Background
The main purpose of SESCO is to provide sustainable, cost effective, and clean energy supply and services in public sector schools and health facilities in the country. For this purpose, SESCO has procured 916 solar PV systems which are being installed at schools, health facilities, and hospitals across the country. The goal is to install up to 1,100 PV systems in this round. Once the systems are installed, SESCO will be responsible to operate and maintain these systems as well as to continuously expand its portfolio of systems.
The co-benefits of the Project include reduction in electricity supply deficit and the less dependence of the imported fossil fuel generation and thus decreased fuel costs. Specifically, with financing from European Investment Bank, SESCO is aiming to:
- Install up to 1,100 solar PV systems, in this round, with battery storage at schools and health facilities across the country,
- Provide clean, sustainable, and reliable electricity supply to the schools and health facilities,
- Improve reliable electricity supply overall,
- Reduce fuel costs for electricity generation from imported fossil fuel,
- Reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emission,
- Contribute towards the overall goal of providing access to electricity to every Gambian
- Catalyze the energy transformation of the country,
- Solar sector capacity building, and
- Encourage private sector investments in country’s energy sector.
SESCO
The Project is being implemented by a specially created entity, the Sustainable Energy Services Company (SESCO) Ltd. The founders of SESCO are the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) and the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines (MoPEM), both of which are represented on the Board of Directors (BoD). Other key stakeholders include the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), the Ministry of Health (MoH), and the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), all of which are also represented on the SESCO BoD.
The SESCO is responsible for the co-ordination and successful delivery of all activities under the Project, including procurement, installation, operation and maintenance, and cooperation between the representatives of the relevant authorities and the contractors.
The SESCO staff initially will be assisted by international Technical Assistance (TA) Team from AZOROM Power Consultants services for the first 6 years. The overall objective of this TA is to support the set-up of SESCO and assist through all phases of the Project Life Cycle – from its staffing, governance, legal, policies, and processes to operations and capacity building.
- Project Beneficiaries
It is estimated that approximately 475,000 students, together with thousands of teachers and support staff, will directly benefit from solar systems at up to 1,000 schools. Similarly, more than half a million outpatients will benefit from PV systems at up to 100 health facilities, in addition to doctors, nurses, and support staff.
Furthermore, thousands of school staff and health workers at these facilities will benefit from the PV systems. At the macro level, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) and Ministry of Health (MoH) will be the primary beneficiaries from the project. Other beneficiary of the project will be the country’s electric utility – National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC); as additional electricity generation from grid-connected PV systems will help in bridging the gap between demand and supply as well as will result in enhancing NAWEC’s ability in providing reliable electricity. Further, neighboring communities can benefit from services offered by using surplus electricity generation at schools and health facilities in non-electrical grid areas and enhance NAWEC’s ability to provide reliable electricity.
