CABO VERDE TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS Contributed by: Nelson Raposo Bernardo, Joana Andrade Correia, Manuel Esteves de Albuquerque and Mafalda Contumélias Batista, Raposo Bernardo & Associados
country’s only shipyard. The following are among the sub-projects already identified: • expansion of Porto Grande (São Vicente), which is the main international cargo and passenger port, located in Mindelo, and serves as a regional transshipment hub and base for naval repair; • expansion of Porto Novo (Santo Antão), providing vital infrastructure for inter-island connectivity, linking Santo Antão to the rest of the country via São Vicente; • modernisation of the Port of Palmeira (Sal), which is a strategic port for the tourist island of Sal, a point of entry for goods and potential support for maritime tourism activities; • rehabilitation and upgrade of the CABNAVE shipyard (São Vicente), to increase naval repair and construction capacity, fostering higher value-added blue economy services; and • decarbonisation and energy efficiency meas - ures in ports, including the installation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems in Porto Grande and initiatives to reduce emis - sions and improve the environmental resil - ience of port operations. This investment programme is part of an EIB framework loan approach, which allows for the adjustment and inclusion of other sub-projects during execution, depending on the needs iden - tified in other ports of Cabo Verde. The strategic modernisation of Cabo Verdean ports is part of a broader package of investments supported by the EU in various priority sectors. Such contri - butions demonstrate the continuity of European engagement in the Cabo Verdean blue economy, strengthening institutional and regulatory capac - ities for the sector.
The expansion and improvement of commercial ports aim to strengthen Cabo Verde’s integra - tion into international trade routes, allowing for an increase in the volume and variety of cargo handled. With higher capacity and more effi - cient ports, the country will be able to attract increased maritime traffic, including calls from larger cargo ships and tourist cruises, boosting revenues in port services and tourism. A stimulus is also expected for the fisheries and maritime industries: better port facilities and a renovated shipyard in São Vicente will create conditions to boost industrial and artisanal fishing, improve the conservation and export of fish, and develop related activities (fish processing, naval supply, etc). In summary, by investing in the sustainability of ports and the ocean economy, Cabo Verde intends not only to boost its economic growth but also to ensure social gains and strengthen the country’s institutional capacity (attracting international know-how, modernising normative and port management frameworks, and improv - ing co-ordination between public and private entities in the maritime sector). At the regional strategic level, Cabo Verde’s affir - mation as an Atlantic Blue Platform can have relevant implications. Geographically, the archi - pelago occupies a central position in the mid- Atlantic, equidistant between the African, Euro - pean and American continents. With improved port infrastructure, Cabo Verde can serve as a hub for maritime traffic in the region, comple - menting other Atlantic port hubs. It is worth remembering that Cabo Verde’s loca - tion also favours it as a support point for trans - atlantic air and maritime cabotage routes, and port improvements could stimulate synergies between maritime and air transport (for exam -
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