BREAKING: “We are in a crisis. We need to support each other” — NAWEC cites capacity deficit, fuel and supply challenges behind nationwide outages

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has confirmed it is operating under a major power shortfall, with Operations and Planning Manager Sanna Gomez stating that “NAWEC is currently faced with capacity deficit” driven by technical challenges and a wider energy crisis.

Speaking at a press conference today, Gomez said available capacity stands at 78 megawatts, including 52 imported and 24 from local generation, against a demand of 106 megawatts, making load shedding unavoidable “to ensure network is stable,” even when electricity can be paid for.

He added that “logistics of getting fuel on the ground is a problem” and warned that global factors, including the war involving Iran, are disrupting both fuel access and the supply of spare parts, with two engines in Brikama and one in Kotu affected, alongside others under maintenance.

“Unfortunately the capacity is not there,” Gomez said, urging the public to conserve energy, stressing, “We are in a crisis. We need to support each other… This is the current status of NAWEC as power generation is concerned.”