High voltage solar The Gambia

Why should the Gambia invest in solar energy?

To match the rising demand and to provide sustainable and accessible energy to all Gambians, the potential for solar energy investment is immense in The Gambia. The government of The Gambia seeks to increase RE’s contribution to 40% from 2% presently in the coming years.

Does the Gambia have solar energy resources?

The Gambia has significant solar energy resources which can be deployed via solar PV plants, which have become price competitive with thermal plants and attractive for advancing national renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. IRENA (2018) has estimated national solar potential at 428 MW.

Why is access to electricity important in the Gambia?

Providing access to electricity to support inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development is one of the pivotal cornerstones of the Gambia government’s priorities as articulated in the national energy sector policies and strategies, and highlighted in the National Development Plan (2018-2021).

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.

How is electricity financed in the Gambia?

A large proportion of this is already financed through on-going national and regional projects sponsored by development partners. The Gambia is poised to provide access to electricity for all its people. His Excellency, President Adama Barrow has stipulated that there is to be Universal Access by 2025.

Are biomass power plants suitable for the Gambia?

However, biomass candidate power plants were excluded from the analysis as they were considered by NAWEC inadequate technologies for The Gambia. The potential of wind capacity in The Gambia is estimated to be approximately 197 MW with a capacity factor below 20% and 5 MW with a capacity factor higher than 30%10.