Senegal lauches 20 MW solar plant, one of the largest in Sub Saharan Africa.

Record ID: 84004

  • Title: Senegal lauches 20 MW solar plant, one of the largest in Sub Saharan Africa.
  • Date: 24th October 2016
  • Summary: BOKHOL, SENEGAL (OCTOBER 22, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SENERGY 2 SOLAR POWER PLANT/SENEGAL AND SENERGY 2 FLAGS VARIOUS OF SOLAR PANELS VARIOUS OF SENEGAL'S PRESIDENT, MACKY SALL CUTTING RIBBON TO INAUGURATE SENERGY 2 RESIDENTS OF BOKHOL ATTENDING LAUNCH CEREMONY SALL UNVEILING INAUGURATION PLAQUE BOKHOL RESIDENTS SINGING AND DANCING GUESTS AND AUDIENCE SALL WALKING UP TO PODIUM CHARLOTTE AUBI-KALAIDJIAN, GREENWISH PARTNERS CEO LOOKING ON AT CEREMONY (SOUNDBITE) (French) SENEGAL PRESIDENT, MACKY SALL SAYING: "Senegal is now fully entering the era of clean energy, helping to save the planet by reducing greenhouse gases. Therefore, from here in Bokhol, I call on all partners who want to support us in the development of alternative energy. The best support you can give us in this area is to directly support the projects underway or those to come through grants that will make production costs even more competitive, in order to lower the price of electricity sold to consumers in the future." VARIOUS OF SOLAR PANELS AND WORKERS POWER GRIDS (SOUNDBITE) (French) GREENWISH PARTNERS CEO, CHARLOTTE AUBI-KALAIDJIAN SAYING: "Every country needs to diversify its energy sources. In Senegal, solar power has its place. The amount of sunshine here, it's about 40 degrees right now, is double compared to what solar farm of the same capacity in England or in northern France would produce, and allows us to produce electricity at a competitive price." DAKAR, SENEGAL (OCTOBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC FROZEN YOGURT SHOP MANAGER GREETING CUSTOMER YOGURTLANDIA SIGN CUSTOMER RECEIVING HER ORDER CUSTOMERS EATING FROZEN YOGURT EMPLOYEE SERVING FROZEN YOGURT (SOUNDBITE) (French) YOGURTLANDIA SENEGAL MANAGER, TAMSIR SALL SAYING: "For sure businesses like mine, electricity is vital. We cannot work without it. It's a must! And for a country to grow, evolve, and build itself, it needs stable electricity. Electricity is a basic need to work and live." DAKAR, SENEGAL (OCTOBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) FORMER SENEGAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MINISTER, LOUIS SECK WALKING INTO HIS OFFICE VARIOUS OF SECK AND COLLEAGUES MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FORMER SENEGAL RENEWABLE ENERGY MINISTER, LOUIS SECK SAYING: "The problem of electricity in Senegal is a problem of a lack of supply of electricity. That is to say that demand is higher than supply. However, this demand that is higher than the supply is also an indication of something else. It is the rate of urbanisation and industrialisation in Senegal that causes a regular increase in electricity demand every year. But now, the government is making great efforts to fill this gap." POWER LINES POWER LINES AND HOUSES IN BACKGROUND STREET LIGHT
  • Embargoed: 8th November 2016 14:08
  • Keywords: Bokhol Solar energy Synergy 2 Senelec Macky Sall Greenwish Partners Sustanaible energy Renewable energy Power Electricity
  • Location: DAKAR AND BOKHOL, SENEGAL
  • City: DAKAR AND BOKHOL, SENEGAL
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA00155D5T93
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Senegal officially launched a new 20-megawatt solar power plant at the weekend in Bokho - a town in the country's north. The project follows through on a COP21 commitment by Senegal's president, Macky Sall to cut greenhouse gases.
    The 20-megawatt installation known as Senergy 2 is part of a two-solar power plant project and is set to provide electricity to around 160,000 people and will feed into a network managed by the national electricity company Senelec.
    GreenWish, a Paris-based investment company focused on renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa developed and built the 28 million US dollar project.
    In his address at the launch, Sall said it was important to lower electricity prices and urged Senelec to think about the possibility of reducing electrical costs as early as January 2017.
    "Senegal is now fully entering the era of clean energy, helping to save the planet by reducing greenhouse gases. Therefore, from here in Bokhol, I call on all partners who want to support us in the development of alternative energy. The best support you can give us in this area is to directly support the projects underway or those to come through grants that will make production costs even more competitive, in order to lower the price of electricity sold to consumers in the future," he said.
    GreenWish CEO Charlotte Aubi-Kalaidjian said energy diversification was vital as raw materials become more and more volatile, adding that with the price of petrol decreasing, solar energy prices will be more competitive in the long-term.
    "Every country needs to diversify its energy sources. In Senegal, solar power has its place. The amount of sunshine here, it's about 40 degrees right now, is double compared to what solar farm of the same capacity in England or in northern France would produce, and allows us to produce electricity at a competitive price," she said.
    Aubi-Kalaidjian said Senergy 2 will be putting to use land that is otherwise unsuitable for agriculture or human habitation, as well as creating jobs for the local communities.
    According to GreenWish, Senergy 2 is set to prevent the emission of carbon dioxide by 23,000 tonnes each year.
    It is an attractive prospect for a nation with a dire power deficit, and which currently meets most of its needs by burning imported oil in hugely inefficient diesel generators.
    According to the World Bank, about 57 percent of the West African nation has access to electricity.
    Businesses such as international Italian frozen yogurt franchise, Yogurtlandia hope solar energy can ease the electricity challenges they face.
    "For sure businesses like mine, electricity is vital. We cannot work without it. It's a must! And for a country to grow, evolve, and build itself, it needs stable electricity. Electricity is a basic need to work and live," said Yogurtlandia manager, Tamnsir Sall.
    Senegal is hoping to become an example for renewable energy in West Africa, a region that still lags behind in its development and use of the technology.
    "The problem of electricity in Senegal is a problem of a lack of supply of electricity. That is to say that demand is higher than supply. However, this demand that is higher than the supply is also an indication of something else. It is the rate of urbanisation and industrialisation in Senegal that causes a regular increase in electricity demand every year. But now, the government is making great efforts to fill this gap," said former Senegal renewable energy minister Louis Seck, who now works at non-profit organisation known as Energy 4 Impact.
    Despite abundant sun throughout the year, solar energy is less than 1 percent of Africa's power generation.
    Outside of South Africa and Algeria, there are only a few utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants on the continent.
    Investors in renewable energy say that they want dependable cash flows, but in many African countries, weak legal frameworks, unclear land rights and poor transmission infrastructure make this hard to guarantee.
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