Saint-Louis: the Gandon power plant at 85% execution

The Minister of Energy and Oil, Abdourahmane Diouf, visited the Ndar Energies site in Gandon on Thursday, accompanied by Türkiye’s ambassador to Senegal, Dilşad Kırbaşlı Karaoğlu. The project, 85% complete, should contribute to strengthening the national electricity supply through the use of local gas.

The Ndar Energy project in Gandon is progressing quickly. The plant, developed with the Turkish group Aksa Energy, has an execution rate of 85%, according to project managers. Its first commissioning is announced towards the end of this year, while the complete finalization of the infrastructure is planned for 2027. With an announced capacity of 250 MW, the plant must contribute to strengthening Senegal’s electricity production and support the national strategy for the valorization of natural gas. It is one of the projects called upon to support the development of “Gas to Power”, which aims to make greater use of local gas resources in the production of electricity.

“We have completed 85% of our project and commissioning is planned towards the end of this year,” said Aksa Energy’s business development director in Africa Musa Salle. According to him, the plant will notably increase the power available to the populations of Saint-Louis and Senegal. The construction site also constitutes an important source of employment. Some 1,000 people currently work there, including around 80% Senegalese, or nearly 800 workers. “We respect local content,” underlined the project manager of Ndar Energies, who specifies that several Senegalese companies also act as subcontractors. The visit also made it possible to highlight cooperation between Senegal and Turkey in the energy field. Ambassador Dilşad Kırbaşlı Karaoğlu welcomed the progress of the project and the presence of the Minister of Energy on the site.

“We are at the service of our Senegalese friends and brothers for the energy sovereignty of Senegal, with our transfer of technology, our transfer of know-how and the creation of employment,” she declared. For those responsible for the project, the use of local gas will give Ndar Energies both an economic and strategic dimension. The plant should thus constitute an important link in the system intended to transform the country’s gas resources into electricity. With the acceleration of work in Gandon, Ndar Energies intends to position itself among the major energy infrastructures expected in northern Senegal, with the ambition of contributing to energy sovereignty and the industrialization of the country.