The French Development Agency (AFD) granted FCFA 26.238 billion (about $44.2 million) to member-countries of the Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Gambie (OMVG). The funds will be used to establish an interconnection line between Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Senegal.

“The project, which consists in the development of a 1,677 km high-voltage interconnection power line, with 800 MW of transit capacity, will allow OMVG member states to get clean and cheap energy via the Kaléta dam in Guinea (240 MW) and the Sambagalou (128 MW) dam on the Gambia river in Senegal,” said Amadou Bâ, Senegal’s ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning during the signing of funding agreement. The financing is directed to the line’s section located between Kaolack and Tambacounda in Senegal.

“With this project, hydropower energy corresponding to about 15% of power the demand projected in 2020 will be imported, for twice less than actual production. It’s both far cheaper and cleaner,” said Christophe Bigot, France’s ambassador to Senegal.

It should be recalled that the World Bank has already injected $200 million in the project.

Gwladys Johnson