Street lighting through a solar-powered mini power grid in a village in Senegal

    Core area “Climate and energy, just transition” Climate-friendly and reliable power supply

    A shortage of energy is one of the main constraints to development in Senegal. Not quite half of the rural population has access to electricity. Germany is contributing to expanding energy supply in a climate-friendly way. Germany's support is part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) which the International Partners Group (IPG) agreed with Senegal in June 2023. The JETP with Senegal is being supported by France and Germany and also by the EU, Canada, the UK, the World Bank Group, and the African Development Bank.

    A woman in Burundi reads by the light of a solar-powered table lamp.

    Just Transition

    Wind turbines in South Africa

    Climate and development partnerships

    While the Senegalese government continues to be determined to use its own natural gas reserves as a transitional source of energy to supply the entire population with electricity and achieve national economic development, it is also working to expand renewable energy generation and achieve a just transition.

    Within the framework of Financial Cooperation, KfW Development Bank supported the construction of a photovoltaic power plant south of Dakar, which is providing energy to private households and to the Diass Special Economic Zone. Additional storage capacity is intended to ensure that power demand can also be met during peak periods. Funding is also being provided for several micro-grids based on smaller photovoltaic or hybrid installations in remote rural areas. Assistance is being provided to an effort covering nine cities to modernise power distribution networks and set up digital electricity meters.

    GIZ is providing advice to Senegal's energy ministry on how to improve the general conditions for the use of renewable energy and for private-sector involvement in the sector. Support is also being provided to higher education institutions so they can develop practice-oriented programmes and foster students' promising business ideas. Moreover, the German Development Ministry (BMZ) is supporting the establishment of a model institution to offer training on renewable energy and energy efficiency. While KfW is supporting the construction of a “green campus” in Mbacké (some 200 kilometres east of Dakar), GIZ is providing advice with regard to building expertise and administrative capacity.


    Sustainable urban development

    Developing affordable and climate-friendly mobility systems in rapidly growing cities in Africa is a central goal of Germany's development cooperation work. The BMZ therefore supports the development of sustainable public transport systems in Senegal's capital, Dakar, and other major cities.

    As at: 28/05/2024