Algerian energy group Sonelgaz has signed two memorandums of understanding with Senegal’s national electricity company Senelec, extending a partnership drive that already covers Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania.
The agreements were reached on Saturday during talks in Algiers between Algeria’s minister of energy and renewable energies, Dr Mourad Adjal, and his Senegalese counterpart, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf. The discussions centered on Algerian expertise and support for Senegal’s electricity and gas infrastructure.
Algeria moves from exporting fuel to exporting engineering
Algeria is no longer content simply to sell its hydrocarbons. It now exports its technical know-how. After building a series of partnerships and infrastructure projects across Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania, Sonelgaz has turned its attention to West Africa. During the high-level meeting, Dr Adjal restated Algiers’ readiness to support Senegal across the entire value chain, from power generation and gas distribution to the manufacture of electrical equipment and the training of engineers.
Natural gas emerges as the core of the Senelec cooperation
Senegal, which is preparing to join the small group of gas-producing nations, is looking for experienced partners to develop its resources. Sonelgaz’s track record makes it a natural fit. Much of the discussion focused on generating electricity from natural gas, a field in which Algeria has deep experience. The shared ambition was formalised through two memorandums of understanding between Sonelgaz and Senelec, the national electricity company of Senegal. The agreements cover:
- Skills transfer and technical assistance;
- Manufacturing and marketing of electrical equipment;
- Development of energy infrastructure;
- Strengthening of electricity interconnection.
Dakar bets on a dependable partner
For Dakar, the choice of Algeria is no accident. The Senegalese minister, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, described Algeria as a reliable partner on which Senegal will rely in the next phase. Praising Algerian expertise, he stressed that energy remains the strategic engine of his country’s development. The alliance fits neatly into a vision of mutually beneficial South-South cooperation. By leaning on a continental champion such as Sonelgaz, Senegal hopes to speed up its energy independence while keeping development costs under control.
A government-level energy accord is expected in Dakar in December
Sonelgaz’s Senegalese push is only beginning. The productive meeting in Algiers has laid the groundwork for a broader political and economic partnership. The two countries have already set a date: a comprehensive government agreement on energy and renewable energies will be signed in Dakar in early December. With this new deployment, Sonelgaz reaffirms its ambition to become the undisputed leader in electricity and gas across the African continent, reinforcing Algeria’s position as a regional energy power.
