Markets

60 MW Scaling Solar PV Capacity Commissioned In Senegal

Anu Bhambhani
  • 60 MW AC solar power capacity is online in Senegal under the World Bank's Scaling Solar program
  • It was commissioned by the consortium of Engie and Meridiam from France, and FONSIS from Senegal
  • 35 MW Kahone Solaire facility will supply power generated to Senelec for $0.0380 per kWh, and the 25 MW Kael Solaire facility for $0.0398 per kWh

Two solar power plants in Senegal have come online representing 60 MW AC capacity in cumulative, under the World Bank backed Scaling Solar program. The 2 projects—35 MW Kahone Solaire SA and 25 MW Kael Solaire SA— are financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), European Investment Bank (EIB) and Proparco.

Both the projects were won by Engie, Meridiam and Senegal's Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund FONSIS, through competitive bidding, offering the winning bid of $0.0380 per kWh for the Kahone project located in Kaolack, and $0.0398 per kWh for Kael facility located in Diourbel regions. Power generated by the projects will be delivered to Senegalese national electric company Senelec under a power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in November 2018 (see Engie Consortium Signs PPA For 60 MW In Senegal).

Meridiam Afrique's COO Mathieu Peller said the 2 projects are expected to provide the equivalent of 540,000 people with cheap, renewable electricity, and that these are the 1st electricity generation projects by private operators to be tendered in the African nation as its attempts to increase share of renewable energy in its total power mix to 30% by 2025.

The 2 solar facilities coming online is a result of several international institutions coming together, shared the IFC naming them as the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Power Africa, Dutch government, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Infrastructure Development Collaboration Partnership Fund (DevCo).

Meridiam said the trio now owns and manages 4 solar power plants in Senegal (including Senergy and Ten Merina projects) representing a total capacity of 120 MW, and accounting for more than 50% of the country's total solar capacity (see 30 MW PV Plant Commissioned In Senegal).

According to the IFC, Senegal is the 2nd country to have brought Scaling Solar projects online, after Zambia (see Enel Brings Online Scaling Solar Project In Zambia).

In May 2021, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy announced Abu Dhabi's Masdar as the winner of 2×200 MW Scaling Solar projects in the country (see Masdar Wins Another 400 MW Scaling Solar In Uzbekistan).