• Senegal launches solar-plus-storage projects to boost grid stability

• Diass project adds first battery system, backed by KfW, AFD

• Linguère hybrid plant to power 90,000 homes, support energy targets

Senegal is advancing hybrid energy solutions combining solar generation with battery storage, as part of efforts to improve grid stability. State utility Senelec said in social media posts in early April it had launched two major energy projects in Diass and Linguère.

The first announcement, made on April 1, concerns the installation of the country’s first battery energy storage system (BESS) alongside the Diass solar plant, southeast of Dakar. The project is valued at 36 million euros and is financed by the German development bank KfW, with additional support from the French Development Agency (AFD). The system will comprise 30 battery containers and 360 converters, with a storage capacity exceeding 20,000 MWh.

The second project, announced on April 9, involves the groundbreaking of a hybrid energy facility in Linguère, northwest of the capital. It consists of a 50 MWp solar plant paired with a 30 MW storage system with a capacity of 90 MWh. Developed in partnership with Huawei and Genertec CNTIC, the facility is expected to supply electricity to about 90,000 households. Financing terms and a commissioning date were not disclosed.

According to Senelec, both projects are intended to strengthen grid stability. “A concrete step forward to reinforce Senegal’s energy independence, accelerate the transition to renewable energy, and ensure a sustainable future for future generations,” the company said.

More broadly, the projects align with the objectives of Senegal’s National Energy Pact, developed under the Mission 300 framework, which targets a 40% share of renewables in the electricity mix. Dakar aims to achieve universal electricity access by 2029, up from 84% currently, while expanding generation capacity by 2030 as part of its renewable energy strategy.

Abdoullah Diop