What does the EU Global Gateway grant mean for the Gambia?

Today The Gambia, the EU and the EIB announced the signature of a €24.08 million EU Global Gateway grant to be used alongside an €8 million EIB loan to support the implementation of a renewable energy on and off-grid generation, transmission and distribution programme across The Gambia.

Should MV grid be strengthened in the Gambia?

Reinforcement of the MV grid from Farafenni or via a cable across the river from Banjul are alternatives that may be considered if the western corridor does not present a viable solution. Transmission developments in The Gambia should be considered in relation to regional options.

How will 'solarisation' transform the electricity sector of the Gambia?

The project will transform the electricity sector of The Gambia via through the ‘Solarisation’ of up to 1000 schools and 100 health facilities especially the remote areas of the country. Furthermore it will provide beneficiaries in the education and health sectors with reliable and clean energy thereby reducing our carbon footprint.

What is the electricity system in the Gambia?

The existing electricity network in The Gambia consists of a number of separate 33 kV and 30 kV systems fed from local power plants throughout the country. On-going projects are developing the transmission grid to interconnect these systems and establish interconnections with neighbouring systems.

Does the Gambia need more power generation capacity?

The Gambia’s power sector will soon need additional generation capacity to be able to cover the forecast demand. A gap between available capacity and peak demand is identified from 2022 with the expiration of the Karpower contract and by 2025 nearly 140 MW of new capacity will be needed.

Should the Gambia import electricity from Senegal or Cote d'Ivoire?

The most important conclusion from the generation planning is that the least cost option for The Gambia is to import electricity from Senegal and/or Cote d’Ivoire. This conclusion is robust in all scenarios considered.