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Case study 8 August, 2024 Battery / Energy StorageSolar PV E-mobility Stand alone

VoltaViewAfrica – e-Mobility for Bird-watching (The Gambia)

Who, What & Where

The Company

Technical support for the project with the oyster fisherwomen in Kartong is provided by our cooperation partner, the NGO BenaBena The Gambia, located in Kitty near Brikama. We have an established long-term partnership with BenaBena in the field of renewable energy systems.

Our second cooperation partner is the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) based in Serekunda. We also have a long-standing cooperation with USET. VoltaViewAfrica will supervise a bachelor’s thesis for a team of women in collaboration with USET, aiming to systematically investigate and evaluate the effects of e-mobility on the fisherwomen. The goals are to improve their quality of life, enhance the profitability of the oyster fishing business model, and prevent overfishing of oysters in the mangrove forests.

The Challenge

Birdwatching is one of the main tourist attractions in The Gambia. Over 600 different bird species are recorded in the local mangrove forests. Each year, between October and May, several thousand visitors from around the world come to The Gambia to experience this unique birdlife on guided boat tours. Until now, the boats have been powered by gasoline outboard engines, which cause both noise and environmental pollution.

Renewable Solution

Solar energy combined with sodium-ion batteries is considered a sustainable solution for Africa because:

  • Africa has abundant solar resources.
  • Sodium-ion batteries are more affordable than lithium-ion batteries.
  • Sodium-ion batteries are more sustainable than lithium-ion batteries.
  • Both solar energy and sodium-ion batteries are scalable.
  • Solar energy and sodium-ion batteries are environmentally friendly.

Project Outcome

The first tests with a prototype e-motor were carried out in Koto in November 2023. In January 2024, six additional Gambia Bird Guides boats were equipped with electric motors as standard. The associated batteries are charged exclusively via solar power. This project, therefore, makes a sustainable contribution to the preservation of this globally unique birdlife.