• Senegal inaugurated a 16 MWp solar plant coupled with 10 MW / 20 MWh battery storage in northern Saint-Louis.

• The €40 million project marks Senegal’s first solar plant dedicated to frequency regulation.

• Authorities aim to support grid stability, renewable integration, and peak-time supply.

Senegalese authorities on Thursday, Jan. 22, inaugurated the Walo Storage power plant in Bokhol, in the Saint-Louis region in the north of the country. The facility combines a 16-megawatt-peak solar plant with a battery storage system rated at 10 megawatts and 20 megawatt-hours. Local administrative officials, technical and financial partners, and Senelec Chief Executive Officer Papa Toby Gaye attended the ceremony on behalf of the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines.

The project entered commercial operation in July 2025. According to its promoters, Walo Storage represents Senegal’s first solar plant with battery storage dedicated to frequency regulation and ranks among the first of its kind in West Africa. The facility aims to strengthen grid stability, ease the integration of intermittent renewable energy, and secure electricity supply during grid disruptions.

Africa REN developed Walo Storage with a total investment of €40 million. Shareholders of the developer provided equity financing, while FMO and EAAIF, a fund backed by PIDG, supplied debt financing. The plant connects directly to the Senelec grid and supports electricity supply during peak demand while contributing to frequency regulation.

“Walo Storage provides us with an essential tool to guarantee stable and reliable electricity while contributing significantly to the diversification of our energy mix. This achievement strengthens Senegal’s pioneering role in sustainable electrification in West Africa and highlights our ability to collaborate with private-sector actors and mobilize international financing,” Gaye said at the time of commissioning.

The inauguration comes as Senegal accelerates the deployment of solar projects combined with battery storage. In May 2025, pan-African developer AXIAN Energy launched construction of the NEA Kolda power plant, a 60-megawatt solar project paired with 72 megawatt-hours of storage and backed by financing exceeding €105 million.

More broadly, these projects align with Senegal’s commitments under its National Energy Pact, developed within the Mission 300 initiative. The pact targets universal access to electricity by 2029 and aims to raise renewables to 40% of the power generation mix by 2030.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange J. A. de BERRY QUENUM