Based on the outcomes from the TNA, several projects in the private and public spheres have been initiated to boost the renewable energy sector. An example is the private company Thecogas Senegal SARL, which, together with the National Office of Sanitation, has installed a biomass combustor at a Dakar slaughterhouse. The facility has a capacity of 100 kW and is the first of its kind, providing over 60% of its energy needs.
Senegal is a West African country bordering Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Mauritania. Senegal’s shoreline runs along the Atlantic Ocean at the Sahel region’s westernmost point. With a coastline of 700 km, Senegal is exposed to the impacts of sea-level rises and coastal erosion brought about by climate change. The economy depends heavily on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fishing and tourism, which generate over 60% of employment in the country. Despite its huge potential for renewable energy (solar and wind), Senegal’s economy remains fossil fuel-dependent.
Senegal’s TNA identified biomass technologies as a priority for electricity generation. Following official validation of the TNA, energy generation from biomass has become a key priority in Senegal. High investment costs were identified as one of the major challenges to a wider uptake of biomass technologies by the TNA. As a response, the government has taken proactive steps such as establishing a feed-in tariff system for renewable-energy technologies. Today, both private and public renewable-energy projects have been initiated. The National Biogas Program, for example, has facilitated the installation of biomethanization technologies in agro-pastoral communities, thereby providing access to improved energy services in rural areas.
Senegal completed its TNA in 2012. Based on a recommendation from the TNA, the increasing uptake of biomass combustors is contributing to Senegal’s Energy Transition Program, as well as reaching the energy goals set out in its NDC.