25.01.2016
GAUFF Engineering assumes responsibility for site management of a transnational energy project in Senegal
Within the scope of its energy development programme, the Gambia River Basin Development Organisation (OMVG) has assigned GAUFF Engineering with both the site management for the new construction of the hydropower plant “Sambangalou” and the construction of the power transmission lines and its related infrastructure. This also includes connecting the existing hydropower plant Kaleta to the transmission grid.
Since the 1980s, the OMVG, a transnational organisation consisting of the West African countries Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Guinea Bissau, has promoted using the natural resources of the river Gambia, realising joint projects within the region for this purpose. The contract between OMVG and GAUFF Engineering was signed in Dakar on the 10th of December 2015 by Justino Vieira, Executive Secretary of OMVG and Romain Charlot, Director for Francophone Africa of GAUFF Engineering.
The whole project encompasses the development and construction of the hydropower plant “Sambangalou” in Senegal with an installed capacity of 128 MW, as well as approximately 1,700 kilometres of 225 kV power transmission lines, 15 transformer stations and a transmission grid for the energetic interconnection of the four OMVG countries. 50 months have been scheduled for the construction of the hydropower plant Sambangalou and a construction period of 18 months for the power transmission lines, which have been divided into six sections. Furthermore, GAUFF Engineering is responsible for the technical assistance in the commissioning of the existing hydropower plant Kaleta in Guinea, which has an installed capacity of 240 MW.
Sambangalou will produce 402 GWh and Kaleta 946 GWh of electricity annually. The produced energy corresponds to 12,6 % of the forecasted overall demand of the OMVG countries for the year 2018, therefore forming an important component for the future resource-saving energy supply of the four participating states.
The African Development Bank and the World Bank, together with six additional international financial institutions, will provide funding for the investment sum amounting to 810 Million Euro in total.
The OMVG charged GAUFF with the site management and corresponding project management. Within the framework of this contract, GAUFF will found and manage a Project Management Unit (PMU) composed of 35 international experts. Its purpose will be to accompany the administration, financial management, environmental management, as well as socially acceptable resettlements for the duration of the project period of 56 months. The supervision and control of both Sambangalou and the high voltage supply network also fall within the area of responsibility of the PMU. Other important features of GAUFF’s contract are educating and transferring knowledge to staff of the OMVG and the PMU, as well as assisting in finding future operators for both hydropower plants and the power transmission lines.