With a national electrification rate of an estimated 40 per cent and with certain areas having an electrification rate as low as 6 per cent, the time is ripe in The Gambia for the Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy (RE) Nationally Appropriation Mitigation Action (NAMA). A number of building blocks have already been put in place in the country. The 2013 Renewable Energy Act provides the framework for both on and off-grid renewable energy tariffs and net metering, as well as establishing a national RE Fund. There has been development of pilot renewable energy projects as well as diesel powered multi-function platforms, which provide energy access for economic activities in rural areas.

The NAMA has five key objectives which are:

(i)Increase the level of renewable energy for electricity and contribute to the national long-term target of increasing the share of renewable energy within the power generation sector.
(ii)Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the power generation sector.
(iii)Increase the rural population’s access to sustainable electricity.
(iv)Encourage an increase in rural income generation, and improve rural livelihoods.

These objectives will be accomplished through a number of activities, divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 1 activities will include the establishment of two types of ventures which will connect unelectrified rural communities: RE Community Energy Centres (RE-CEC) and RE Micro-Grids (RE-MGs). Phase 2 ventures will comprise RE systems which will displace thermal generation at existing regional grids (referred to as RE Displacement Systems – RE-DIS) and RE independent power producers (RE-IPPs).
 
Both RE-CECs and RE-MGs will have as a core design component a rural productivity zone (RPZ), where community members will be provided energy access which can be used to start up small businesses; the RPZ will also provide energy to a limited number of public buildings. The key difference between the RE-CEC and RE-MG ventures is the manner of distribution of electricity to households: RE-CECs provide electricity through rechargeable batteries, while RE-MGs provide individual household connections. Approximately 50 households will receive electricity access from each of the eight proposed RE-CEC ventures and the eight RE-MG ventures.
 
The business model applied for both venture types will be a public-private partnership (PPP), in which a public entity owns the RE system but a private sector company manages and maintains the system. In addition to the implementation of the ventures, ongoing capacity-building at all levels will occur.

Regulations and policies will be updated, training sessions will be held and awareness will be raised.
 
Phase 2 will shift activities to a larger scale private sector model. Ventures will include six RE-DIS, of various capacities, and a seven megawatt RE-IPP.

The activities of the NAMA will be paid for via both international and national finance. At the national level, finance will come from the national budget, cost reduction measures and consumer payment schemes. Finance will be provided through mechanisms such as direct investment grants, the RE Fund and a loan facility.
 
The NAMA will be governed by a multi-stakeholder approval committee and coordinated by the Coordinating Authority. Technical advice will be provided by an expert group and a trustee will manage the financial flows.
 
The baseline scenario for this NAMA consists of two components, a GHG baseline and a sustainable development (SD) baseline. Setting the baseline scenario in this way allows all effects to be properly assessed and quantified through the monitoring activities described in the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. In the MRV, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) “Small-scale Methodology: AMS-I.L Electrification of rural communities using renewable energy, Version 03.0” will be used to monitor GHG emission reductions.