The Government of the Azores will invest 400,000 Euros in the installation of solar panels and heat pumps at the Corvo homes in order to replace butane gas consumption for household heating and cooking purposes.
The allocation of this support follows the signature of an ARAAL contract between the Vice-Presidency (VPG), the Secretary for the Environment and the Sea (SRAM) and the Corvo Town Hall (CMC) that was published in the Official Journal on Wednesday.
With an implementation period that runs until December 31 next year, this project is part of the Regional Strategic Plan for Energy, being a measure intended to boost energy efficiency and use the natural endogenous resources of an island that has supply difficulties due to its isolation and adverse weather conditions.
For this reason, the Azorean Government considers important to promote measures that mitigate the negative impacts brought by energy dependency of Corvo and its citizens, which may be solved to some extent with the use of natural endogenous resources.
By 2018, the Azorean Government expects to install 10,000 solar panels in the archipelago and reduce the consumption of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) in at least 50%.
With regard to the project to be developed on the island of Corvo, the government’s support will be reimbursed by the SRAM, which will also monitor the implementation of the contract, draft reports describing the physical and financial situation of the project and provide the technical support requested by the Corvo Town Hall.
In turn, the CMC in charge of awarding, under the terms of the applicable public procurement rules, the project and all the required works to the implementation of the project as well as of approving all regulatory measures deemed necessary to support local residents whose homes are comprised by this project.
Under the ARAAL contract, the Vice-presidency will be responsible for issuing binding guidelines on the organisation the project and its implementation, promote the monitoring of its organisation and ensure the compliance with the contract and the good coordination between the participating entities.
Moreover, the SRAM is also responsible for monitoring this contract and the Vice-Presidency will ensure the necessary coordination between the entities, particularly for the inspection of the organisation process of the project.
The project for the acquisition and installation of solar panels and water heat pumps, submitted by the Corvo Town Hall to the Government, represents a global investment of 1,038,179 Euros with VAT included.