(Ecofin Agency) - It seems that in Senegal, the integration of renewables in the energy mix is going very well, driven by solar mostly.

Djiby Ndiaye (picture), managing director of the national renewable energies agency (ANER), has indeed recently disclosed that starting from March 2018, a project to build a 150MW solar plant would be initiated in the country. This infrastructure is to partially begin operations in 2019, adding initially 50MW to the national power grid.

Moreover, the country will finance, jointly with the European Union, a solar programme that will benefit 40 villages situated in the south-eastern region. This project should cost $8.5 million and will lead to the installation of 800KW of mini solar grids.

“We are proceeding to the effective implementation of this project which aims at achieving a sustainable development leveraging on renewable energies. Developed in the south-Eastern region of Senegal, it covers the communities of Sédhiou, Zinguinchor, Kolda and Tambacounda, among others,” said in this regard Siré Abdou Diallo, project coordinator at ECOWAS’ Centre for renewable energies and efficiency, Agence de presse sénégalaise reports. As part of the project, 80 young men and women were trained to install and insure the maintenance of the mini solar plants.

Still in the framework of a sustainable development via renewable energies, 7,000 solar pumps will be installed in the Niayes area for its vegetable farms.

Finally, ANER plans to establish structures that will have the capacity to assess and control the quality of equipment and solar installations sold in the country.

Looking at the various developments, Ndiaye said he is confident that the country will achieve this year its objective to increase to 20% the share of renewables in its energy mix. “With the large power stations alone, we can achieve our 20% target for the share of renewables in our energy mix, set in 2012 at the creation of ANER,” he said.

Gwladys Johnson