After more than a fortnight of constant power cuts in São Tomé and Princípe, national utility EMAE (Empresa de Água e Electricidade) issued a formal cut-off plan entailing six hours a day without electricity until December to allow for much-needed generator maintenance, reports Lusa.
The power cuts have already impacted various public administration services, including national broadcaster Rádio Nacional, which has been off the air since last Friday after a short circuit damaged their transmitter. Businesses have also claimed losses and insecurity due to an increase in crime.
EMAE argues the disruptive cuts are necessary, saying that most of the country’s five thermal power plants are “in a critical situation” that has already reduced energy production by almost 50 percent. EMAE stresses that the maintenance – and the addition of another 10 MW generator – should be enough to restore the country’s energy stability before the Christmas season.
[See more: China to invest US$100 million in São Tomé international airport expansion]
Inconsistent power is sadly a common feature of the archipelago, which relies almost entirely on fuel imports to power its grid. EMAE spends around US$2 million per month to import fuel, leaving the company massively insolvent and unable to complete regular maintenance.
Renewable energy may be the solution. The first photovoltaic power plant was inaugurated last year, with a second-phase output of 2.2 MWp (megawatt peak) – enough to reduce fuel consumption by 10 percent. Hydro stations will have an even bigger impact, like the recently rehabilitated 3 MW Contador plant with expansions planned for an additional 0.9 MW.
Last month, São Tomé and Princípe signed an MoU to build a floating Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) platform, which produces energy by harnessing the temperature differences between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters. The 1.5 MW facility, set for completion in 2025, can be expanded to 10 MW – nearly half of the capacity needed to ensure grid stability.
