Cape Verde has become the latest African nation to advance the standing of the renewable energy sector, thanks to a major upgrade at the Cabeolica wind complex, which now features a battery storage system to capture the energy generated from the wind power project. The expansion was inaugurated last year in a ceremony attended by the who’s who of the energy market in the nation, and paves the way for a full completion sometime this month.
The African Finance Corporation has advanced the latest African wind energy project in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a tiny nation just off the coast of Senegal, with a geographical land size of just 1557 square miles. The nation has a limited area available for energy projects and has recently inaugurated the Cabeolica wind complex in a star-studded event.
The Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva, inaugurated the expanded wind farm and battery storage system last year and reaffirmed the project’s strategic importance for the African nation. The African Finance Corporation has enabled the expansion as part of its catalytic $64 million bridge financing provided in 2024.
Through the significant financing provided by the AFC, the project has been developed at a rapid pace, bringing the wind complex online ahead of schedule and reasonably within budget. This has proven to be a major step forward in the nation’s clean energy and emission reduction ambitions.
“From the early days of the Cabeolica project to this milestone inauguration, AFC’s mission has remained unwavering: to catalyse renewable energy solutions that enhance the reliability and resilience of power systems across Africa. Our innovative financing accelerated this expansion, and the successful integration of new wind capacity with one of the continent’s most advanced grid-stabilising battery storage systems stands as a clear testament to AFC’s position as Africa’s leading infrastructure solutions provider,” – Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation
The project strengthens the renewable energy market in Africa and the world
Cape Verde’s government has outlined the rapid expansion of the project as part of its national strategy to increase energy output from the renewable energy market to alleviate concerns over the country’s energy market not meeting demand over the coming years.
The expansion of the Cabeolica wind complex delivers an additional 13.5 MW of clean wind power alongside a 26 MWh battery storage system across four islands in the nation. According to the developer, this has strengthened the nation’s grid and provided some much-needed relief for the nation’s energy market.
As more renewable energy projects develop across the global energy market, such as the new Windanker wind project being developed in Germany, the reality is that the renewable energy sector will play a vital role in the international energy transition away from fossil fuel-based energy generation.
“As the first renewable energy commercial scale PPP in sub-Saharan Africa, Cabeólica is again proud to partner with AFC to lead this transformative expansion project comprising additional wind capacity and battery energy storage. This project underscores the Cabeólica’s deep commitment to delivering reliable, clean energy infrastructure in line with national goals and priorities and continues to set a replicable model for the region.” – Ayotunde Anjorin, Chairman of Cabeólica and Chief Financial Officer of AFC
New developments in wind energy generation have emerged this year
Building on the rapid commissioning of the latest wind energy project in Africa, new technologies in wind energy generation are being tested in the United States. Cape Verde is just the latest in a long line of countries that previously relied on imports of essential energy resources and are now switching to domestic renewable energy projects to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen energy security in the ever-evolving energy market.
