Does Senegal have a solar energy sector?

Senegal's energy sector is increasingly reliant on solar power, making it essential to assess its long-term viability under changing climate conditions. This study evaluates future solar energy production in Senegal up to 2050, focusing on eight operational solar plants: Bokhol, Sakal, Malicounda, Kahone, Ten Merina, Mekhe, Ndiass, and Kael.

Do solar power plants in Senegal vary over time?

They found that Senegal experiences significant variability in solar resources over time and across different locations, depending on the year and specific site conditions. Niang et al. (2023) evaluated the seasonal performance of six solar power plants in Senegal, namely Bokhol, Sakal, Malicounda, Kahone, Ten Merina, and Mekhe.

How does solar production affect climatic conditions in Senegal?

The seasonal cycle of solar production over Senegal (Ten Merina) is largely influenced by solar radiation, with peak production occurring in March-April and the lowest production during the rainy season (July-September). This demonstrates the dependence of solar production on climatic conditions.

Is there a bias correction for solar energy production in Senegal?

Despite the higher resolution and detailed regional climate information provided by the CORDEX-CORE datasets, biases are noticed. These results suggest a bias correction to better estimate the future changes in solar energy production in Senegal. A bias correction is performed using the method described in Eq. 5 (Fig. 4b).

Where are solar plants located in Senegal?

This study focuses on eight (8) solar plants, mainly located in western Senegal (Bokhol, Sakal, Malicounda, Kahone, Ten Merina, Mekhe, Ndiass, and Kael), with particular emphasis on Ten Merina, where the observation data used were collected. Ten Merina is located in the department of Tivaoune, the region of Thies (the second most populated region).

How will Senegal contribute to the energy transition?

The country's nationally determined contributions outline two main goals relating to the energy transition: increasing the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix to 40 % by 2035 and increasing the use of natural gas to replace fossil fuel power plants (CDN Senegal, 2020).