By Tabora Bojang
The Gambian-German energy project, which seeks to modernise the country’s energy sector and its infrastructure has officially been handed over to the National Water and Electricity Company at a ceremony held at the Petroleum House in Brusubi.
The project was sealed last year after the visit of the German president Frank Walter Steinmeier who pronounced his government’s readiness to support the stabilisation of Gambia’s energy sector.
As part of the implementation, the project has since led to the installation of independent communication infrastructure and data collection on the transmission and distribution network linking the Brikama and Kotu power stations and other substations in the Greater Banjul Area.
It also led to the procurement of a generator, oil and fuel lab, radio towers and over 75 km fiberglass cable as well as capacity building for Nawec staff on the operation, protection, and maintenance of the new systems.
The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Fafa Sanyang said the “ceremony marks an important milestone in the execution of project by showcasing the results achieved thus far and highlighting their positive impacts in improving Nawec operations.”
Sanyang said his ministry accords special priority to improving the access to reliable, affordable, and efficient electricity to the public exemplified by positive steps taken by the government including the adoption of an electricity road map 2017-2025.
Nawec managing director, Alpha Robinson said the implementation of the energy project yielded significant steps in the stabilisation of electricity by reducing the occurrence of black outs in the Greater Banjul Area.
He said the new systems will act as a solution to most of the power challenges in the country through an efficient and reliable running power system and allows Nawec to monitor the generators and grid and to interact in real time to adjust parameters to maintain grid stability.
He noted that technology and innovation is “crucial to the success of Nawec amid its aging infrastructure.”
Stephan Roeken, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dakar said the project is one of the key elements of a long-standing relationship between Germany and The Gambia in the areas of energy.
“I am very happy that this partnership is not only in words but also in actions.
It is also a promise for Germany that we will accompany The Gambia in its path to development in the years to come,” the Ambassador said.
