Challenge
Electricity shortages reduce the quality of life and constrain economic growth throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, about half the rural population lacks a reliable source of power and consumers who have electricity pay some of the highest rates on the continent. With about 82 percent of Senegal’s electricity generated from fossil fuels, the country also needs to diversify to cleaner sources of power.
Solution and Impact
Financing and political risk insurance supported construction of a 158 MW power plant about 50 miles northeast of Dakar. The Taiba N’Diaye plant, the largest wind power plant in West Africa, began operations in February 2020, generating about 15 percent of Senegal’s total installed generating capacity and helping about two million people gain access to power for the first time.
The project has also brought other benefits to the community, creating 650 new jobs, 450 of which are held by locals. In addition, about 20 miles of local roads that were built during construction of the power plant are helping connect local villages and enabling mango farmers in the region to more easily access their groves, which is expected to reduce crop losses and increase farmer incomes.