World Small Hydropower
Development Report 2013
www.smallhydroworld.org
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
Disclaimer
Published in 2013 by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and International Center
on Small Hydro Power (ICSHP).
2013 © UNIDO and ICSHP
All rights reserved
This report was jointly produced by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and International Center on
Small Hydro Power (ICSHP) to provide information about small hydropower. The document has been produced without formal
United Nations editing. The designations employed and the presentations of the material in this document do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of UNIDO and ICSHP concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or its economic
system or degree of development. Designations such as “developed”, “industrialized” and “developing” are intended for
statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in
the development process: Mention of firm names or commercial products does not constitute an endorsement by UNIDO or
its partners. The opinions, statistical data and estimates contained in the articles are the responsibility of the author(s) and
should not necessarily be considered as reflecting the views or bearing the endorsement of UNIDO and its partners.
While every care has been taken to ensure that the content is useful and accurate, UNIDO and ICSHP and any contributing
third parties shall have no legal liability or responsibility for the content or the accuracy of the information so provided, or for
any loss or damage caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with reliance on the use of such information.
Copyright: Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested, together with a
copy of the publication containing the quotation or reprint.
Recommended citation:
Liu, H., Masera, D. and Esser, L., eds. (2013). World Small Hydropower Development Report 2013. United Nations Industrial
Development Organization; International Center on Small Hydro Power. Available from www.smallhydroworld.org.
balance of payments. In the future, the demand for
electricity will increase, for example the harbour being
constructed in São Tomé alone will need about 21
MW of installed capacity.
1 Africa
1.2 Middle Africa
1.2.5 São Tomé and Príncipe
Lara Esser and Kai Whiting, International Center on
Small Hydro Power
Key facts
Population
183,176
Area
960 km
Climate
Tropical, hot and humid, with one rainy
season (October to May)
Island, volcanic, mountainous
Annual rainfall is 5,000 mm in the
southwest and 1,000 mm in the north.
Empresa de Água e Electricidade (EMAE) manages
water and electricity supply. A European Union Energy
Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility project intends
to provide capacity development in technological
renewable energy solutions that are available on the
islands through the provision of training in solar
2
photovoltaic, wind energy, and micro hydropower.
1
2
Topography
Rain
Pattern
The country’s total installed electricity capacity in
2007 was 15.6 MW (hydro: 58 per cent, petroleum
4
products: 42 per cent). Electricity is provided by
EMAE, a 100-per cent vertically-integrated company,
which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the
Environment, Infrastructure and Natural Resources.
This Ministry is also responsible for the development
of the energy sector, including capacity building.
Empresa Nacional de Combustíveis e Oleos (ENCO) is
responsible for the wholesale of oil and petroleum
4
products in the country.
Electricity overview
The fact that 40 per cent of the population lack access
to electricity has been identified by the São Toméan
Government and international donors as a central
2
constraint to the island nation’s development.
Hydropower
8.37%
Autoridade Geral de Regulação (AGER), under the
Ministry
of
Telecommunications,
developed
capabilities in the power business. AGER prepared the
Bill of Law to define rights and obligations of
concessionaries and licensees in the generation,
4
transmission, distribution and marketing of energy.
91.63%
Diesel
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in São Tomé and
Príncipe
3
Source: Ministry of Planning and Finance
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
The country’s generation and transmission systems
need considerable investment for maintenance and
2
capacity expansion. There is a high degree of reliance
on traditional biomass fuels for basic energy needs.
An estimated 30 GWh/year are available from
biomass utilization. Sustainable use of forestry
resources is therefore of paramount concern.
SHP installed capacity
6 MW
SHP potential
30 MW
0
10
20
30
40
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in São Tomé
and Príncipe
Source: International Journal on Hydropower and
5
Dams
Daily blackouts on the islands of São Tomé and
Príncipe have driven large electricity customers offgrid and towards the alternative of diesel generators.
Furthermore, the national utility is running at high
technical and financial losses. According to the
estimates of World Bank, about 70 per cent of the grid
needs urgent maintenance. Governance and
management account for heavy financial losses of the
utility; high generation costs, low efficiency and,
notably, the dependence on oil imports are also
important factors for the renewable energy sector
2
development.
It was announced in 2008 that the Portuguese
company Soares da Costa planned to finance, build,
own and operate 12 small hydropower plants with a
total capacity of 30 MW. Under the contract, the
company will also operate existing small hydropower
plants in the country. Construction of the first new
plant, Roca Bombaim (4 MW) started in early 2008. All
output of the plants will be sold to the State company
5
EMEA. According to the Clean Energy Portal-Reegle, a
privately owned micro-hydropower system already
4
exists on the Augustino Neto plantation.
Of the total installed generation capacity of 16 MW
about 2 MW is a hydropower plant, while the
remainder are conventional thermal turbines (figure
1). The country and its energy sector are dependent
on oil imports from Angola (approximately 650 barrels
of oil per day), and imposes a heavy burden for its
The Government has announced that it was very keen
to develop hydropower capacities to reduce
dependence on thermal power production. No
governmental agency is currently involved in the
1
promotion of, or research on the use of sustainable
4
energy in the country.
Government on future oil production is also diverting
attention from small hydropower development.
Studies conducted by EMAE conclude that the country
has potential for additional hydropower generation,
but more analysis needs to be carried out. Preliminary
feasibility studies for 14 sites suggest investment costs
ranging from US$3,000 to US$10,000 per installed
4
kW.
Reference:
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2011). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/.
2. European Union Energy Information Partner
Dialogue Facility (2011). Newsletter No. 07, June.
3. São Tomé and Príncipe, Ministry of Planning and
Finance (2010). Empresa de Água e Electricidade de
São Tomé. Desempenho Económico-financeiro Ano
económico 2010. Ministério do Plano e Finanças de
São Tomé e Príncipe. Available from www.minfinancas.st/pdf/rel_fin_EMAE.pdf.
4. Clean Energy Portal - Reegle (2011). Energy Profile:
São Tomé and Príncipe. Available from
www.reegle.info/countries/sao-tome-and-principeenergy-profile/ST.
5. International Journal on Hydropower and Dams
(2011). World Atlas and Industry Guide 2011. Surrey,
UK: Aquamedia International
6. Jones, B., Perrault, J. and Pitamber, S. (2011). São
Tomé and Príncipe: Maximising Oil Wealth for
Equitable Growth and Sustainable Socio-economic
Development. African Development Bank.
Renewable energy policy
Currently the Government has a strong focus on crude
oil production with oil expected to start flowing in
2016. Agreements with Nigeria and infrastructural
development for fossil fuel excavation dominate
political activity. There have been some efforts to
consider diversification practices to avoid the negative
impact of low growth and high unemployment outside
6
of the oil sector. It will be important that other
energy options with a longer term future are
considered for the sustainable development of the
islands.
Barriers to small hydropower development
Reportedly, a vision for the energy sector is missing
and planning capacity in the Ministry and the national
utility needs to be enhanced. Various donors have
small, insular projects that are neither integrated into
a wider vision or strategy, nor are they connected to
3
the relatively small grid. The focus of the
2
United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Wagramer Straße 2, 1220 Vienna
Austria
International Center
on Small Hydro Power (ICSHP)
136 Nanshan Road, 310002 Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Province, China
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.smallhydroworld.org