Senegal: Solar power takes off

Solar power is gaining ground as Senegal pursues its ambitious target of generating 20% of its electricity supply from renewables by the end of 2017. Germany’s SolarWorld announced in late October that it is to begin delivering modules for a 20MW ground-mounted project in Malikounda. A total of 77,280 multicrystalline modules will be installed at the site in the Kahone region, about 100km from the capital, Dakar, by March 2017. The contract was awarded by SolarWorld’s Austrian subsidiary partner Energie Merl, which won a tender launched by national power utility Senelec.