The project by United Nations Development Programme – The Gambia, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) and Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is officially undergoing implementation.
The project will assist the government of The Gambia in meeting its current carbon reduction targets and objectives.
According to the UNDP – The Gambia, UNCDF and the government successfully completed the tendering processes for identifying a suitable private sector actor for the project.
The identified private sector actor, also known as the Independent Power Producer (IPP) will build, own and operate the project’s two solar plants in Farafenni and Basse, and will engage NAWEC as the off taker of the solar energy supplied.
“The project will not only replace Heavy Fuel Oil generated electricity with solar, but it will also provide the communities of Basse and Farafenni (end users) with more affordable and sustainable electricity long-term,” UNDP detailed in its latest Gambia country report.
“UNDP has also supported smaller green energy initiatives, such as the provision of home solar systems for 15 off-grid households in Chamen Ballangar. This initiative provided a small community with electricity for the first time.”
This intervention would assist in improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries who will no longer have to travel long distances to access electricity services, it added.
“With support from UNDP, the Mbolo Association trained a team of young women in solar installation. These young women have gone on to install a solar generation system for the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is currently the largest solar installation in the country with a capacity of 65 kilowatts per hour.”
“The installation is expected to reduce the medical facility’s carbon emissions by 800,000 kg of CO2 per annum thus contributing to climate change mitigation efforts on a national scale,” UNDP retailed.
