UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

UNIDO/GEF Project The energy sector in The Gambia is characterized by low levels of access to modern energy services, a high dependence on traditional biomass fuels and an unsustainable dependence on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation. Given the vast renewable energy resources that are available in The Gambia, there is no doubt that the development of these resources wills significantly address some of the challenges being faced in the energy sector. The deployment of renewable energy technologies in The Gambia faces a number of barriers that have to be addressed in a systematic and holistic manner. Therefore, this project seeks to address some of the these barriers to renewable energy in The Gambia through an integrated approach combining demonstration renewable energy projects with capacity building and technical assistance at the institutional, policy, market and project/investment level.

The overarching objective of the project is to develop and promote a market environment that will be stimulate investment in renewable energy based mini-grids for productive uses in The Gambia.

Primary target groups of the project are government policy making and implementing institutions, the electricity utility, project developers, energy professionals, equipment suppliers, and energy consumers.

Promoting Renewable Energy for Productive

Uses in The Gambia

Promoting Renewable Energy for Productive

Uses in The GambiaTHE PROJECT CONSISTS OF FOUR COMPONENTS:

Project finance and technical assistance will be provided to support the development and implementation of a limited number of grid and off-grid renewable energy demonstration projects with high replication potential in various productive sectors (eg. tourism, artisan workshops, fish processing, agriculture) and resulting in avoided GHG emissions. A total of 1.5 MW of additional capacity will be added demonstrating technical feasibility and commercial viability. The lessons learned from these projects will be widely disseminated.

The scaling up of investment in renewable energy will be promoted with awareness raising activities, an investment strategy and investment in further renewable energy projects.

The project will build knowledge and in-depth technical capacity at GREC, and within NAWEC, to allow GREC to become a focal point for renewable energy development in The Gambia providing training and information to stimulate the market for renewable energy technologies. In-house technical knowledge within NAWEC will allow the utility to develop its own renewable energy projects to avoid further GHG emissions. Technical assistance and capacity building will also be provided for potential project developers, equipment suppliers and energy consumers as well as building up the capabilities at the University and Technical Institute to provide further training beyond the GEF-UNIDO project.

Technical assistance will be provided to the Gambia Renewable Energy Centre (GREC), the Ministry of Energy, The Gambia Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) and NAWEC (the electricity utility) to prepare a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Law and a standard Power Purchase Agreement for renewable energy with a clear feed-in tariff calculation methodology.

1. Demonstrating viability of renewable energy projects

2. Strategy for scaling up of renewable energy investment

4. Capacity building and training

3. Strengthening legal & regulatory framework for renewable energy sector

Batakunku wind turbine

UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

Contact Details

Alois Posekufa MHLANGAIndustrial Development OfficerUNIDO, Vienna, Austria.E-mail : a.mhlanga@unido.orgTel : +43 1 26026 5169

Mr. Kemo K. CEESAYDirector of EnergyMinistry of EnergySecond floorFuturelec BuildingBertil Harding HighwayKotu, The Gambiainfo@moe.gov.gmkceesay@gmail.com+220 890 5105+220 446 6560http://www.moe.gov.gm

UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

UNGambia_01_6pp_layoutnew_01.indd 1 3/8/12 11:28 AM

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) operates six provincial mini-grids. These are based on light fuel oil generating sets and are extremely expensive to operate. Provincial electricity tariffs are subsidised by urban tariffs. Kaur is the smallest of these grids with 3 x 60 kW engines and is also the site of productive activities including the second groundnut processing plant in the country. A large scale PV system, as part of a hybrid on the existing system, will not only offset diesel costs and associated GHG emissions, it will also build up capacity in NAWEC for future PV projects.

The proposal is to install 2 re-conditioned second-hand 450 kVA wind turbines at the coast near Brufut. These would be grid connected and would off-set the heavy fuel oil currently being used for power generation and the associated GHG emissions. Wind projects can be replicated along the coast and this project would provide NAWEC with invaluable experience in wind.

M’Bolo run a training centre for women to educated them in sewing, gardening and IT. Currently they do not have the electricity to operate the sewing machines for training and also to provide an income to local women. The project is to install additional solar power and wind power to be able to operate the sewing machines. This will generate an income and could be replicated elsewhere in The Gambia.

NAWEC hybrid mini-grid 60 kW

Gamwind grid connected wind power 900 kW

Africa M’bolo solar power for tailor workshop 8.3 kW

Tanji Fishing Community derives its income from the sale of fish. In 2001 the Japanese Government provided the community with ice-making and chilling equipment to help the local fish market. Since then the community has grown in size and its income has provided the community with an ambulance, school teachers and other community amenities. However current NAWEC electricity costs are proving prohibitive to ice production and the community has had to cut back on its production and associated income. A local wind turbine would reduce energy costs and provide some income for exported electricity. It is proposed to install a reconditioned second-hand 450kVA wind turbine adjacent to the ice production facility. There are other fishing communities that could replicate the project in the future.

Tanji Fishing Community – wind power for ice making and chillers 450 kW

QCell, one of Gambia’s mobile phone providers, wishes to increase its network coverage and proposes to install new repeater stations using solar and wind technology. Not only will this offset the business as usual case of diesel gensets but they will also provide power to the local communities. It is proposed to install 10 renewable based stations.

The Agribusiness in Sustainable African Natural Plant Products (ASNAPP) organisation is proposing to develop some sustainable agriculture projects in The Gambia. The projects will utilise hydroponics which will require power for the water pumping. It is intended that not only will the projects be income generating for the community but that the power would be extended to local to schools, water and community.

Solar power for horticulture 8.4 kW

Solar/wind repeater stations for QCell 84kW

Total 1576 kW

GEF Implementing Agency – United Nations Industrial Development Organisation

Executing Partners : Ministry of Energy, National Environment Agency, Gambia Renewable Energy Center (GREC), National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) Time : 3 years ( March 2012 to February 2015)

Background: UNIDO is implementing the GEF funded project entitled “Promoting Renewable Energy Based Mini-Grids for Productive Uses in Rural Areas of The Gambia”. The project is financed through a grant of US$ 2 million. In addition, the EU Delegation to the Gambia, UNIDO, National Environment Agency, the Ministry of Energy of The Gambia and the project developers have all pledged their support exceeding US$ 5.7 million as co-financing to the project.

Project in The Gambia

The project will generate multiple benefits to different players and stakeholders within The Gambia and at the global environmental level.

The project will result in avoided greenhouse gas emissions by developing and promoting a market environment that will stimulate investment in renewable energy technologies

in The Gambia. This will, in turn, help drive green economic growth, support rural electrification efforts in the country and contribute to poverty reduction. At a national level the project will raise awareness of renewable energy technologies and other on-going climate change mitigation activities in The Gambia.

Expected Results and Impacts

The Energy Situation in The GambiaThe current shortage of reliable and affordable modern forms of energy in rural areas is one of the major barriers hampering overall socio-economic development in The Gambia. Recognising that extending the existing national grid to rural areas would not be economically viable, the Government of The Gambia has decided to achieve its rural electrification targets by the development of isolated mini-grids in rural areas. The development of mini grids based on locally available sources of renewable energy, as well as providing a valid alternative business model for the region, will have the added advantage of not locking The Gambia into a rural electrification infrastructure based on fossil fuels and

its associated greenhouse gas emissions. However, the establishment of viable and functional renewable energy-powered mini grids in rural areas in The Gambia faces a number of barriers, some of which are specific to mini-grids and some which are specific to the use of renewable energy to power mini-grids. These problems are: lack of legal and regulatory framework, lack of institutional capacity to support key market players feasibility and commercial viability of renewable energy mini grids.

This project is designed to offer a systematic approach to remove these and associated barriers to enhance investments in renewable energy based mini-grids in rural areas of The Gambia.

Solar powered internet and entertainment centre

Selected pilot projects

UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

UNGambia_01_6pp_layoutnew_01.indd 2 3/8/12 11:28 AM