To achieve SDG 7, access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services for all must be guaranteed by 2030.
With 5.8 TWh of electricity generated in 2020, Senegal is one of the 10 most electrified countries in Africa.
The energy sector in Senegal constitutes a major support to the economy’s growth and the reduction of social inequalities. Some points are as follow:
1. Total access to electricity in Senegal is 70.4% (WB data in 2020), with urban areas electrified at 95% and rural areas at 47% (2nd most electrified countries in West Africa).
2. Electricity generation capacity has tripled in the last 10 years in Senegal (from 500 MW in 2012 to 1555 MW in 2021)
3. In 2020, fossils dominated power generation in Senegal (oil: 83.5%) followed by renewables (Solar+Wind: 10.4%) (according to IEA)
4. In 2021 with 496 MW, Senegal reached its 2030 target of having 30% of installed electricity capacity from renewables (according to Enerdata).
5. Senegal has experienced a strong growth in solar energy capacity recently (from 6 MW in 2012 to 238 MW in 2021) CAGR = 8.9% (according to Statista).
6. Senegal is the leader in wind energy in West Africa. The Taiba N’diaye wind farm, with a capacity of 158 MW, is the 7th largest wind farm in Africa (according to EnergyCapital&Power).
To achieve its emergence by 2035, as envisioned in the ‘’Plan Sénegal Emergent PSE’’, the electricity sector must address a number of challenges such as:
– Ensure energy security and improve access to electricity for all, especially in rural areas.
– Develop an energy mix policy combining thermal, hydro, natural gas, and renewable energies.
– Improve the competitiveness of the sector to make electricity available at the best prices.
The country is committed to finding sustainable solutions to these challenges, and the government is actively collaborating with its multilateral partners on several initiatives, including:
– The Senegal Energy Access Scale Up Project (PADAES), financed by the World Bank, which aims to connect over 200,000 households to the national grid, with over 1.5 million people affected.
– The Universal Access to Electricity Project (PAMACEL), funded by the African Development Bank, aims to improve electricity distribution, and increase the population’s access to quality electricity in several rural areas by 2025.
– The Senegal Power Compact (MCA-Senegal II) with an overall investment of $600 million supported by the United States, which aims to increase access to electricity in rural and peri-urban areas in the southern and central regions of the country.