A ceremony was recently held to officially lay the foundation stone for a 23 MWp Jambur Solar Power Plant in Gambia. The solar power plant will be used to reinforce the grid of Gambia National Water and Electric Company (NAWEC).
The Jambur solar plant is being built under the Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernisation Project (GERMP). This World Bank-supported initiative was launched to boost electricity generation capacity and transmission system efficiency in order to increase access to electricity “for socio-economic development” in The Gambia.
According to the World Bank’s 2020 report, this country in West Africa has an estimated population of more than 2.5 million people and an energy availability rate of more than 62%.
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Funding for the Jambur Solar Power Plant in Gambia
The country’s largest solar park is been funded by the European Union (EU) and the World Bank. In addition to the World Bank, the European Investment Bank is funding the construction of the Jambur solar power facility. According to NAWEC, the plant, which has been given to the Chinese firm TBEA, should also allow the Gambia to diversify its electrical mix.
TBEA said in a statement, “The project will support increasing the quantity, consistency, and quality of the nation’s energy supply. As well as the diversification of energy sources to include renewable energy sources.”
Furthermore, solar energy makes up only 2% of The Gambia’s electrical mix at the moment. However, with the development of a 150 MWp regional solar park, the feasibility study for which was just approved, this capacity is anticipated to rise.
The Jambur Solar Power Plant will be installed in two phases on a 225-hectare site in Soma, central Gambia. This is a strategic site due to its proximity to the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG). Additionally, through the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a portion of the output from this Jambur solar power plant will be fed into the electrical grid in the Gambia.
