It took less than two years to build the wind farm Taiba N'Diaye, the largest in West Africa. The turbines powered by Atlantic winds, meanwhile, will supply electricity from renewable sources for at least 20 years. Built by Lekela, a company headquartered in Amsterdam but highly active across the African continent, the wind farm consists of 46 Vestas turbines that will produce 158.7 MW, bringing a 15 per cent increase in Senegal's generation capacity. The project is part of the Plan Senegal Emergent, the government's programme for accelerating economic development.

"The first megawatts of energy are entering Senegal's grid today, giving the country its first taste of clean, renewable wind energy," said in a statement Massaer Cisse, Lekela's general director for Senegal. "This is an exciting moment and brings us closer to our ultimate goal of providing energy to millions of Senegalese people."

Renewable energy for Senegal, to meet the Paris agreements

According to the Plan Senegal Emergent, the country's energy mix aims to gradually reduce electricity generation from fossil sources, moving from a current 87 per cent down to eight per cent by 2030. To achieve this, the African country would aim to increase the share of gas-powered plants to 993 MW, hydroelectric energy to 381 MW, and a further 365 MW through solar and wind (oil and coal plants will nonetheless remain operational). This would bring the share of renewables to 30 per cent.

As far back as last December, Senegal's president Macky Sall, in a television interview, had announced that the construction of the Bargny coal plant, near Dakar, would not go ahead. An announcement welcomed by local communities and Senegalese activists who for over five years have been strongly opposing and actively campaigning against the coal plant, while at the same time pushing the government to invest in renewable energy.

Wind energy and green jobs

The project, which cost around 342 million euros, aims to supply electricity to approximately two million people, bringing new energy to the development of the area as well. "We have already built two new markets and recently held a four-month electrical training course for twelve young adults in the community," explained Lekela's representative. As well as creating new job opportunities during construction, the company appears to have invested — with the support of American funds — in launching a programme of activities to improve education, enterprise and the environment.