AfDB approves €121.5m for OMVG project

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved €121.5m ($137m) of financing for the €937.5m Gambia River Basin Organisation (OMVG) energy project. This aims to increase access to power to 20% (from 12% currently) in Guinea, 42% (35%) in Gambia, 65% (19%) in Guinea-Bissau and 75% (60%) in Senegal by 2020. The project consists of construction of the 128MW Sambangalou hydropower plant, and an interconnection network comprising 1,677km of 225kV transmission lines, 15 high/medium voltage substations and two load dispatch centres.