Senegal inaugurated on Monday, the Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) project, which provides the first-ever utility-scale wind power in West Africa. The facility will supply nearly a sixth of the country’s power when it reaches full capacity later this year.
The country’s primary source of electricity generation is oil, translating to some of the most expensive electricity tariff in sub-Saharan Africa over US$0. 26/kWh. Renewable energy development has been seen as part of the solution to both high electricity costs and low electricity access.
In Taiba N’Diaye, 46 giant wind turbines rise over scrubland about 90 km (56 miles) from the seaside capital. One-third are operating, and the rest is due to come online by June.
Papa Mademba Biteye, director-general of Senelec, the national electricity company, said: “the energy mix we have today allows us to move past our dependence on petrol,” at an inauguration ceremony in the rural community of Taiba N’Diaye.
Senelec owns power stations with nearly 60 % of the total production capacity while the remainder is private, either GTI-Dakar or Eskom-Manantali.
The vision of President Macky Sall and Senegal’s agenda is to develop the economy on a foundation of a diversified energy sector in order to become an emerging economy by 2025. This will lead the West African nation to get 30% of its energy from clean sources, in a push to cut its dependence on fossil fuels.
Wind farms remain scarce throughout sub-Saharan Africa compared with solar plants, partly because they can cost more and take longer to build and because strong wind is generally less plentiful than sunshine.
Lekela, a British renewable power company built the 158 megawatt wind farm, which also has wind farms in South Africa and Egypt and an upcoming one in Ghana.
Chris Antonopoulos, Chief Executive Officer at Lekela, said: “We have been working towards this day for several years now. It’s a big moment for Lekela and proof that clean energy can be built right across the African continent, quickly and cheaply. In just four years, we have become one of the largest pure renewable energy providers on the continent, with over 1,000MW now in construction or operation.
Senegal’s first solar plant came online three years ago, and the country has since built several more. Other countries in the region are following suit with solar but are much further behind in terms of wind.
“To be able to open the first-ever large-scale wind farm in West Africa is a historic moment for Senegal. This clean, cheap source of energy will be used by millions of people and hopefully sets a template for other countries to follow.
The project will generate electricity for Senegal for two decades for 2 million people and prevent the emission of 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
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