NAWEC Clarifies Emergency Power Supply Arrangement

The National Water and Electricity Company Ltd. (NAWEC) wishes to clarify the recently approved emergency power supply arrangement and address misconceptions circulating in the public domain. This measure is a temporary contingency response to current electricity supply challenges affecting The Gambia, largely linked to reduced regional power availability.

The arrangement is designed to safeguard electricity supply for households and businesses during this period of uncertainty in the regional energy system. It provides access to up to 70 MW of additional capacity during peak demand hours through an additional turbine operating on Light Fuel Oil (LFO)/diesel. This supplementary power will be dispatched only when required and strictly to stabilize supply during peak demand periods.

NAWEC wishes to emphasize that this arrangement is temporary, conditional, and flexible. It is structured for a maximum period of up to 50 days, but current projections indicate that supply conditions could stabilize earlier depending on improvements in regional generation and fuel availability. The measure would be scaled down or discontinued as soon as normal supply conditions improve.

NAWEC further clarifies that fuel cost implications must be understood in the broader regional context. Our regional supplier is facing similar constraints, including the use of more expensive LFO/diesel due to the temporary unavailability of natural gas. As a result, lower-cost generation is not currently feasible across the affected supply chain.

It is also important to note that in practice, usage of the additional capacity would be limited as it would be strictly based on actual need, meaning the usage would be less than the maximum scenario of the full 50 days. Therefore, total costs are expected to be significantly lower. Nonetheless, this is not a permanent cost structure, but a short-term mitigation measure to reduce the risk of severe load shedding.

NAWEC acknowledges the inconvenience and economic impact caused by persistent power outages. However, in the current circumstances, taking no action would increase the risk of prolonged and severe interruptions. This intervention is intended to protect national economic activity, improve power reliability during peak periods, and bridge the gap until regional supply stabilizes, additional generation becomes available, and lower-cost fuel sources are restored.

NAWEC remains committed to transparency, regulatory compliance, and keeping the public informed. The emergency measure has been approved within the appropriate governance framework including government oversight and support.

NAWEC reassures the public that this temporary, targeted, and necessary intervention is being undertaken in the best interest of the nation and is aimed at restoring and maintaining reliable electricity supply as quickly as possible.