• Senegal agencies sign partnership to pilot photovoltaic recycling project
• Project includes testing lab, recycling unit, training for solar technologies
• Initiative addresses rising solar waste as Senegal expands renewable energy

Senegal’s National Agency for Renewable Energies (ANER), ENDA Energie and the Polytechnic School of Thies (EPT) on Tuesday signed a partnership agreement to develop a pilot project for recycling and recovering photovoltaic equipment.

The initiative aims to build a national ecosystem combining research, innovation, quality control and the recycling of solar technologies. Partners plan to set up a laboratory to test and certify photovoltaic equipment, including panels, charge controllers, inverters and batteries, to verify compliance with international standards and improve the quality of Senegal’s installed solar base.

A pilot recycling unit is also planned to trial industrial solutions adapted to local conditions and help develop a domestic value chain for solar waste recovery.

The partners said the project responds to an expected rise in photovoltaic waste, with volumes forecast to exceed 22,000 tonnes by 2040. It also includes training, skills development and support for the development of regulations and technical standards.

The partnership comes as Senegal ramps up renewable energy to expand electricity access and meet its climate goals. The country aims for universal electricity access by 2029, up from 84% today, and plans to raise renewables to 40% of the power mix while significantly increasing installed capacity by 2030.

The NEA Kolda project in southern Senegal illustrates this push, combining a 60 MW solar plant with a 72 MWh battery storage system. Construction began in May 2025.

Abdoullah Diop