Cabo Verde has committed to 100% renewable energy by 2050. The infrastructure investment required to get there is being deployed right now.
- Alice Santos
- May 22
- 2 min read
Cabo Verde's 2022–2026 Strategic Sustainable Development Plan targets 50% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050.
This is not an aspiration. It is a funded programme.
What is already happening:
→ Wind farm on Santiago Island: capacity expanding from 9 MW to 22 MW
→ Eight new solar power plants under construction, some beginning in 2026
→ Rural electrification projects across multiple islands
→ VAT and import duty exemptions for renewable energy equipment
→ Subsidised loans for households and businesses to install solar panels
→ A carbon-to-climate debt conversion mechanism: €12 million in Portuguese treasury bonds already converted into environmental investment financing, with up to €140 million more to follow under the same framework
The government is also opening special economic zones in 2026 — explicitly designed to attract foreign investment aligned with the clean energy and digital transition.
Now put this in context:
Cabo Verde has a population of just over 500,000 people. It is small by mainland Africa standards. But it has something many larger markets do not: a government with the institutional capacity to actually execute its plans.
The IMF, World Bank, and African Development Bank all have active programmes here. The government cooperates with international institutions, publishes data, and delivers on stated policy commitments.
For a UK company in renewable energy technology, engineering services, project finance, or ESG-aligned infrastructure — Cabo Verde is a reference market where you can build a track record and a case study that opens doors across ECOWAS and the wider PALOP world.
The world is watching Africa's energy transition. Cabo Verde is one of the few places on the continent where that transition is actually moving at government speed.
Is your company positioned to be part of it?
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