Collaboration has been key to the region’s energy achievements, with several projects set to come online in 2024 and beyond. These developments showcase the potential for significant investments, offering new opportunities for companies on both a regional and global scale

Hydrocarbons Frontier

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) offshore LNG project, located on the Senegal-Mauritania border, reached a key milestone with the arrival of a 500 million standard cubic feet per day FPSO vessel in June. The project is expected to produce 2.5 million tons of LNG per year, with first gas anticipated by the end of 2024.

Developed in partnership between upstream oil companies bp and Kosmos Energy, the GTA project boasts a 30-year production potential over its first two phases. The project’s second phase, which is due to commence in 2025, will have a production capacity of 5 million tons of LNG per year. LNG from the project will be exported to an FPSO and FLNG unit where gas will be processed for domestic use and export, laying the groundwork for long-term growth in Senegal and Mauritania’s respective energy industries.

With the potential to significantly contribute to both nations’ economic development, the GTA project is an excellent example of regional collaboration in the MSGBC region. In addition to supplying gas to Mauritania and Senegal’s power networks, gas from the GTA project could potentially serve as a future supply source for the Guinea LNG project in Guinea-Conakry. Expected to supply electricity to the country by Q1 2025, the large-scale LNG initiative, which is being led by natural gas service company West Africa LNG Group, will include development of several receiving terminals, high-capacity regasification units, distribution infrastructure and gas-fired power plants with an estimated total capacity of 1,800 MW.

Growing Energy Market

In April 2024, Guinea-Conakry’s government announced that it will import 120 MW of electricity from Senegal to address the country’s energy crisis. The power will be distributed to households in Conakry through an interconnected network as part of the Organization for the Development of the Gambia River Basin (OMVG) project. Set to enable energy exchanges in the MSGBC region, the OMGV project aims to increase access to electricity in The Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.

The project’s two main components include the construction of the Sambangalou and Kalet hydroelectric dams – situated in Senegal and Guinea-Conakry, respectively – and a cross-border transmission line connecting the four countries. In 2022, The Gambia’s parastatal National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with their Senegalese counterpart Société national d’électricité du Sénegal as part of the OMVG project. The PPA enables NAWEC to purchase and use up to 50 MW of Senegalese power until 2027, with electricity imported through the Soma and Birkana substations.

Meanwhile, in April 2023, The Gambia and Ivory Coast signed an accord on energy cooperation, which outlines collaboration in the efficient research, development, trade, distribution and use of all forms of energy between the two countries. Poised to boost electrification in both countries while facilitating cross-border cooperation, the agreement also facilitates and energy planning exchange, research and development into new energy sources and workforce training.

Regional collaboration in the energy sector will be a key theme during this year’s MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2024 conference – taking place in Dakar from December 3-4. Taking place under the theme Energy, Petroleum and Mining: Synergies for Inclusive Economic Development, the event brings togethers movers and shakers from across the West African and global energy industry to sign deals and advance project developments.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.msgbcoilgasandpower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2024 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.