this program, Santo Antão has already received investments of around 550,000 contos, which allowed the construction of 60 kilometers of medium voltage network and more than 30 kilometers of low voltage network throughout the island.

This program, according to Electra, has allowed a substantial increase in the penetration rate of electric power in Santo Antão, estimated at this time at 98 percent (%).