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São Tomé and Príncipe’s Natural Resources Minister Joins AEW as Offshore Exploration Gains Momentum
Nelson Mário de Carvalho Rosa Cardoso, Minister of Infrastructure and Natural Resources of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, has been confirmed as a featured speaker at the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition. Taking place from October 12–16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event is positioned as Africa’s largest gathering of energy stakeholders, providing an ideal platform for the country to engage global investors on emerging opportunities across São Tomé and Príncipe's energy value chain.
Minister Cardoso’s participation comes as the country accelerates oil and gas exploration. In May 2026, the country’s National Petroleum Agency launched a new offshore licensing round offering up to an 85% participating interest in Blocks 7, 8 and 9 within the Exclusive Economic Zone. The acreage targets international and regional exploration companies with the financial and technical capacity to unlock new discoveries and follows renewed geological assessments indicating prospectivity comparable to producing offshore basins in neighboring Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
This milestone follows a series of other upstream developments reached in recent months. In April 2026, Brazilian energy major Petrobras agreed to acquire a 75% operating interest in offshore Block 3 from Oranto Petroleum, reinforcing international confidence in São Tomé and Príncipe's hydrocarbon potential. The country has also attracted interest from leading international operators including TotalEnergies, Shell and Galp, reflecting its commitment to partnering with global companies to accelerate exploration and lay the foundations for future industrial development.
Beyond hydrocarbons, the country is rapidly advancing renewable energy deployment under broader efforts to advance industrialization and increase energy access from 84% to 100% by 2030. The government aims to increase renewable energy's contribution to electricity generation from approximately 5% today to 50% by 2030 through large-scale investments in solar power, battery storage, grid modernization and distributed energy systems.
To support this transition, the government launched its National Sustainable Energy Investment Plan in early 2026, establishing a roadmap to mobilize public and private capital for renewable energy deployment. Complementing this effort, the country adopted its National Energy Compact under the World Bank and African Development Bank-led Mission 300 initiative, outlining reforms designed to attract independent power producers and improve the financial sustainability of the national utility. Collectively, these initiatives are expected to unlock approximately $190 million in private investment needed to achieve the country's renewable energy objectives by 2030
"São Tomé and Príncipe is demonstrating that energy security is built through diversification," stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. "By simultaneously advancing offshore exploration and renewable energy deployment, the country is creating a balanced investment environment that strengthens long-term energy independence while opening significant opportunities for international investors."
At AEW, Minister Cardoso is expected to participate in high-level panel discussions and exclusive investor meetings focused on frontier exploration, energy transition, infrastructure development and financing.