Senegal has commissioned a 16-megawatt solar power plant paired with battery storage in Saint-Louis, adding fast-response capacity to stabilize the national electricity grid as renewable generation increases.
The Walo Storage facility, located in Bokhol in northern Senegal, combines 16 megawatts peak (MWp) of solar generation with a 10-megawatt / 20-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system. The project entered commercial operation in July 2025 and was formally inaugurated on January 22.
Government officials, energy partners, and Senelec Chief Executive Officer Papa Toby Gaye attended the ceremony on behalf of the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines.
The €40 million plant is Senegal’s first solar facility dedicated to frequency regulation, a grid service that keeps electricity supply and demand balanced in real time. The battery system can inject or absorb power within seconds, helping prevent voltage swings and outages while allowing more solar energy onto the network.
Senelec said the installation will support peak-time supply, reduce pressure on thermal plants, and improve reliability during disruptions.
“Walo Storage provides us with an essential tool to guarantee stable and reliable electricity while contributing significantly to the diversification of our energy mix,” Gaye said during commissioning. “It strengthens Senegal’s leadership in sustainable electrification in West Africa and demonstrates effective collaboration with private investors and international financiers.”
The project was developed by Africa REN. Equity financing came from the company’s shareholders, while Dutch development bank FMO and the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), backed by the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), provided debt funding.
The plant connects directly to the Senelec grid and is designed to respond quickly during sudden changes in demand or renewable output, reducing reliance on fuel-based backup generation.
The commissioning comes as Senegal expands hybrid solar-and-storage projects to meet rising electricity demand and cut fossil-fuel dependence.
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In May 2025, pan-African developer AXIAN Energy began construction of the NEA Kolda project, a 60-megawatt solar plant paired with 72 megawatt-hours of storage, backed by more than €105 million in financing.
Both projects form part of Senegal’s National Energy Pact under the Mission 300 initiative, which targets universal electricity access by 2029 and aims to raise renewables to 40% of total power generation by 2030.
With storage now integrated into new developments, Senegal is positioning batteries as core grid infrastructure rather than add-on capacity, allowing renewable energy to play a larger and more stable role in the country’s power mix.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.