Senegal builds data driven energy planning capacity to close energy access gap

• Senegal’s Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines is institutionalising data driven planning to align long term policy with bankable projects and speed up rural electrification. 
• A multi partner capacity building programme has trained staff across about a dozen national institutions and is establishing an official government energy planning and modelling unit. 
• Scenario modelling has already shaped investment priorities, informed updates to climate commitments and helped add more than 800 MW of committed solar PV and battery storage to the pre 2030 pipeline.

Senegal is strengthening its energy planning system to turn national transition goals into funded projects while closing the remaining access gap. Around 15% of the population, mostly in last mile communities, still lack reliable electricity as demand grows and fiscal space remains tight.

In response, the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines launched a comprehensive Energy Planning Capacity Building Programme in 2023, now in its second phase. The initiative is supported by the International Renewable Energy Agency, GIZ, the Government of Norway, the Government of Wallonia and Climate Compatible Growth.

The programme targets practical skills across roughly a dozen national institutions and is creating an official government energy planning and modelling unit. Its aim is to produce investment grade analysis and masterplans that direct finance towards power sector expansion and rural electrification using robust modelling.

Participants have worked on long term demand projections, electricity capacity expansion modelling and energy access planning through scenario development with data driven tools. The resulting scenarios have informed official recommendations on wind and solar capacity additions and supported revisions to national climate commitments.

Since the first phase, more than 800 MW of committed solar PV and battery storage projects have been added to the pre 2030 pipeline, reflecting the shift from policy intent to implementable projects. For Senegal and other African markets, this approach shows how institutionalised, data informed planning can de risk investments and accelerate universal access within tight budget constraints.

Author: Bryan Groenendaal