• Electricity access reached 84% in 2024, with full urban coverage
• Power mix to shift toward gas and renewables by 2030
• Electricity demand expected to grow about 8% annually through 2030

Senegal is on course to achieve universal access to electricity by 2029, one year ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal 7 target set for 2030, the International Energy Agency said in its February report Electricity 2026.

The target is outlined in Senegal’s Energy Compact under the Mission 300 initiative, which plans for an annual increase of 2.9% in the electricity access rate to reach full coverage nationwide.

The objective is supported by a strong starting position. In 2024, 84% of Senegal’s population had access to electricity, one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Coverage is now universal in urban areas, while rural access stands at 66%, the IEA said.

Achieving universal access will require a major shift in the country’s power generation mix. The share of natural gas in electricity production is expected to rise from less than 1% in 2025 to about 30% by 2030, reflecting the rapid introduction of gas into a system historically dominated by fuel oil. At the same time, the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources is projected to reach 22% in 2030, up by about 10 percentage points from 2025.

This transformation is supported by several projects already operating or under development. These include a 16 MW solar power plant equipped with 10 MW/20 MWh of storage commissioned in 2025, and the start of construction of the NEO Kolda project, combining 60 MW of solar capacity with 20 MW and 72 MWh of storage. The IEA also cited the conversion of the 335 MW Bel Air power plant from heavy fuel oil to natural gas, with plans to eventually supply it with domestic gas.

Alongside changes in generation capacity, electricity consumption rose 22% year on year in 2025 and is expected to grow by about 8% annually over the 2026–2030 period, underscoring the need to add new capacity, the agency said.

Abdoullah Diop