EU Grants €24 Million to Gambia for Solar Electrification of Rural Schools and Health Centers

The European Union (EU) has announced the provision of a grant aiming to accelerate the implementation of the ‘Gambia Renewable Energy’ project. The €24 million grant, accompanied by an €8 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), will enable the electrification of several schools and health centers in rural regions of the country through solar energy.

The funding for renewable energy development was approved by the EU on the sidelines of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), which recently took place in Doha, Qatar. The conference aimed to support sustainable development in the least developed countries and to tap the full potential of these countries helping them make more progress.

The EU funding will help in the implementation of a project to electrify more than 1,000 rural schools and 100 health centers in the Gambia. It will provide the beneficiary education and health centers with clean and sustainable energy, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.

Once operational, the project will increase the energy supply in Gambia’s rural areas by more than 20% of the existing state. In addition to this, the project will support the development of a new solar power plant of 23 MWp capacity in the Jambur village, located near Banjul, as well as strengthen the electricity transmission & distribution infrastructure.

According to Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity for all is the priority of Team Europe. The €24 million grant agreement will power up schools and health centers in the Gambia via solar panels and battery technology. The green energy project supports climate action and human development, creating more economic opportunities across the country.

Thomas Östros, EIB’s Vice-President, said, the funding will enable Gambia to become the first country in Africa to provide renewable energy electrification for all public schools and health centers. The flagship project is supported by EIB Global, the EIB unit dedicated to the development and international partnership outside the EU.