By Makutu Manneh
The managing director of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Gallo Saidy, said the high cost of generating electricity domestically and the country’s continued reliance on imported power remain the principal reasons electricity tariffs in The Gambia are expensive.
Speaking in an interview on GRTS, Mr. Saidy said operating conventional power plants is costly but expressed confidence that the expansion of renewable energy, particularly solar generation, would significantly reduce electricity costs over time.
He said the utility is actively pursuing investments in renewable energy as part of its long-term strategy to improve affordability and strengthen the national power supply.
Mr. Saidy also said electricity consumers are not currently paying the full cost of the power they receive, explaining that the government subsidizes the difference between NAWEC’s production costs and the tariffs charged to customers.
“The people need to know that they are not paying 100 percent of the cost of electricity they are getting; the government is paying some of that for them,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Saidy said NAWEC’s immediate priority is to strengthen the country’s generation capacity by ensuring sufficient backup power while accelerating plans to develop a large-scale solar energy project in Soma.
He said the utility is planning to install up to 150 megawatts of solar generation capacity, a project he described as potentially transformative for the country’s energy sector.
“One megawatt will do at least about 1000 people. For example, in the Greater Banjul Area from Kalagi all the way to Banjul, our highest peak that we are picking up at the moment is about 120 megawatts. Now, if you are going to put 150 megawatts in Soma, that has doubled that, so in terms of population-wise, we will be basically net exporters if we got to that,” he said.
Mr. Saidy also sought to clarify the causes of the power outages that continue to affect many communities, saying that a significant number of blackouts are not the result of inadequate electricity generation but of an overstretched distribution network.
He explained that in many areas, transformers designed to serve about 100 households are now supplying electricity to as many as 200 households, placing excessive strain on the infrastructure and forcing NAWEC to implement load shedding to protect the system.
His remarks come as demand for electricity continues to grow across The Gambia, increasing pressure on the country’s aging transmission and distribution network even as the utility expands its generation capacity and pursues renewable energy projects aimed at improving reliability and reducing costs.
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