NAWEC Public Relations Officer Buba Badjie has attributed the country’s recent power shortages to rising electricity consumption, fuel challenges and the full integration of the national power grid.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou, Badjie explained that the full integration of the national grid means that any drop in power generation capacity now affects both urban and rural areas.
He said areas such as Basse were previously protected by regional backup systems, but increasing demand for electricity and the growing use of high consumption appliances have reduced the available surplus capacity.
According to Badjie, this has left domestic generators unable to meet the growing demand, despite all national power stations being operational.
He also linked the power crisis to ongoing geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States, saying the situation has further affected fuel availability.
Badjie noted that even if The Gambia had 500 megawatt generators, they would not be able to operate without sufficient oil and gas reserves to power them.
On when the power shortages are expected to end, Badjie said NAWEC is working on strategic plans aimed at achieving energy independence and eventually becoming an electricity exporter.
He explained that the current shortage in generation capacity has forced NAWEC to ration electricity, particularly at night, resulting in scheduled power cuts between 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM.
However, Badjie said electricity supply is generally more stable during the day because solar power contributes to the national grid, particularly during the afternoon.
He said the increased use of solar energy is part of NAWEC’s long term strategy to improve electricity supply, reduce dependence on fuel and move the country towards energy independence and, eventually, electricity exports.
