The government of the Republic of Senegal represented by Sophie Gladima, the West African country’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy, has officially laid the foundation stone for the 300 MW Cap des Biches gas-fired power plant project.
This comes a month after General Electric Company (GE), an American multinational conglomerate incorporated in New York City and headquartered in Boston, secured an order to supply gas power generation equipment for the project in question.
In particular, GE will supply two 9E.03 gas turbines, one STF-A200 steam turbine, three A39 generators, two Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG), and an additional balance of plant equipment as part of the project scope.
Expectations for the Cap des Biches gas plant
The facility is expected to begin operations in phases from next year, supporting the Senegalese Government’s target to increase its generation capacity with greater utilization of natural gas and renewables.
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It will reportedly be the biggest power plant in the West African country upon completion, with the capacity to generate approximately 25 percent of the power consumed in the country, providing the equivalent electricity needed to power up to 500,000 homes.
It will allow the country to increase its power and move closer to its goal of achieving universal access to energy by 2025. The country recorded a rural electrification rate of 53.9% back in 2019 after giving access to energy to 11% of rural households between 2018 and 2019.
Financing for the project
The Cap des Biches gas-fired power plant project is fully financed by West African Energy (WAE), a company incorporated by Senegalese shareholders that include Samuel Sarr, the former Senegalese Minister of Petroleum and Energy; Moustapha Ndiaye, the head of the Comptoir commercial Mandiaye Ndiaye (CCMN); Abdoulaye Dia, the boss of the Senegalese industry and trade (Senico); Harouna Dia, a West African investor; and Khadim Bâ, the boss of Locafrique.
