Senegal is facing an increase in energy demand, and plans are underway to diversify the energy mix towards renewable energies. The country, however, still heavily relies on oil imports, and within the energy sector the use of biomass has proven to be one of the larger greenhouse gas emitters. Senegal’s Technology Needs Assessment identified direct combustion of biomass as a priority technology for electricity generation.
With the official validation of the national Technology Needs Assessment and Technology Action Plans, energy generation from biomass technology has become a key priority in Senegal. High investment costs have been identified as one of the challenges to a wider uptake of the biomass combustion technology by the TNA. As a response, the government has taken proactive steps by establishing a feed-in tariff system for renewable energy technologies.
Today, both private and public projects have been initiated. For example, the private company Thecogas Senegal SARL, together with the National Office of Sanitation, have implemented 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. At the household level, the National Biogas Program has facilitated the installation of biomass combustors in agro-pastoral communities, thereby providing access to improved energy services in rural areas.
The increasing uptake of biomass combustors contributes to Senegal’s Energy Transition Program as well as reaching the energy goals set out in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.