Senegal has the third-largest installed solar capacity in West Africa at 671 MW, according to data from the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) and GOGLA, ranking behind Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
AFSIA data show that utility-scale plants account for 307.5 MW of capacity, followed by 293.67 MW from residential installations, 58.2 MW from commercial and industrial self-consumption systems, 8.98 MW from minigrids, and 3.63 MW from solar home systems. The country’s national electrification rate stands at 84%.
Gas-fired generation is expanding following the start of production at the Sangomar gas field in 2024. New capacity includes the 366 MW Cap des Biches power plant, commissioned in 2025. Meanwhile, €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) in concessional loans pledged in 2023 by the European Union, France, Germany, and Canada for storage systems and hybrid grids have yet to be disbursed.
Large-scale solar development is continuing, particularly in the south. In Casamance, the 30 MW Kolda solar plant was commissioned at the end of 2024. A further 60 MW solar facility with 72 MWh of storage at the same site, led by Axian, has been under construction since 2025. In July 2025, state utility SENELEC and Chinese group CNTIC signed two contracts for 50 MW solar plants paired with 90 MWh of storage each, with commissioning planned between 2026 and 2027 under a turnkey, China-financed model.
Several additional projects remain at an advanced feasibility stage. These include 40 MW of storage by Infinity Power, a 20 MW solar plant with 11 MWh of storage for a mining site operated by Eramet and developed by JUWI, and a 300 MW solar-powered desalination project led by ACWA Power. None has yet disclosed firm timelines or financing details.
In the off-grid segment, customs duties of 3% on solar panels and 27% on batteries continue to affect system costs, increasing the price of residential solar kits by an estimated 10% to 15%.
Under the National Energy Pact, Senegal aims to lift the share of renewables to 40% of the electricity mix by 2030 through the addition of 100 MW of PV capacity and 50 MW of concentrated solar power. The plan also targets universal electricity access by 2029, including the electrification of nearly 200,000 households, 600 health centers, and 200 schools.
Regulatory conditions are now viewed by industry participants as mature. Feed-in tariffs and net-billing mechanisms are in place, mini-grids below 50 kW can be developed without a license, and renewable energy equipment benefits from value-added tax exemptions. Solar power is also becoming more competitive, with grid electricity prices ranging from $0.164/kWh to $0.307/kWh for residential users and from $0.129/kWh to $0.260/kWh for industrial consumers.
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