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Prime Minister, Mr. Ulisses Correia e Silva

SCADA National Dispatch Center

On July 13th 2020, a completion ceremony was held at SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) National Dispatch Center near ELECTRA Power Station at Palmarejo in Praia, Cape Verde.

Even in the difficult situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony was attended by a lot of high rank officials of the government: Prime Minister, Mr. Ulisses Correia e Silva, Officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy, Ministry of Finance and ELECTRA. Other participants like H.E. Ambassador of Japan, JICA Chief Representant at Senegal office, local Authorities, Contractors, etc. attended the ceremony remotely

After the inauguration plaque reveal, the Prime Minister visited the SCADA premises. And after a brief presentation of the SCADA system and the speech from HE Mr. Tatsuo Arai, Ambassador of Japan from Dakar, the Prime Minister delivered his speech.

He underlined that the project has an impact on the economy, people and companies, increasing the efficiency in the production and transmission of energy, improving the quality of service through quickness in the detection of breakdowns and substantial reduction of the interruption time of electricity supply, increasing the possibility of penetration of renewable energies, enhancing confidence in the country's energy sector, as well as boosting Doing Business ranking by facilitating access to energy. These are also associated with the acceleration of the installation of smart meters with an impact on reducing losses and more efficient consumption management by companies.

Visit of the SCADA National Center monitoring room

Monitoring Screens

The SCADA data acquisition and supervision system were implemented as part of the JICA's ODA Loan project for the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Network Development started in 2012. The objective of this project was to stabilize the energy supply and improve access to electricity on the six islands of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Sal, Maio, Santiago and Fogo whose population represents 94% of the total population of Cape Verde.

The project had two components:

1. Strengthening and extension of medium and low voltage networks in the six Islands. This part has been co-financed with African Development Bank. Thanks to the project, there are nearly 400 km of transmission lines, 180 stations (including substations), 11 350 public lighting points that have been installed and 48 rural localities electrified. From now on, population, administrations and local economies can appreciate the benefits of this project.
2. Deployment of a SCADA system made up of control equipment, fault identification and management (shutdown and remote reset) of distribution networks in the three islands of Santiago, Sao Vicente and Sal. This part has been entirely financed by JICA.
   This SCADA is an advanced tool that significantly contributes to the improvement of the entire operating system of the networks of the islands concerned.

Thus, the infrastructures deployed thanks to this project and in particular the SCADA helps to lay the foundations for the socio-economic development desired by Cabo Verdean Government and materialized in the Strategic Sustainable Development Plan (PEDS).

Generators and Command Center buildings at ELECTRA Palmarejo Power Station

Palmarejo Distribution lines

This Loan project (6.186 million JPY) was the second one in Cape Verde after the Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Capacity Building Project on Santiago Island ended in 2012 (4.468 million JPY). The third Loan dedicated to water sector with the Water Supply System Development Project in Santiago Island (two sea water desalination plants) under implementation (15.292 million JPY).

For more information on the ceremony:
Press release from Cabo Verde Prime Minister Cabinet

• https://www.governo.cv/governo-preve-investimentos-de-mais-de-29-milhoes-de-euros-na-transicao-energetica-em-cabo-verde/ (external link)
• https://www.sn.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/11_000001_00122.html (external link)