ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FOR THE INTERCONNECTION OF CAPE VERDE ISLANDS BY SUBMARINE POWER CABLES

Abstract

The Cape Verde government plans to have 100% of the country’s electricity produced by renewable sources by 2025. In this context, the energy interconnection of the Cape Verdean islands is fundamental to minimize the effects of the intermittency, inherent to renewables sources, and guarantee the stability of the electrical system. This interconnection is only possible through submarine power cables. This paper identifies, through a documentary analysis, the coastal and marine areas in Cape Verde that can be critically affected by the impacts caused by submarine power cables. These areas are used in the construction of a map that allows verifying the environmental viability of interconnecting the islands and distinguishing which are the regions that present the main environmental challenges to the installation of the cables. The main environmental restrictions are verified in the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, São Vicente and Maio. However, in none of the islands the environmental factor makes it unfeasible to install submarine power cables for the electric interconnection of the Cape Verde’s islands.