By Omar Bah
Nawec, the Gambian utility, has invited proposals to construct a 50 MW PV facility in Soma, located south of the River Gambia. This project is part of a larger solar initiative and is expected to include an unspecified capacity for battery storage.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MoPE) of Gambia and the state-owned utility Nawec have jointly issued a tender for developing a 50 MW PV plant in Soma, situated south of the River Gambia.
This PV facility is part of a 150 MW solar project that has been underway since 2019 and is planned to be linked to an unspecified battery storage capacity. Through this procurement process, the MoPE and NAWEC aim to select an independent power producer (IPP) through a public-private partnerships (PPP) model. As per the tender document, the selected IPP will fund, build, and operate the 50 MW solar power park and a battery energy storage system for 25 years.
The project is expected to provide Nawec electricity and will likely be located on a 225-hectare site near a 225/30 kV substation in Soma. “Preliminary estimates suggest that the 150 MW Gambia Solar Park will be accompanied by a battery capacity ranging between 100 and 150 MWh,” stated the Gambian government in 2020. Interested developers have until November 14 to submit their proposals.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the country had only 2 MW of installed PV capacity by the end of 2023. However, in March, a 23 MW solar plant was inaugurated in Jambur, near the country’s west coast, increasing the total solar power capacity to at least 25 MW.
