SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE: Small hydro to boost capacity

Portugal’s Soares da Costa is to finance, build, own and operate 12 small hydropower plants with a combined capacity of about 30MW, at a total cost of around 3m ($4.4m). Fernando Nogueira, the company’s director in São Tomé, said STP’s total installed capacity would be quadrupled once all 12 plants were in operation. Under the project, Soares da Costa will also operate two existing small hydro schemes. Construction of the first plant – Roca Bombaim, with an installed capacity of 4MW – was launched at a ground-breaking ceremony held on 23 January.