This is the result of negotiations that began at COP26 on climate change in Glasgov, Scotland. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an agency of the U.S. government, is providing $25 million to support The Gambia in its electrification process. The funding will allow for a focus on renewable energy sources, particularly solar photovoltaic.
According to Gambia’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mambury Njie, this project will help reduce poverty and promote sustainable economic growth through more reliable and clean electricity. This will help the West African country meet its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Strengthening the energy sector to facilitate economic growth
Established in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to developing countries. MCC also signed a memorandum of understanding with Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in June 2021, as well as a cooperation agreement with the West African Power Pool (WAPP), for energy interconnection between these two West African countries.
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In The Gambia, universal access to energy by 2025 is one of the government’s priorities. To achieve this goal, Banjul is implementing the Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project (GERMP) to connect 685 communities to the national grid. Work co-financed by the European Union and the World Bank began in 2018 and includes the construction of a 225kV/33kV substation in Jabang and a 33kV substation in Kotu.
The GERMP program will also install four solar photovoltaic plants with a capacity of 200 MWp in the greater Banjul area of western The Gambia.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi