The Gambian utility Nawec has begun construction on a 23 MW solar plant in Jambur, West Coast Region.
The utility said in a statement, “The project will strengthen the power generating capacity and efficiency of Nawec’s transmission network in order to increase access to electricity for socioeconomic development.” This is consistent with government plans such as the National Development Plan and The Gambia Electricity Sector Roadmap.
Under the Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are providing funding for the installation (GERMP). The facility, once completed, will be the first ground-mounted solar plant in service in the Gambia. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the nation has only 2 MW of solar capacity installed by the end of 2021.
The majority of the Gambian power network is made up of minigrids, which the government hopes to improve by converting them into hybrid minigrids capable of producing renewable energy. Gambia passed the Renewable Energy Act in 2013 to encourage the use of renewable energy. At the time, only 35% of the country’s people had access to electricity.
