Accelerating Urban Energy Transition in Dakar: Investing in a Sustainable Future

Dakar, the capital of Senegal, has already embarked on its energy transition. The City has inaugurated pilot energy efficiency installations at the Communal Building (solar panels, energy-efficient LED lighting, high-performance air conditioning), as part of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). This project is part of Dakar's Action Plan for Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Change, featuring a relamping program and solar projects that have already helped decarbonize buildings such as the cathedral and several mosques. On a national scale, Senegal has launched one of the largest solar public lighting programs in the world, with 50,000 streetlights installed, followed by a new contract for 67,000, and a supervision center based in Dakar that centralizes data from connected streetlights. The country also benefits from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) concluded in 2023 with the European Union, France, Germany, and other partners. The challenge now is to scale up. This mission mobilizes the diaspora to extend these successes to the City's buildings and services: solar power with storage and energy efficiency for schools, health centers, markets, and communal facilities; smart LED and solar public lighting with remote management in neighborhoods; energy performance contracts; maintenance and training of local technicians; and mobilization of climate financing, to reduce the City's energy bill, improve services for residents, and replicate the model.