Developing Senegal’s Energy City

Project Background

Sidara engineering consultancies Penspen and Dar have been awarded a prestigious feasibility study to undertake a masterplan assessment for a new Energy City in Senegal.  

Led by GES-PETROGAZ, within the Ministry of Petroleum, the creation of an Energy City in Senegal is a strategic initiative aimed at supporting the energy transition and economic diversification of the country, designed to bring together primary, secondary, and tertiary energy-related activities in one location. The development of the proposed city will enable investments with high economic and social impact, promoting industrialisation and reducing urban congestion in Dakar and coastal cities. It will also introduce new sources of growth by attracting investors in various economic sub-sectors.  

Services

The Senegalese Government is prioritising rapid industrialisation to propel economic growth, but as the country’s economy grows, so does the demand for energy. Through the discovery of significant oil and gas offshore resources in three fields – Yakaar, Tortue (shared with Mauritania) and Sangomar – there is an opportunity to utilise the natural gas to remove current widespread use of existing pollutant fuels currently being used in Senegal power stations, thus reducing import requirements and improving environmental emissions. 

Experts from Dar and Penspen will assess two potential site locations for the new Energy City on the Sengalese coast, before compiling an overall masterplan recommendation that considers energy market supply and demand, cost and finance, environmental and social issues, and a promotional strategy for the energy city. The final recommendation will be delivered in Q3 2025. 

Ali Tabaja, Dar’s Director of Area Operations in West Africa, said: “We’re incredibly honoured and excited to be working with the GES-PETROGAZ and the Ministry of Petroleum to set a resilient and future-fit foundation for an exceptionally strategic energy city that would accelerate Senegal’s energy transition and economic diversification.

“Together with Penspen, we’re blending global expertise in energy and smart city development with intricate insights into the local context, to deliver a feasible, context-sensitive new city that aligns with the hopes and aspirations of Senegalese stakeholders and communities to achieve the objectives of Senegal Vision 2050.”    

Collaboration

The latest award builds on Dar and Penspen’s collaborative relationship, with delivery of several engineering studies globally, particularly in the continent of Africa. In 2019, they undertook a gas network study with MJM consultants for the World Bank IFC.

John Downer, Senior Project Manager at Penspen said: “This new project represents an opportunity to plan in detail the move away from expensive imported and polluting fuels and switch to utilising abundant national gas resources that will lead to lower cost electricity, promoting new economic development for Senegal.

“The study of such projects to investigate technical concepts and build a strong understanding with the national government is a key strength of Penspen and Dar, building on our extensive body of African work, stretching back over the last 50 years.”

Both companies are proud members of Sidara, a global collaborative of leading specialist firms that design for people and the planet.