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Prospects for the regional electricity supply industry and West African power trading took a huge leap forward when two major networks interconnected at Linsan in Guinea. Much work remains to be done after the 2 April link-up, but the OMVG-CLSG interconnection points to a more positive direction of travel for a West African Power Pool that is starting to excite market interest.

The utilities of the four-nation Organisation for the Development of the Gambia River (L’Organisation pour la mise en Valeur du Fleuve Gambie, OMVG) have signed a transmission service agreement for the 1,677km ‘Loop’ high-voltage power transmission line. The $685m development comprises 4,000 pylons and 15 substations and interconnects the grids of Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal. As its name suggests, the 225kV, double-circuit line forms a circular network spanning the four countries.

Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) has requested bids for substation and low voltage (LV) line works as part of the Gambia Electricity System Reinforcement and Expansion (Gesrp) project.

Gambia’s largest ever renewable IPP is being developed in a West African Power Pool initiative that is intended to boost Banjul’s efforts to move away from reliance on on-grid thermal generation. National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) is also looking to engage with IPPs interested in developing wind plants along the coast, while electricity access will be further improved by transmission and distribution upgrades.

Banjul is hoping enthusiasm over exploration and production (E&P) developments in the so-called Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea (MSGBC) Basin – in particularly the neighbouring Senegalese offshore – will pique interest in Gambia’s potential as an oil and gas play.

The Cygnum Capital-managed Facility for Energy Inclusion has advanced a $30m loan to Equator Energy to help the Nairobi-headquartered C&I developer grow its business across Africa.

National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) said construction started at the 23MWp Jambur solar PV plant on 4 February. China’s TBEA Sunoasis is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

Five more memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed in Rabat on 5 December, bringing more partners into the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project.

Norway’s PetroNor E&P has said it will continue with a petroleum, exploration, development and production licence agreement (Pepla) for the A4 licence area in Gambia.

National power utilities from Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Senegal have expressed interest in buying electricity from a planned 150MW solar park in Gambia, using the West Africa Power Pool (Wapp). The project is one of nine solar park projects envisaged in an Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) power masterplan.

Construction of the Basse and Farafenni Basse and Farafenni solar photovoltaic projects is expected to start in Q1 2023, once power purchase agreements are finalised later this year with the parastatal National Water and Electric Company.

Australian independent FAR may spin off its Gambia assets into a standalone entity, if it fails to find a buyer for the acreage. In a recent statement, FAR acknowledged its investments in Gambia had thus far failed to find potentially commercial quantities of hydrocarbons.

Gambia has extended the bid submission deadline for exploration block A1, formerly held by BP, by a further three months.

Turkey’s Karpowership has extended a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the state National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) for its 30MW Göktay Bey powership.

The Jabang substation is expected to be completed later this year, to improve electricity supply in the Greater Banjul area.