Senegal illuminated by the world’s most extensive public solar lighting project

Providing electricity is an imperative step toward increasing economic growth and improving human wealth. In other words, facilitating the access to it is an important investment that will help to develop the country’s potential. Awake of the strong need for energy services in Senegal, the government launched a public lighting programme back in 2016 with the installation of 50,000 solar streetlights.

The first phase of the programme was a huge success, and the population was very pleased by the installation of those solar streetlamps. The President Macky Sall then decided in 2021 to launch a second phase for the supply and the installation of more than 100,000 streetlights in over 400 cities across Senegal.

In coordination with the National Agency for Renewable Energies of Senegal (ANER), the project will be led by two French companies which will be carried out the installation of the streetlights all over the country for 3 years. These will bring green lighting to the population along roads, schools, hospitals, in public areas and national parks. In addition, these solar streetlamps equipped with long-life battery technology, are designed to ensure a 2-day running time without. In the end, they will provide 365 nights of lighting a year with no outage.

Positive environmental & Social impacts

This 100,000 off-grid solar streetlights’ project will foster access to electricity through renewable energies while providing modern public lighting in most rural and landlocked regions of Senegal.
Thousands of Senegalese will benefit from these new solar streetlamps allowing more security in the streets, reducing road accidents, facilitating domestic, commercial and artisan activities and overall improving the quality of life of the population.

That is why, the project will also contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
-    #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
-    #13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Societe Generale played a key role in this project. It shared the two financings of the project with Bpifrance SA and concluded it with the Ministry of Economy, Plan and Cooperation of the Republic of Senegal, acting as borrower. The financings have been labelled as Positive Impact Finance. Societe Generale acted as Green Loan Coordinator on this first ECA-backed Green Loan in Senegal.

The project is in line with Societe Generale’s ‘Grow with Africa’ initiative. It perfectly illustrates the Group’s commitment to support sustainable projects focused on funding SDG gap, developing countries and the energy transition in Africa.