Brikama Power Project gets new materials

Twenty-four containers loaded with new materials earmarked for the Brikama Power Supply Project recently landed at the project site to speed up its completion.

Officials of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) last week took journalists on a conducted tour of the site to see the development so far on the project.

The materials in the containers, according to NAWEC’s Power Generation director, Baba Fatajo, are mainly steel materials.

The US$17.1 million project, which has been under construction since 16 September 2010, is part of the company’s quest to meet the growing demand for electricity.

“The Brikama Power Supply Project is meant to increase the existing generation capacity in the country to enable NAWEC to meet the growing demands of electricity,” Mr Fatajo told journalists at the site.

He said the contract was awarded to WARTSILA, a company in Finland, but NAWEC is responsible for the supervision of the project, funded by the International Development Bank (IDB) and the Gambia government. “The new materials were provided by the contractor and the project is expected to be completed in September 2011,” he said.

“NAWEC’s focus is not only at the Kotu Power Station but also in other areas.” he explained, saying they would ensure both the Brikama Power Supply Project and the Kotu Power Station “work in parallel”.

Fatajo assured the public that NAWEC would continue to work hard to provide adequate electricity and water supply for its customers.

The project engineer at the site, Sami Kaskela, said the major parts of the project will be completed this year, adding that “the project is going on smoothly”.

Mr Kaskela also told journalists that during the raining season they faced some problems in accelerating the  work at the site “but as at now things are getting better”.