Sheikh Niane, Secretary General of Senegal's Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, stated on Tuesday that the government plans to make decisions in the energy sector based on reliable data and rigorous analysis.
When speaking at the National Renewable Energy Survey Verification Seminar, Niane emphasized that this move aims to create an "efficient and resilient" energy industry, and pointed out that "reliable data and rigorous analysis" must become the "pillar of wise decision-making". He happily stated, "With a clear vision, we have now become one of the leading countries in Africa, with an installed capacity of 1903.8 megawatts by 2024, of which renewable energy accounts for 29.1%." According to him, this survey is the first of its kind in the country, detailing the overall situation of the renewable energy industry through both enterprise and household perspectives.
However, the Director of the National Renewable Energy Administration (ANER), Diouma Kobol, warned that the proportion of green energy used by enterprises is low, accounting for only 6.7%, while fossil energy accounts for as high as 93.3%. He also noticed that rural areas use renewable energy more frequently than urban areas.
For Abdou Diouf, Director of the National Bureau of Statistics and Population, the survey results will help to better understand household electricity consumption, installed capacity, and the obstacles faced in promoting solar energy technology. He said, "These data will not only guide the work of this year, but also provide a basis for the strategic planning of the industry."
Catherine Fang, representative of the United Nations Development Programme, expressed appreciation for this initiative, believing that it has a "decisive" significance in mobilizing climate funds and private funding. She emphasized that obtaining clean, reliable, and affordable energy is a core issue for Senegal's future economic and social development.
