By Assan Bah
In a recent address to lawmakers, Nani Juwara, the Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, attributed the spate of power outages experienced across the country to technical issues related to the transmission lines. The Minister’s comments came during a session last Wednesday, where he responded to queries from the National Assembly Member (NAM) for Banjul Central regarding the widespread blackouts.
Mr. Juwara explained that the disruptions were caused by fluctuations in current, specifically under and overcurrent conditions within the transmission infrastructure. He noted that such technical challenges are commonplace at the onset of the rainy season, as the system’s robustness is often compromised.
“Normally, at the beginning of every rainy season, we face these challenges because of the issues that persist within our oil network. However, these should be resolved as the rainy season progresses,” he stated. He emphasized that the current difficulties are primarily linked to the transmission line’s stability.
The discussion prompted further commentary from Hon. Bilay G. Tunkara, the NAM for Kantora and the Majority Leader of the National Assembly. He underscored the need for a thorough assessment of the infrastructural connections within the Greater Banjul Area to better understand the reasons behind the erratic power supply and prevent future outages. Tunkara pointed to a recent incident in Jabang, where residents endured a blackout lasting 17 hours.
“Seventeen hours is quite excessive. While I wasn’t previously aware of this specific occurrence, I will reach out to NAWEC for clarification. I don’t believe this represents a systemic issue; rather, it appears to be a technical glitch,” he mentioned.
In response to further inquiries from the NAM for Banjul North regarding plans to prevent future outages following the conclusion of the car powership deal with NAWEC, Mr. Juwara outlined several measures being adopted. These include the restoration of additional generation capacity, which will enable NAWEC to produce more than 50 megawatts internally. He also highlighted the commissioning of the Jambur solar plant and the 225 kilovolt transmission line linked with the National Control Centre, along with a reinforcement program for the transmission and distribution network.
Mr. Juwara concluded by assuring that NAWEC has the capacity to obtain over 200 megawatts from neighboring countries, particularly Senegal and Guinea, which will further bolster the nation’s energy supply.
As power issues persist, both the government and NAWEC will need to remain vigilant in addressing the underlying problems to ensure a more reliable electricity supply for all citizens.
