Senegal

Senegal had some of the earliest policies supporting rural electrification on the continent. Law 98-29 of April 14, 1998, led to the creation of the Agence Sénégalaise d’Electrification Rurale (ASER) (Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency). In 2015 the Programme National d’Électrification Rurale (PNER) (National Rural Electrification Programme) led to the creation of ten concession zones across the country. These were allocated to private operators and the national utility. At the same time, through the Electrification Rurale d’Initiative Locale (ERIL) (Local Rural Electrification Initiative), village level and community led projects were encouraged in areas that did not fall under the existing concessions.

This supportive ecosystem, alongside other factors such as typically dense rural communities well suited to mini-grids and significant solar resources have meant that at the time of writing in May 2020 Senegal boasts the greatest number of installed mini-grids on the continent, at 272. A significant portion of these are presumed to no longer be operational. Under the ERIL programme, in March 2019 ASER signed a contract with the German company GAUFF Engineering to install an additional 300 mini-grids. In January 2020, ASER invited bids to build mini-grids for an additional 133 villages.

A number of organisations are active in the sector. These include COSEER (Compagnie Sahélienne en Énergie Renouvelable), Energie-R, Enersa Energie, Faye Solaire / Sud Energie, INENSUS, NS Resif, Salensol, Stadtwerke Mainz, Süd Solar System and Trama Tecnoambiental.

The Electricity Law of 1998 (amended in 2002) opened the energy sector to private participation, introducing a licencing and concession system for generation, distribution and retailing. All systems with capacities less than 50 kVA are exempted from the provisions of the act. Decree No. 98-334 of April 24 1998, in the framework of the 1998 Electricity Law, sets the terms and conditions for the issuance and withdrawal of licences or concessions for the generation, distribution and retailing of electricity. Renewable Energy Law (Law No. 2010-21) regulates the renewable energy sector and makes provision for tax relief, grid access and feed-in tariffs. Decree 2011-2013, in the framework of the 2010 Renewable Energy Law, specifies the grid connection requirements of renewable energy plants and conditions for purchases of electricity from these plants.

More than 55,000 solar home systems (SHS) and pico-solar products were sold by GOGLA and Lighting Global affiliated companies in 2019, increasing by more than 10% from the previous year. Cash sales models continue to dominate, although PAYGO has successfully penetrated the market. PAYGO sales as a portion of total sales declined by 8% in 2019 from 50% in 2018, with the remainder accounted for by cash transactions.

Senegal is home to more than 15 companies operating in the sector, including Asantys Systems, Baobab+, BBOXX, Bonergie, Energie R, Elle Solaire, Ilemel, Lagazel, Little Sun, Oolu Solar, PEG Africa, Sunna Design, Suntaeg, Vitalite, and several others.

Government policies developed in the late 1990s have provided a reliable framework for private development of stand alone solar systems and attracting investment into the sector. In addition, the government implemented a support programme in the form of the ERIL (Electrification Rurale d'Initiative Locale / Local Rural Electrification Initiative) framework. Private SHS companies participating in ERIL stand to benefit from subsidies under the initiative’s policy of harmonising tariffs.

The Electricity Law of 1998 (amended in 2002) opened the energy sector to private participation, introducing a licencing and concession system for generation, distribution and retailing. All systems with capacities less than 50 kVA are exempted from the provisions of the act. Decree No. 98-334 of April 24 1998, in the framework of the 1998 Electricity Law, sets the terms and conditions for the issuance and withdrawal of licences or concessions for the generation, distribution and retailing of electricity. Renewable Energy Law (Law No. 2010-21) regulates the renewable energy sector and makes provision for tax relief subject to certain conditions.

Captive power projects in Senegal are not well documented, however several enabling factors suggest that the sector may indeed be well developed. Specifically, captive power may be especially important for small and medium enterprises who are worst affected by power outages. Persistent power outages, favourable regulation and the ability to sell excess energy to the grid all indicate a situation that is well suited to the benefits of captive power.

Self-generation is possible in Senegal, subject to specific conditions including self-consumption, land ownership and prior notification. Excess electricity may be sold exclusively to the national utility, SENELEC, and feed-in tariffs are under development. The electricity law also allows excess power to be sold to large consumers, defined as 1 MW and more from March 2019.

Captive power projects in the country vary greatly in size. For example, JUWI and their local partner INENSUS West Africa S.A.R.L sponsored and installed a 4 kW solar system at the N'dollor Health Centre. By contrast, Urbasolar developed the 7 MW Sococim Rufisque solar PV plant to power the company’s Rufisue cement works. Other companies operating in the sector include Canopy Energy, Enersa Energie, Ilemel and Solar23.

The Electricity Law of 1998 (amended in 2002) opened the energy sector to private participation, introducing a licencing and concession system for generation, distribution and retailing. All systems with capacities less than 50 kVA are exempted from the provisions of the act. Decree No. 98-334 of April 24 1998, in the framework of the 1998 Electricity Law, sets the terms and conditions for the issuance and withdrawal of licences or concessions for the generation, distribution and retailing of electricity. Renewable Energy Law (Law No. 2010-21) regulates the renewable energy sector and makes provision for tax relief, grid access and feed-in tariffs.
Decree 2011-2013, in the framework of the 2010 Renewable Energy Law, specifies the grid connection requirements of renewable energy plants and conditions for purchases of electricity from these plants.
Decree No. 2011-2014, in the framework of the 2010 Renewable Energy law, specifies the conditions for purchasing surplus electricity from self-produced renewable energy systems. The decree specifies maximum intake from systems and feed-in tariff procedures. The decree states that the tariff will be fixed, adapted once every 3 years and set by CRSE.

About 70% of the Senegalese population relies on biomass fuels for cooking, largely in rural areas. The Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) programme implemented by the World Food Programme has been supporting the growth of clean cooking with 3,857 improved stoves distributed throughout the country by the end of 2017. Prime Cookstoves and the Social & Ecological Management Fund are among the formal companies in the country contributing to the growth of clean cookstoves. The Social & Ecological Management Fund aims to replace 30,000 charcoal stoves with more efficient and environmentally friendly stoves. The organisation supports households by financing the purchase of efficient cookstoves and EcoSacs, a locally manufactured temperature retention bag. Energising Development (EnDev) has been active in Senegal since 2006, working with local producers to increase efficiency and supporting the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to grow the clean cooking sector.