New record tariff for Senegal solar plants

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Scaling Solar has supported two bids that will produce electricity for under 4 Euro cents per kWh, setting a new benchmark as one of the cheapest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Senegal’s Electricity Sector Regulatory Commission (CRSE) announced the winner of the programme’s competitive auction to develop two utility-scale solar plants with a total capacity of 60MW.

Engie and Meridiam have been awarded both projects with bids to produce solar power at just 3.80 Euro cents per kWh for the solar plant located in Kahone and 3.98 Euro cents per kWh for the solar plant located in Touba.

Once the plants are built, this will constitute Senegal’s cheapest utility energy source, helping the government meet the objectives of the ‘Plan Senegal Emergent’ by drawing on an abundant renewable resource.

Scaling Solar, a World Bank Group programme of which PIDG company DevCo is part, is designed to help remove obstacles to developing large-scale solar power in low income countries. DevCo helped CRSE design and run the tender, which led to 14 bids for the two projects from eight bidders.

This success follows the first Scaling Solar auction in Zambia, which delivered a 6.02 US cents tariff.

Scaling Solar is now developing more than 1 gigawatt of solar power in partnership with Zambia, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Senegal.

Read more on this initiative