Gambia: NAWEC vows to reduce frequent electricity load-shedding
By Own Correspondent – The National Water and Electricity Company, NAWEC, has expressed its resolve to reduce, by this week, the frequent electricity load-shedding that the country has been experiencing in recent times.
Baba Fatajo Director of Generation at NAWEC announced this at a press conference held at the Kotu Power Station on Saturday.
The briefing came on the heels of a series of power cuts, experienced for the past two months, which has thrown people within and outside the Greater Banjul Area into darkness.
Briefing journalists on the current situation, Fatajo said due to a serious fire outbreak that destroyed three of their engines at NAWEC’s Kotu Power Station in July this year, consumers have been experiencing frequent load-shedding for the past two months.
“We have received and restored our turbo-charger, which was sent to a specialized workshop in Senegal for servicing,” he said.
He also announced that with the acquisition of a new control panel for Generator 4, the frequent load-shedding will be a thing of the past.
“Generator 4, which is 5.5 MW, is now functioning and in the near future eight out of the ten MW will be restored,” he said.
He said that by the middle of next month, NAWEC will receive the rest of its equipment.
According to him, it is NAWECs concern to return to normalcy, and stop the frequent load-shedding.
“NAWEC is doing all it can to meet the satisfaction and needs of their customers,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Pierre Sylva, Public Relations Officer at NAWEC, called on consumers to be patient, describing the current situation as an unforeseen circumstance.
“There have been lots of calls from our customers during this period and, to be frank, it is the right of our customers to know what is going on at NAWEC, when they are not satisfied with our services,” Sylva added.
He also called on NAWEC customers to pay their bills on time, noting that without this NAWEC will find it difficult to move on.
