Solar Electricity System in Sao Tome and Principe

According to data from the International Renewably Energy Agency (IRENA), Sao Tome and Principe did not have any grid-connected solar generation capacity installed at the end of 2021. The World Bank says Sao Tome and Principe has an electricity access rate of around 76%, with 92% of the total coming from imported diesel.

Electrical power in the country is provided by theEmpresa de Agua e Electricidade (EMAE), a public-private company that is 51% owned by the Government of Sao Tome and Principe, and the remaining 41% is jointly owned by the private sector, with Sonangol holding 40% and a local anonymous enterprise owning the remaining 9%.

Sao Tome and Principe has not yet developed a National Energy Policy. However, with every change in Government, the incoming Government formulates its development plan with the last one prepared in October 2013 and entitled “Grandes Opções do Plano para 2014” (Major Options of the Plan for 2014).

EMAE's total installed generation capacity (Table 2) on the islands of Sao Tome and Principe is22.5 MW, consisting of 20.6 MW from diesel plants and 1.92 MW from hydro plants.

Brief Description: The objective of the project is to introduce an integrated energy and ecosystems-based approach to grid/isolated-grid-based mini/small hydro-electricity generation in Sao Tome and Principe by leveraging $ 20.7 million in multilateral and private sector financing over its five-year implementation period.

Cleanwatts told pv magazine that it started developing 1.1 MW at Sao Tome airport and 300 kWp at Principe airport in August. It expects to complete the arrays by the end of this year. Another 300 kWp will be installed next year at other communities in Sao Tome.