São Tomé and Príncipe launches tender for solar PV plant project

The government of São Tomé and Príncipe has launched a tender for the construction of a 1.5 MWp solar photovoltaic plant south of Santo Amaro a town located in the north of the island of São Tomé.

The Santomean Ministry of Infrastructure and Natural Resources said the call for expressions of interest is open until June 6, 2022. The successful company will sign an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a 1.5 MWp solar plant.

The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2022. The company will also operate and maintain the plant. The installation of the solar park is part of the Energy Transition and Institutional Support Program (ETISP) financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to the tune of US $12.46M.

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“For this contract, the borrower will make payments using the direct payment disbursement method. The method, as defined in the AfDB’s disbursement guidelines and procedures for financing investment projects, with the exception of payments that the contract calls for to be made by letter of credit,” reads the bidding document.

In addition to the construction of a solar power plant, the ETISP also covers the rehabilitation of the Papagaio mini hydroelectric plant. The facility, located on the island of Principe, has a capacity of 1 MW and is expected to be operational by 2024. Currently, renewable energies only represent 5% of the electric mix of São Tomé and Principe archipelago.

This clean electricity comes mainly from the Contador hydroelectric plant with a capacity of 1.9 MW. The country, with a population of more than 219,000, has an installed capacity of 35.8 MW, according to the AfDB. ETISP is also supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).