Senegals Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund (FONSIS), Meridiam and ENGIE have announced the commissioning of two photovoltaic power plants in Senegal with a total production capacity of 60 MW
Kahone Solaire SA (35MW) and Kaél Solaire SA (25MW) are located respectively in the regions of Kaolack and Diourbel, in the centre of the country. These plants are part of the Scaling Solar initiative in Senegal, jointly led by the Senegalese authorities and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which aims to promote investment in solar energy.
These are the first electricity generation projects by private operators to be tendered in Senegal. They will contribute directly to the country's ambitious goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 30%.
With Senergy and the Ten Merina plants, ENGIE, Meridiam and FONSIS now own and manage four solar plants in Senegal with a total production capacity of 120 MW, representing more than 50% of the country's solar capacity.
The Kahone and Kael solar power plants are expected to provide 540,000 people with cheap and renewable electricity, creating over 400 direct and indirect local jobs. The two plants will avoid 89,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Mathieu Peller, COO of Meridiam Africa, commented, “After the Senergy and Ten Merina solar power plants, these projects are Meridiam's third and fourth developments in Senegal. They illustrate how committed we are to supporting Senegal's transition to cleaner, cheaper energy while creating economic opportunities for local communities.”
Philippe Miquel, CEO North Africa at ENGIE, added, “The Senegalese government has set a target of 30% renewable energy in the electricity mix by 2025. We are pleased to be able to contribute, with the Kahone and Kael photovoltaic plants, to providing clean and sustainable energy to the population. We also welcome the excellent collaboration between the various parties involved.”
