A vessel carrying fuel docked on Wednesday 21 October at about 10 a.m. in São Tomé and began unloading a cargo valued at 16 million dollars, after nearly twenty days of shortage, according to the Jornal Transparência.
More than half of the load is diesel, the local outlet reports. This fuel powers, in particular, the generators of the Water and Electricity Company, while the lack of fuel had caused power cuts across the country.
The shortage also weighed on transport, fishing and household activity. The government had forecast a gradual return to normal on Wednesday afternoon or, at the latest, Thursday morning, once unloading and distribution were sufficiently advanced.
The vessel's arrival is the new development after several postponements. On 14 October, Economy and Finance Minister Gareth Guadalupe had pushed back the delivery to 20 or 21 October. He had then explained that the ship had to complete its loading in Lomé, then in Cotonou, before heading to the archipelago.
The minister said the cargo should secure supplies until 2027. This period remains a government estimate and will depend on the rate of consumption and the continuity of imports.
Gareth Guadalupe also reaffirmed the goal of adding between 10 and 11 megawatts of solar capacity to the grid by the end of 2026 in order to reduce diesel consumption in electricity generation. The actual restoration of supply at petrol stations remained to be confirmed after unloading began.