Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("Toyota Tsusho") announced today that it has received an order from Agência Nacional de Água e Saneamento, the national water and sanitation agency of the Republic of Cabo Verde ("Cabo Verde") operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, for the construction of seawater desalination plants and water pipelines (the Project) on the island of Santiago. The construction contract was signed on October 27.

This Project is the second seawater desalination project for Toyota Tsusho in Africa, following the order for construction of a seawater desalination plant in Senegal in 2022.

Cabo Verde, an island nation located in West Africa, faces the challenge of chronic water shortages due to low annual rainfall and limited groundwater resources. In recent years, water demand has been increasing due to the expansion of the country's tourism industry and rising living standards, and supply has been unable to keep up.

In particular, on the island of Santiago, where approximately half of the country’s population is concentrated, the water supply network is underdeveloped. In addition to securing new water sources through seawater desalination, the development of this water supply network has become an urgent priority.

In this Project, Toyota Tsusho will construct a seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 10,000 m³/day in Calheta in the northern part of Santiago, and a plant with a capacity of 5,000 m³/day in Palmarejo in the southern part. Toyota Tsusho will also install new large-scale water pipelines and water storage tanks to connect to the existing water supply network, with construction scheduled for completion in 2028.

Through the construction of these facilities, Toyota Tsusho aims to strengthen the island’s water supply infrastructure and establish an efficient and stable water supply system, realize the substitution and conservation of groundwater resources, and contribute to climate change adaptation.

Under the philosophy of “WITH AFRICA FOR AFRICA,” Toyota Tsusho will continue to contribute to building a sustainable social infrastructure and developing local communities—for the future children of Africa—through its business activities, beginning with the development of water supply infrastructure across Africa.