Energy cuts in Senegal highlight the need to embrace gas, says minister

Redação Rota BR

Power cuts in Senegal in September underscored the need to embrace gas as a means of electricity generation, said the country's energy minister.

Senegal faced frequent power outages throughout the month of September in the capital and elsewhere.

Minister El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf said on Thursday that demand for electricity was rising rapidly and that hot weather caused it to reach a peak higher than the expected 1.400 MW in August.

While Senegal has an installed capacity of more than 2.300 MW, the system was unable to meet demand due to fuel supply shortages and technological failures, he said.

Senegal relies mainly on diesel to generate electricity and is moving toward gas to reduce costs, aiming to cut its dependence on expensive imported fuels.

The country must build about 340 km of pipelines to allow it to transport its own natural gas, Diouf said.

The country has not signed any oil or gas contracts since 2017, but the energy ministry redrew its block map, making them smaller and potentially more attractive to investors.

Of the 113 offshore and onshore blocks, five will be evaluated by an Italian oil company, Eni, and 104 will be presented to investors in a roadshow, he said.

Reuters