By Binta Jaiteh
The Gambia’s National Water And Electricity Company officials on Thursday toured OMVG project sites within greater Banjul and also briefed reporters about some ongoing developments.
Speaking to reporters in Brikama NAWEC’s Pierre Sylva, public relations officer revealed that OMVG Energy project involves a 1677km long 225kv interconnection line connecting the Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry. In the Gambia there are 2 substations (Soma and Brikama), the substations are linked to the NAWEC) Network for the distribution of power.
He added that the Soma substation is running since October 2021 and Brikama is expected to be commissioned this month, March 2022.
He acknowledges the challenges they are facing for not being able to meet the required capacity to supply electricity to the Gambian people especially the Greater Banjul Area.
“We are not folding our hands because we depend on the customers and that is why we have been working with the government and partners to make sure that we improve on the current capacity of electricity. This is an OMVG sub-station and OMVG is an organization where four countries of the sub-regions and East part of Africa have converged together to have this company for easy inter-connection of electricity,” he added.
Benedit Jarju, Quality and Standard Manager Distribution and Transmission Department said the OMVG project is between Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau, adding that Senegal has presently holds the capacity necessary for the supply of electricity to the Gambia.
“After completion this OMVG project will be interconnected with those transmission lines to bring energy from the OMVG. So far, the equipment is expected and about to be shipped in the Gambia and the installation work for the transformers will be starting in April and May,” he said.
He said currently everything is going smoothly and probably by the end of the year it will be completed and that is their expectation and hope that such a project will be a key sector.
He also said the project is a concern and every work has challenges with the world experiencing a lot of challenges including the COVID 19 and also the war between Ukraine and Russia.
“This is all the hindrance of the project despite the challenges we are mobilizing our resources as an international contractor. We are around over 17 countries and we are doing our best for the equipment to arrive in the Gambia on time. The major equipment to be delivered in the Gambia is power transformers including two 35KV and 33 KV transformers in addition this project has some transmission lines which will be connected to the current network,” he said.
