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a b s t r a c tIn this article different scenarios are analysed with the objective of increasing the penetration of renewable energies in the energy system of S. Vicente Island in Cape Verde. An integrated approach is used to analyse the electricity and water supply systems. The H 2 RES model, a tool designed to simulate the integration of renewable sources and hydrogen in the energy systems of islands or other isolated locations, is applied.There is no other source of fresh water available to supply the population of S. Vicente, apart from desalinated seawater. The electricity supply system of this Island is based on fossil fuel and wind. S. Vicente has important wind resources that are not fully used because of its intermittent nature. The topography of this Island is relatively uniform, with the exception of Mont Verde, a 774 m high mountain located in its centre, which could be suitable for pumped hydro storage.The present analysis incorporates the possibility of using pumped hydro as a storage technique to increase the penetration of renewable energy sources, using desalinated seawater.The results show that is possible to have more than 30% of yearly penetration of renewable energy sources in the electricity supply system, together with more than 50% of the water supplied to the population produced from wind electricity.

A novel bacterium, Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B, was isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Assessment of the biodegradation of distinct organic sulfur-compounds, such as dibenzothiophene (DBT), benzothiophene (BT), DBT sulfone, and alkylated tiophenic compounds, as the sole source of sulfur was investigated. G. alkanivorans strain 1B was able to remove selectively the sulfur from DBT while keeping intact the remaining carbon-carbon structure. Orthophenyl phenol (2-hydroxybiphenyl) was the only detected metabolic product. The bacterial desulfurization activity was repressed by sulfate. G. alkanivorans strain 1B consumed 310 microM DBT after 120 h of cultivation, corresponding to a specific desulfurization rate of 1.03 micromol/(g of dry cells x h). When an equimolar mixture of DBT/BT was used as a source of sulfur in the growth medium, G. alkanivorans strain 1B assimilated both compounds in a sequential manner, with BT as the preferred source of sulfur. Only when BT concentration was decreased to a very low level was DBT utilized as the source of sulfur for bacterial growth. The specific desulfurization overall rates of BT and DBT obtained were 0.954 and 0.813 micromol/(g of dry cells x h), respectively. The newly isolated G. alkanivorans strain 1B has good potential for application in the biodesulfurization of fossil fuels.