Senegal Plans $31M Solar Program for 2,000 Rural Water Boreholes
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Senegal’s National Agency for Renewable Energies (ANER) is planning to equip 2,000 rural water boreholes with solar photovoltaic systems, reducing the diesel and grid electricity costs that have become a major financial burden on the country’s rural water operators. The project will be among the Senegalese energy developments featured at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 in Dakar this December.
Senegal’s 2026 Water Compact, presented at the World Bank Spring Meetings in May, identified energy as one of the sector’s heaviest cost drivers, with electricity and fuel accounting for roughly a third of water sector operating expenses nationwide. An institutional assessment of rural water operators found that 45% of their accumulated debts are attributable to electricity consumption alone. Rural boreholes currently depend on grid power or diesel generators, and the cost of fuel, maintenance and supply logistics weighs on operators with thin margins.
The ANER program aims to address these challenges by installing hybrid solar systems across 2,000 rural boreholes. The project will integrate solar power with existing grid or diesel systems, targeting a reduction of at least 40% in energy operating costs and avoiding an estimated 39,500 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. ANER estimates the program will require FCFA 51.7 billion in investment, with implementation running through 2028.
ANER signed a framework agreement with Office of Rural Drilling (OFOR), the state agency that manages Senegal’s rural borehole network, in December 2024 to formalize the collaboration. OFOR coordinates with the private operators who run the boreholes under lease contracts, while ANER leads the energy component, covering financing, system design, procurement, installation and performance monitoring. While financing has not yet been secured, the project is listed as a priority under Senegal’s National Transformation Agenda, and ANER is targeting sovereign or concessional financing alongside water-energy sector instruments.
The program sits at the intersection of the energy and infrastructure themes that make up the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power program. As Senegal’s upstream revenues grow, the government is channeling policy attention toward the public infrastructure that converts energy wealth into service delivery. Borehole solarization is just one pillar of that strategy.
ANER’s solar borehole program will be featured at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026, taking place December 1-3 at the CICAD in Dakar under the High Patronage of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The conference offers exclusive access to the burgeoning West African energy market, spanning Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea-Conakry.
To sponsor or participate as a delegate, visit www.msgbcoilgasandpower.com.