16/11/2023

The XIV Annual Conference of RELOP - the Association of Energy Regulators of Portuguese-speaking Countries, held on the island of Sal in Cape Verde on 9 November, under the theme “Integration of Energy Vectors”, promoted dialogue on the convergence and coordination of different energy sources.

Bringing together around a hundred energy experts from various RELOP member countries, the event reinforced the Conference as a meeting point for the Lusophone energy sector, addressing issues such as security of supply, biofuels, storage, demand participation and the challenges of integrating new energy vectors.

The conference was preceded by the 18th General Assembly on 8 November, in which the twelve members of RELOP participated in person, chaired by the President of the General Assembly, Symone Araújo of the Brazilian National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).

During the Assembly, members unanimously approved the Activity Plan and Budget for 2024, the strengthening of international partnerships, in particular RELOP’s membership of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER), and elected the governing bodies for the 2024-2025 biennium. Following the General Assembly, ERSE, as deputy coordinator of RELOP’s Oil, Gas, Derivatives and Biofuels Working Group, organised a seminar on biofuels.

The programme continued on 10 November with technical visits to the Santa Maria Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETAR) and the ELECTRA Desalination Plant. The Santa Maria Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant, operated by Aguas de Ponta Preta - APP, demonstrates innovative integrated management, treating a significant volume of wastewater and reusing it for various purposes, including irrigation. In addition, the integrated management of the ETAR includes the integration of renewable energy, which is responsible for providing the energy needed during the day for waste treatment.

For its part, the ELECTRA Desalination Plant, with a capacity to produce 10,000 cubic metres of desalinated water per day, plays an essential role in supplying water to around 80% of the population of the island of Sal, as well as providing flexibility services to the electricity system to maximise the integration of renewable energy sources into the island’s energy mix. These technical visits provided a deeper understanding of local initiatives in water management, sanitation and renewable integration.

In a global context of ambitious decarbonisation targets, the exchange of knowledge and experience at these events highlights the importance of multilateral cooperation in finding solutions to the challenges of the energy transition, and underlines the need for a common approach to building a resilient, inclusive and fair energy sector.

The speeches are available on the RELOP website.

Launched in Lisbon on 29 May 2008 by the energy regulators of Portugal, Angola, Brazil and Cape Verde, RELOP currently has twelve members from six countries following an enlargement process.