Gambia

Area
11,300.00 km2
Population
2,000,000.00
GDP per capita
502.00 USD
Access to electricity
40.00 %
Access to Modern Energy for Cooking
37.00 %
Electricity Production
236 GWh, 0.8% from Renewables (2013)
Installed Capacity
65 MW of which 1 MW Renewables (~1.5%)

The energy situation in Gambia has a high potential of improvement. With traditional biomass being the widely used source of energy in the country, there is need to tap more into other forms of Renewable energies as well as improve the efficient use of Biomass in the country. The government of Gambia has come is determined to improve the energy situation in the country and has hence come up with policies to ensure this becomes a reality.

Four important features characterize the energy sector in The Gambia.  These include:

  1. high dependency on imported fossil fuels;
  2. the dominance of traditional biomass sources in the country’s energy mix,
  3. low access to modern energy services;
  4. limited investment in new assets and inadequate maintenance of old and ageing electricity power facilities; and very limited investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency potentials

For the Gambian government an increase in access to energy for households is one of the main aims of achievement. The vision is to have an improved energy situation by 2020 which will continue to grow into 2030 and beyond and to ensure an overall sector-wide coherence and synergy of accumulated efforts towards the three goals of SE4All in the Gambia 

SUMMARY OF TARGETS: 

The Gambia has a dual energy system where traditional and modern energy systems and practices co-exist. On one side is the traditional energy system where biomass fuels and use of inefficient technologies dominate the household sector’s energy needs. The other side of The Gambia’s energy spectrum embodies a modern energy system where electricity and modern fuels as well as modern appliances are used. This picture is characterized further by an urban/rural split in terms of distribution of energy systems and practices. This fragmented nature of the energy system places enormous challenges for policy makers in The Gambia, and makes it difficult to address the energy challenge in an integrated manner. 

Installed capacity201320202030
Installed renewable electric capacity in MW (excluding medium and large hydro)12470
Renewable energy share of the total installed capacity in % (excluding medium and large hydro)11824
Large- and medium scale hydropower capacity installed in MW (more than 30 MW)01544
Large- and medium scale hydropower (more than 30 MW) share of total installed capacity in %01114
Total renewable energy generation capacity in MW (including large and medium scale hydro)139114
Renewable energy share of the total installed capacity in % (including medium and large hydro)12836

ENERGY ACCESS : 

Gambia intends to increase energy access in the country and has agreed and signed up following set of targets (The ECOWAS/UEMOA WHITE PAPER)  for increasing access to energy services for rural, urban and peri-urban populations 

  • 100% of the total populations have access to a modern cooking fuel;
  • At least 60% of people living in rural areas have access to productive energy services in villages, in particular motive power to boost the productivity of economic activities;
  • 66% of the population have access to an individual electricity supply, or:
    1. 100% of urban and peri-urban areas;
    2. 36% of rural population 

Targets set out for access to improved cooking technologies are summarised in table below:

Improved Cooking System 201320202030
Modern Fuels 35100100
Modern Biomass Stoves 38100100
Sustainable Production of Biomass 540100

RENEWABLE ENERGY : 

The government of Gambia has set out Renweable Energy targets which will see the country taking part in the SE4ALL initiative.

By 2020

  • 44 MW of hydro capacity through OMVG
  • 17 MW Solar PV + 7 MW Wind Power capacity
  • 49.6% Grid Connected RE capacity
  • Equip 10% of hotels and of agro-industries with solar thermal system
  • Equip 25% of district health centers, maternities, school kitchens and boarding schools with solar thermal system

By 2030

  • 50 MW Solar PV + 20 MW Wind Power capacity
  • 38.9% Grid Connected RE capacity
  • Equip 50% of district health centers, maternities, school kitchens and boarding schools with solar thermal system
  • Equip 50% of hotels and 25% of agro-industries with solar thermal system
Grid-connected generation including Renewable energy201320202030
Renewable electricity generation in GWh (excluding medium and large hydro)750150
Renewable energy share in the electricity mix in % (excluding medium and large hydro)0.81316
Large and medium scale hydropower generation in GWh (more than 30 MW) 060176
Large and medium scale hydropower generation (more than 30 MW) as share of total electricity generation in %01519
Total renewable electricity generation in GWh (including medium and large hydro)2110326
Renewable energy share in total electricity generation in % (including medium and large hydro)0.82835

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: 

Gambia has set out target to increase the level of energy efficiency in the country.The governemt intend to gradually phase out incandescent bulbs among other targets.

The country will take the following measures to achieve these targets

  • Promote efficient Lighting in the country
  •  Reduction of electricity consumption at user point
  • Improve energy efficiency by intorducing mandatory labelling fro energy appliances
  • Regulate the uncontrolled utilisation of renewable energy technologies and promote local manufacturing
  • Restrict importation and use of energy intense electrical appliances
  •  Reduce electricity grid losses
  •  Promote energy conservation in the transport sector 
201320202030
% Charcoal produced efficiently -40100
% Penetration of energy efficient lighting-100-
%Reduction in T&D losses24.919.910
% of energy savings in the building-515