Africa-Press – Cape verde. The “Cape Verde 100% LED” project, currently in the physical execution phase with works underway since February 3, 2025, represents an investment of R$ 320,000 and foresees the installation of 43,342 public lighting fixtures.
In a statement sent to Inforpress, the government announced that work began on the island of Santiago, with nine teams on the ground, and the project is scheduled for completion by the end of May, with technological modernization, energy efficiency, enhanced public safety, and environmental protection.
Within this intervention, Brava Island became the first to achieve 100% public lighting coverage with LED technology, establishing itself as a practical and symbolic reference for the implementation of the project on the other islands.
With an investment of R$ 320,000, the project foresees the installation of 43,342 public lighting fixtures, of which 36,312 are intended to replace obsolete sodium and mercury vapor lamps, and 7,030 correspond to reinforcing the network, bringing lighting to areas previously without coverage.
With the completion of the project, and adding the fixtures installed in previous phases, Cabo Verde will have approximately 60,000 LED streetlights, representing one lighting point for every nine inhabitants, compared to one point for every 16 inhabitants recorded in 2016.
According to official data, LED technology will allow a reduction of approximately 41% in energy consumption for public lighting, corresponding to an estimated annual savings of five million kWh, in addition to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
According to the Government, LED streetlights substantially reduce maintenance costs with a lifespan of up to 16 years, allowing for the recovery of public investment in approximately two and a half years and generating an estimated annual savings of R$ 120,000.
The project is supported by a new legal framework, introduced by Law 52/X/2025 of April 17th, which reformed the public lighting financing model, eliminating the public lighting tax from low-voltage consumer bills.
Under the new regime, the cost of public lighting becomes the responsibility of municipalities, through a “special income” guaranteed by the concessionaire, with the State assuming any deficits in order to ensure the continuity of the service and avoid the accumulation of debt.
The legislation also mandates the development of municipal public lighting plans, encouraging energy efficiency, network modernization, and the gradual adoption of smart technologies.
In addition to the economic impact, the project includes a special action to protect biodiversity, with the reduction of light intensity and adjustment of the inclination of streetlights in sensitive coastal areas, aiming to protect the nesting of sea turtles and reduce light pollution.
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