NAWEC says the 50 MW project will be located in an area that enjoys excellent solar irradiation. (Illustrative Photo; Photo Credit: mvstockshot/Shutterstock.com) 
Tenders

Gambia’s NAWEC Seeking Bidders For 50 MW Solar Power Project

World Bank-Backed Project With Potential To Be Scaled Up To 150 MW

Anu Bhambhani

  • NAWEC has opened a competitive procurement process for a 50 MW solar power plant  

  • It needs to be built in Soma in the Lower River Region under a PPP model on an IPP basis 

  • Backed by the World Bank, this project can be expanded up to 150 MW capacity

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) in Gambia has launched a tender seeking developers for a 50 MW solar PV project with a battery energy storage project (BESS) under phase I. It can be scaled up to a total of 150 MW with storage.  

It is proposed to be developed in Soma in the Lower River Region, an area that enjoys excellent solar irradiation. 

According to the agency, the preliminary design and planning model for the project shows potential to expand its capacity to 150 MW and can be built in 2 phases, to meet the national energy consumption requirement.    

NAWEC is now seeking an independent power producer (IPP) for the project to be developed under a public private partnership (PPP). The winner of this competitive round will be required to finance, construct, and operate the solar power plant for 25 years. The project is supported by the World Bank.  

The last date to submit applications for this call launched on October 1, 2024 is November 14, 2024.  

In September 2023, Gambia Sustainable Energy Services Company invited bids for distributed solar energy generation on an on-grid and off-grid basis for 1,000 schools and 99 health facilities, supported by the European Investment Bank (see Africa’s Gambia Launches Solar PV Tender).