Mini-grids in Guinea-Bissau

The TESE - Association for Development, Associated with ALER, opened a competition for the Construction of a mini solar grid in Bolama as  well as the respective electricity grid, which applications are accepted until June 27, at 12pm. The competition arises under the European Union Program "Ianda Guiné!", framed in the Action "Ianda Guiné! Lus ku Iagu" and is made exclusively in digital format.

TESE was also responsible for the implementation of Bambadinca's mini-grids, which case study ALER recently published.

Alfredo Pais, TESE’s sector manager of energy addressed in an article published in The Renewable Magazine, the importance of mini solar grids in rural context in Guinea-Bissau, its challenges and also management models: "In addition to the urban area of Bissau, the electricity grid, to this day, is non-existent and, having the country very high radiation levels (about 2000 kWh/m2), solar energy has become a strong alternative in rural areas, being implemented on a small scale in small solar solar systems, for pumping water at home or community level, supply of mobile grid antennas, and punctually in peak-grids and mini-grids".

As for the management model of the mini-grids, this "must be more agile and professional to make the mini-grids sustainable in the long term", however, this is a challenge in Guinea-Bissau due to the great political instability, low levels of education, high corruption perception rates and the population's limited financial resources.

For more grid’s effective management, TESE pointed out the need to capitate local human resources, with the necessary experience and qualifications, as well as a "professional backoffice management, able to update from a continuous improvement perspective", contributing to a rigorous financial control, ensuring the sustainability of the plant, in particular in the repair and replacement of components.

The article is available for full reading here