The Just Energy Transition Renaissance in Senegal

Thiossane is to Senegal as savoir-faire is to France. Both countries have controversial bronze statues marking significant historical events. The Burghers of Calais, by Auguste Rodin, exists in twelve original castings and several replications, commemorating an event during the Hundred Years' War between France and England from 1337 to1453 in the Late Middle Ages. Rodin designed and curated experiences with teams for speed and scale. The African Renaissance Monument, 52 meters tall and overlooking the Atlantic, is located on the outskirts of Dakar in Senegal. It was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a North Korean company, to celebrate and represent Africa's progress, unity and aspirations, emerging from centuries of oppression.

The stability of the country’s public institutions has boosted energy investments. Senegal was part of the renowned Mali and Songhay empires which are reputed for advanced organizational structures and efficient governance. The ancient Ghana Empire's influence also extended to parts of what is now eastern Senegal via the trans-Saharan trade route networks.

A legacy of inclusivity is exemplified by Queen Ndaté Yalla Mbodj who was a Lingeer (queen) of Waalo, a Jolof kingdom in present day northwest Senegal. She not only resisted French colonization and Moorish invasion, but also became a signatory or co-signatory of official agreements between Waalo and France. Her paternal ancestry was of the Joos maternal dynasty. She is a prominent Senegambian precolonial noble. Her son, Sidia, who succeeded her was exiled to Gabon in 1878. Mariama Ba advocates for inclusivity and gender equity in her acclaimed work, ‘So Long a Letter’.

With the most westerly point in Africa located in this country, the population of about 18 million people is mostly concentrated westwards. It has diverse ethnic groups like the Wolof, Fula, Serer, Jola and Peuhl, alongside relatively recent people of Lebanese, Vietnamese and European descent. Senegal’s national electricity access rate is 64%, with 88% in urban areas and 38% in rural areas.

The country has attracted investments from Europe, America and China. It has a rich cultural heritage and China was involved in the National Wrestling Arena project to promote Laamb wrestling, traditionally practiced by the Serer people and now a national sport in Senegal and parts of the Gambia.

The Wolof have fast drums and dancing in their music. Griots who are storytellers, poets and musicians recite genealogy and history. The modern mbalax music style evolved from the Serer percussion such as the Njuup.

Long cultural diplomacy with its neighbours has been exemplified by its spicy jollof rice getting a twist from different regions and leading to the West African jollof rice derby between Senegal, C?te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries. The spicy dish is made with rice, fish or meat, and vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants and carrots.

Dakar is a fashion capital with events such as the Dakar Fashion Week showcasing Bazin, wax cloth, seurou, rabal cloth, and Senegalese thioup and pagne tissé which is a traditional handwoven and hand-dyed textile, and other cultural riches of Africa being reimagined in modern global trends.

Senegal is a regional leader in media. It hosts the headquarters of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), formerly the Union of African National Television and Radio Organizations (URTNA), which has broadcasted different cultural aspects of the continent for decades.

Senegal's inaugural offshore oil development is set to commence production in mid-2024, having major discoveries between 2014 and 2017. Senegal has reserves of 1,030 million barrels of oil and 910 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has seen a bullish trend in development of infrastructure since late 2021. Global natural gas demand and rising prices with concerns for energy security in Europe led to sourcing of alternatives in Africa to avoid dependence on gas from Russia.

On the maritime border with Mauritania, the country shares the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) which has 100 trillion cubic feet of gas. The LNG project is being developed by bp , Kosmos Energy , Senegal national oil company PETROSEN TRADING & SERVICES , and Mauritania’s Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures (SMH) . The GTA project’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel just recently arrived offshore Senegal and Mauritania.

Other fields include new ultra-deepwater offshore blocks. The Yakaar-Teranga gas field with reserves of 20 tcf of gas is meant to produce gas for local consumption. The Sangomar oil and gas field south of Dakar is being developed by Woodside Energy .

The Senegalese government is proactively lowering bureaucracy ceilings to take advantage of the current positive outlook for oil and gas, and expedite final investment decisions (FID) for the projects to go online. Revision of policy framework to protect investor rights is promising to attract foreign investment in energy and encourage private sector involvement. The Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PES) has drawn international investment and laid the foundation for energy self-sufficiency. Investments from development finance institutions through concessional capital derisk the projects and enhance their credibility. In April 2024, the government of Senegal reported that, following an audit, it would renegotiate oil, gas and mining contracts as deemed fit.

The 2019 Petroleum Code updated Senegal's oil and gas policy. Mutually beneficial to both investors and the state, local content development in training local personnel and utilization of local labour and materials are emphasized. The state will conduct oil operations directly or through the national oil company, Petrosen, which oversees the execution of Senegal's oil and gas policy. The Gas Code, Law No. 2020-06, is set to develop natural gas distribution for domestic consumption in energy and industrial sectors.

Senegal is also transitioning from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to natural gas-to-power generation for sustainable energy. Senegal's adaptable production capacity is in the range of between 400 MW and 500 MW.

Senegal is developing renewable energy production alongside oil and gas. It is developing and planning interconnections within the West African Power Pool (WAPP) countries. In June 2023, Senegal announced a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with partners such as Germany, France and the European Union, targeting to augment renewable energy capacity to 40% by 2030. This partnership could unlock €2.5 billion financing for sustainable universal energy access.

Hydroelectric power is set to be raised to 400 MW by 2030, with investments in smart grids and new renewables. Regulatory framework for decentralised energy (off-grid wind and solar) with feed-in tariffs and battery storage would further propel these ambitions.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes Senegal as a strong advocate for just energy transitions. The country met the wind and solar targets it established for 2025 in its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement. It is also part of the Global Methane Pledge which has a goal to decrease methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by the year 2030.

Senegal has 30% of its energy mix from renewables. It has wind energy potential given its Atlantic Ocean coastline and Harmattan winds. It is also advancing solar energy and hydropower generation.

Scaling Solar is a project of the government in partnership with the The World Bank Group , European Investment Bank (EIB) , IFC - International Finance Corporation , Proparco , and Senegal's sovereign wealth fund - Fonsis - to develop 60 MW of solar power since 2021 in Kael and Kahone, western Senegal. The project offsets 89,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The Bokhol solar farm or the Senergy 2, the first grid-connected solar Independent Power Producer (IPP) in West Africa, is a 20 MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in northern Senegal. The Senergy 1 solar power plant provides water security to its region. The 23 MW Diass, the 30 MWp Ten Merina project with construction of a 3-km transmission line for Senelec, the national electricity company, and pilot projects contribute to the energy mix.

The Taiba N'Diaye wind farm has a 158.7 MW capacity. Developed by Infinity Power in a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the government, it is the largest wind power station in West Africa by generation capacity. The 128 MW Sambangalou Hydroelectric Power Station on Gambia River in southeastern Senegal, near the border with Guinea is under construction.

The February 2022 issue of British Vogue magazine featured nine elite models of African descent on the cover: Senegalese Maty Fall, Nigerian Janet Jumbo, South Sudanese-American Anok Yai, and South Sudanese-Australians Adut Akech, Amar Akway, Majesty Amare, Akon Changkou, Abény Nhial and Nyagua Ruea. The then European editorial director of Vogue and editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, described the feature as “redefining what it is to be a fashion model”. This serves as a poignant allegory for Senegal’s just energy transition renaissance.