Sendou power station
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Sendou power station is an operating power station of at least 125-megawatts (MW) in Sendou, Bagny, Dakar, Senegal. It is also known as Bargny power station, Sendou Electricity Project.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Sendou power station | Sendou, Bagny, Dakar, Senegal | 14.686988, -17.213926 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1: 14.686988, -17.213926
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1, timepoint 1 | Operating | coal: unknown | 125 | subcritical | not found | 2021 |
| Unit 1, timepoint 2 | Announced[1] | fossil gas: natural gas[1] | 125[1] | steam turbine[2] | not found | – |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1, timepoint 1 | Alteia Fund Management Ltd; National Electricity Company of Senegal; Government of Senegal | Alteia Fund Management Ltd; Government of Senegal; National Electricity Company of Senegal |
| Unit 1, timepoint 2 | Alteia Fund Management Ltd; National Electricity Company of Senegal; Government of Senegal | Alteia Fund Management Ltd; Government of Senegal; National Electricity Company of Senegal |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Unit 1: Announced conversion from coal to fossil gas in .
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Financing
- Source of financing: Originally: US$184.93 million in debt from African Development Bank (the lead arranger and senior lender), Banque Ouest Africaine de Developpement (BOAD), CBAO Senegal (a subsidiary of Attijariwafa Bank - Morocco) and the Netherlands Development Bank (FMO); US$73.71 million in equity from Nykomb Synergetics[3]
Background
The international tender for the Sendou power station was launched on 18 November 2005. The agreement between the Minister of Energy of Senegal and the Director General of Senelec (Société nationale d'électricité du Sénégal) on one side and Nykomb Synergetics on other side was signed on 24 January 2008 in Dakar. The agreement stipulated construction and operation of the power station by the Nykomb Synergetics-led consortium, and generated power purchasing by Senelec.[4] The power station was planned as a coal-fired single unit power station with a total generating capacity of 125 MW and a planned lifetime of 25 years.[5]
The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was done in March 2009. In November 2009, the African Development Bank (AFDB) approved a senior loan of up to Euros 55 million for Nykomb to build the plant. However, due to a lack of additional funds, the project was delayed for four years.[6]
In November 2013, full funding was secured.[6] PwC, Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur, and Legis were financial advisers for the project.[3] In 2014 it was reported that operation of the first unit was planned for 2016.[7]
2015: Project halted by public opposition
In April 2015, a complaint was lodged against Nykomb alleging violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The complaint stated that the project would be in close proximity to several inhabited structures; had not engaged meaningfully with local communities that publicly opposed the project; and would contribute to water and air pollution without an Environmental Management Plan.[6]
In 2015, construction of the Sendou plant was halted, at least temporarily, because of funding problems and protest by Bargny residents, including a 100-km march organized by Waterkeeper Alliance.[8]
2016: Construction resumes
In September 2016, it was reported that after a shutdown of several months, construction had resumed in January despite the financial difficulties and the hostility of local residents. Completion was expected in 2017. It was also reported that in July 2015 AFG agreed to sell its 50% share of the project to the Quantum group, owned by the Israeli magnate Idan Ofer, for 22 million Euros. Nykomb would also cede part of its participation to create a clear majority.[9]
According to Environmental Justice Atlas, farmers report that bulldozers have entered their fields to clear the land in October 2017, and construction work continued. The farmers fear land grabbing without having been consulted.[10] Satellite imagery from Planet showed the construction developments from April 2016 to March 2018.
Operation was planned for 2018, after which the plant could be converted to run on natural gas once more domestic gas is available.[11]
2018: Operation and Significant Disturbances Begin
Senelec's annual report noted that a 115 MW plant was put into service on June 27, 2018. However, the official "completion" date was not noted until October 21, 2018, after additional capacity tests. The plant recorded 42 faulty events or "trips" on Senelec's grid in the year 2018 alone, leading to significant disturbances.[12]
2019: Temporarily called off
The power plant has not been operating since July 2019,[13] and in December 2019, the President of Senegal said the project had been called off. According to 350.org, "The cancellation of the coal project comes after a series of technical failures, financial difficulties and conflicts between shareholders which had paralysed the project in the last four months, halting the importation of coal and causing the dismissal of project workers." According to Action Solidaire International, “While we as campaigners in Senegal welcome the presidential decision, we are wary of the ‘transition plan’ suggested by the Senegalese President that is considering turning the coal plant into a gas facility. We shall also resist this gas facility."[14]
Uncertain future
Senegalese subcontractor Maor Technologies pulled out of the project in mid-2020 for lack of funds.[15]
In 2021, just two and a half years after its inauguration, the Sendou coal-fired power plant was in default with several dozen creditors. The courts reportedly placed it in receivership.[16]
According to March 2021 reporting, plans for the plant’s future were unclear. Aly Sagne, the director of Lumière Synergie pour le Developpement (LSD), a Senagalese NGO that monitors the activities of international development banks in West Africa, noted that a Swedish developer may be trying to restart the plant. As noted above, there were also rumors in the community that Sendou might be converted into a gas-fired power plant.[13]
2021: Recommissioning & future gas plans
In October 2021, Minister Aïssatou Sophie Gladima announced that the state would opt for fossil gas moving forward. She said the following about the transition (Google Translate): "[Coal is] something that was there. We invested while everyone else was investing in coal. Today, there is a cry from the international heart and Senegal stands in solidarity."[17]
In December 2021, the coal-fired power station officially began commercial operations according to reports, delivering power to Senegal’s national grid after its recent re-commissioning. A third-party strategic partner was expected to help convert the power plant to a gas-fired power facility in the future. As Senegal monetizes its significant natural gas resources through projects such as the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim project, the power plant would reportedly be "instrumental in future gas-to-power solutions for the country."[18][19]
The Sendou/Bargny community has not slowed down on their vocal fight against the plant, and this was reiterated in April 2022.[20] The founder of Lumière Synergie Développement, a Senegalese human rights-focused nonprofit, had this to say: "Transparency and participation are among the greatest shortcomings in AfDB's governance, and the 2022 Annual Meetings, unfortunately, demonstrate the failure to prioritize engagement with civil society and communities. We are so concerned that there is no space for civil society in the official programme." Another local resident is quoted saying that they still do not understand why such a risky project ended up in their community.[21] Plans appear to be moving forward for the facility's transition into a natural gas plant.[22]
According to a November 2022 report from the Independent Review Mechanism authorized by the African Development Bank to assess community complaints against the project, the power plant had been generating below capacity and had reached 85 to 100 MW by October 2022. There were reportedly plans to increase capacity to 115 MW by February 2023.[23]
Ownership
Senelec is a consortium that was incorporated to develop and operate the Sendou power station.[4] The consortium is led by Nykomb Synergetics Development AB and it consists of Vattenfall Power Consult, Maytas, BHEL, BMCE Bank, Standard Bank of South Africa and Comptoir Balland-Brugneaux.[24]
As of 2021, the plant was a joint venture between Barak Fund Management, the Senegalese government, and state-owned power utility Senelec. The investor, Barak Fund, is domiciled in the Cayman Islands, while Barak Fund Management, as the manager of the fund, is based in Mauritius. In turn, an advisory team to the manager and to the fund is based in South Africa.[18][25]
AfDB eligibility assessment
In April 2017, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved the eligibility assessment for compliance review for the construction of the project. The Board also authorized that Independent Review Mechanism experts carry out further investigations to clarify issues raised in complaints representing adversely affected members of the local communities affected by the project. The groups raised the following issues: (1) unviable government policy, (2) violation of the National Code of the Environment in the selection of the project site, (3) increased vulnerability of communities to air pollution and potential disruption of livelihoods in a historic heritage site, (4) imminent health risks from air pollution, (5) vulnerability of the community to coastal erosion, (6) inadequate public consultations with affected people, and (7) breach of the AfDB's environmental, social, and human rights standards, especially due to the lack of a Resettlement Action Plan. The Bank stated that the problems needed to be mitigated before the plant begins operating at the end of 2017.[26]
In February 2019 the AfDB announced that the board of directors had "approved the recommendations of the Independent Review Mechanism to bring the Sendou coal-fired power plant project in Senegal into compliance with Bank policies and procedures. The compliance review report was approved with a mitigation action plan prepared by the Bank’s management. The Board’s decision will trigger the process of resolving the main concerns raised by the complainants that the Sendou power plant will have negative impacts and consequences on their environments and their lives. The IRM will monitor the implementation of the Action Plan and report progress to the Board annually."[27]
In a report describing the third review of the Action Plan, dated November 2022, the IRM noted that some of the actionable items had not been fully addressed: an independent evaluation of stack emissions had yet to be carried out as part of air quality monitoring; a study on the impacts of the power plant on marine resources had yet to be done; impacts on drinking water had not been assessed; and an inventory of the power plant’s main pollutants emitted in Bargny had not been done.[23]
Community Opposition
Members of the fishing community have been fighting supposed development projects in the town of Bargny for over a decade, starting with the Sendou power station. A detailed report by Vice highlights the many ways in which the plant has affected the community and the community has tirelessly pushed back.[16]
According to reporting from April 2024, women working in the fishing sector in Bargny had expressed ongoing concern about pollution from the Sendou power station and nearby industries, and its impact on their health and livelihoods.[28]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20221004081109/https://energycapitalpower.com/senegal-commissions-sendou-coal-fired-power-project/. Archived from the original on 04 October 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220708175153/https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/documents/environmental-and-social-assessments/esia_-_sendou_125mw_coal_power_plant_-_8_19_2009_ev.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 08 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Preview of Sendou Coal-Fired Power Plant (125MW)," ijglobal, accessed December 2, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sénégal : construction d’une centrale électrique à charbon de 125 MW à Sendou," Sud Online, February 2, 2008
- ↑ "Senegal to build new 124 MW coal-fired power plant," Forbes, January 25, 2008
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Swedish National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises," OECD complaint, 29 April 2015
- ↑ "Senegal targets 70 pct increase in power capacity in 3 years," Reuters Africa, November 11, 2014
- ↑ Senegal's Waterkeepers Lead a Sendoff for Coal-Fired Sendou," Waterkeeper Alliance Magazine, Fall 2016
- ↑ Amadou Oury Diallo, "Sénégal : la centrale de Sendou prête en 2017 ?" Jeune Afrique 23 September 2016
- ↑ "Coal power plant in Bargny, Senegal," EJ Atlas, updated November 2017
- ↑ "Senegal builds coal bridge to gas-fired power," Natural Gas Daily, February 23, 2018
- ↑ "Rapport Annuel Senelec 2018," Senelec, posted April 2020
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "This Tiny Fishing Town Was Poisoned By a Coal Plant. The Government Is Trying to Replace it With a Mine," Vice, March 25, 2021
- ↑ "Senegal officially cancels its controversial Bargny Coal Plant," 350 Africa, December 10, 2019
- ↑ "Main subcontractor abandons Sendou power plant," Africa Intelligence, December 10, 2020
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Sendou power plant goes into receivership," Africa Intelligence, April 28, 2021
- ↑ "Transition énergétique : La Centrale de Sendou sera convertie au gaz," Le Quotidien, Octobre 27, 2021
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Senegal Commissions Sendou Coal-Fired Power Project," Energy, Capital & Power, December 10, 2021
- ↑ "Senegal: Sendou coal plant comes back on stream," African Energy, December 16, 2021
- ↑ "Coal impacted communities in Bargny say no to FMO and call for a just transition to renewable energy," Afrikavuka, May 5, 2022
- ↑ "Stop funding projects that exacerbate climate change, human rights violations – CSO to AfDB," GhanaWeb, June 2, 2022
- ↑ "Potential Benefits of Natural Gas Discoveries in Sub Saharan Africa through the Lens of the Energy Trilemma," Energy Management Centre, May 16, 2022
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Troisième Rapport De Suivi: L'état d'Avancement de la Mise a Jour du Plan d'Action de Gestion du Projet d'Énergie Sendou de 125 MW," Mécanisme Indépendant de Recours Banque africaine de développement, November 2022
- ↑ "Nykomb vann Build-Own-Operate budgivningen," Nykomb Synergetics, January 29, 2008
- ↑ "Coal-fired power project commissioned in Senegal," Engineering News, December 8, 2021
- ↑ Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, "AfDB Board approves coal plant project for electricity in Senegal," Ghana Business News, 21 April 2017
- ↑ "Senegal: Board approves recommendations and mitigation action plan for Coal-Fired Power Plant Project," African Development Bank, February 1, 2019
- ↑ "Bargny : Des femmes du secteur de la pêche souhaitent le démantèlement de la centrale à charbon de Sendou," Seneweb, April 22, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
