Global Environment Facility - Cabo Verde (GEF-CV)

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Ministry for Tourism, Industry and Energy (MTIE), Cape Verde, is executing a project: “Promoting Market-based Development of Small to Medium Scale Renewable Energy Systems in Cape Verde”. The project is co-funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a grant of US$1.8m.

A project manager, based at the ECREEE Secretariat, is responsible for the implementation of the day to day project activities. The project aims at boosting sustainable development and reducing global GHG emissions by creating enabling market conditions for the deployment of small to medium scale renewable energy systems. This objective will be achieved by:

1. Implementing small to medium scale renewable energy demonstration projects on different islands. A pipeline of projects including all kind of technologies (e.g. solar thermal, PV, wind) and solutions (grid-connected, mini-grids, stand-alone systems) is under development.
2. Preparing an investment strategy for scaling-up or replicating pilot projects, and establishing a dedicated seed fund as part of the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Facility (EREF), which will provide co-funding for the development of small to medium scale renewable energy projects in Cape Verde.
3. Strengthening the regulatory framework to effectively promote and support small to medium scale renewable energy development within economic and social sectors;
4. Conducting a study on how to achieve the goal of a 100% renewable electricity system in the Island of Brava
5. Strengthening the institutional capacity, and addressing the insufficient technical capacity within market enablers and market players (especially entrepreneurs, banks etc) to identify, develop, appraise and implement renewable energy projects.

The project contributes towards the ambitious Cape Verdean Government’s plan to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels through increased energy production from renewable sources.

Through private-sector investment and the implemented supporting policies, Cape Verde has already achieved its target to generate at least 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012. The Government is presently working towards a 50% share by 2020; with the goal to produce 100% of the electricity on the island of Brava from renewable sources. Small and medium scale renewable energy solutions can play an important role in the achievement of the governmental plan.