Gambia keeps solar passion

• The nation's power utility has actually finished the pre-selection procedure to look for designers for a 20 MW solar project in the Banjul area. The project will certainly include as much as 4 PV plants and also will certainly be established under the nationwide Electricity Restoration and also Modernization Project.

Gambia's National Water and also Electricity Company (NAWEC) has actually finished the initial stage of a tender for a 20 MW solar project in the Greater Banjul location in the west of the nation.

The center is being established under the $121 million Electricity Restoration as well as Modernization Project for the Gambia, moneyed by the World Bank, the European Union and also the European Investment Bank. The effort intends to boost power and also enhance the West African country's grid capability. Around 2 million Gambians count on simply 120 MW of mounted power generation ability.

The solar project will certainly be improved 23ha designated by the Ministry of Lands as well as Regional Governments and also will certainly consist of as much as 4 PV plants varying in dimension from 3 MW to 6 MW of generation ability. The utility claimed establishing the projects in various areas was not an eye-catching alternative. "Splitting up the prepared 20 MW and also sharing it amongst 3 to 4 various places will properly indicate increasing the possible unfavorable influences of the project by 3 to 4 layer," claimed NAWEC.

Storage space component

The World Bank started looking for specialists for the project in September 2018. At the time, the growth loan provider claimed the solar centers can consist of battery electrical power storage space to adjust outcome to decrease as well as require grid combination worries. "Available ability in the Greater Banjul location wore away to 27 MW in October 2017, versus a need of 70 MW-- not counting reduced need-- bring about prevalent power outages when some parts of the [location] reported 2 to 3 hrs of power daily throughout the summertime," the World Bank stated at the time.

The Gambian federal government and also the Economic Community of West African States likewise intend to acquire a 150 MW solar plant.

The Gambian electrical power network is composed generally of mini-grids which the federal government intends to enhance by changing right into crossbreed mini-grids, incorporated with renewable resource generation ability.

With an electrical power gain access to price of just 35%, Gambia presented the Renewable Energy Act to advertise tidy power in 2013.