Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Government of The Gambia has announced a major step forward in its mission to improve electricity infrastructure, with the construction of a high-voltage transmission line under the Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project (GERMP), funded by the World Bank. The GERMP aims to significantly enhance power distribution and reduce electricity interruptions in the country.

The 225 kV Transmission and Distribution line will stretch from the Brikama power station to the newly constructed 225/33 kV substation at the edge of Salagi Forest Park. The 40-meter-wide line corridor will pass through key areas, including Mariama Kunda, Jabang, Labakoreh, Yuna, and Latrya, before crossing the Sukuta-Jambangjelly Highway and reaching the Solar Power Plant in Jambur.

The line will then travel through Bamba and Nyambai Forest Parks, cross the Brikama-Serrekunda Highway, and connect back to the Brikama power plant at the OMVG substation.

This transmission line will support the government’s long-term goal to stabilize and expand the country’s electricity grid, with the newly signed Right of Way Declaration by the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs further facilitating project implementation.

As part of its development, a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) identified 483 Project Affected Persons (PAPs), of which 432 have already received compensation since the RAP was initiated in 2021. However, 71 landowners remain unidentified, and the government is urging anyone with property in the corridor, who may have observed survey marks on their land, to contact the project team via the toll-free number 1266.

The contractor, TBEA, has completed the installation of pylon towers and is now mobilizing to begin cable stringing. As part of the project’s advancement, the government has issued a notice that clearing of the Right of Way (RoW) will begin on November 8, 2024. This phase will require the demolition of physical structures from Jabang to Brikama Power Station, and property owners and residents within the RoW have been encouraged to cooperate with the process.

The Gambia government is calling for public cooperation throughout this significant infrastructure project, which is expected to provide a lasting positive impact on the country’s energy security and reliability.