French group Voltalia has announced the signing of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Entech smart energies on behalf of AXIAN Energy for a major project in Senegal. The initiative involves a 60-megawatt (MW) solar power plant paired with a battery storage system of 90 megawatt-hours (MWh), to be located in the Kolda region, in Casamance, southern Senegal.
One of West Africa’s most ambitious hybrid projects
Initially presented in November 2024 by AXIAN Energy, the project is described as the largest solar-storage complex in West Africa. At the time, it featured a 60 MW plant with a 72 MWh battery system. The updated version raises storage capacity to 90 MWh, confirming its growing scale. The project is financed with €84mn by Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), the Dutch development bank Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), and Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG).
According to AXIAN Energy, the plant is expected to supply electricity to approximately 235,000 people in the Kolda region. The commissioning of the installation is planned for 2026, aligning with Senegal’s national energy strategy to reach 40% installed renewable capacity by 2030.
Modernising Senegal’s electrical grid
Large-scale hybrid projects combining solar generation and battery storage remain scarce in West Africa. The project led by AXIAN Energy therefore represents a technical step forward for Senegal’s electrical grid amid increasing electricity demand. This type of infrastructure enables greater grid stability by storing solar power generated during daylight for use during peak periods or when production is low.
The contract signed by Voltalia and Entech formalises a new stage in the project’s development. Voltalia will oversee the overall execution, while Entech will handle the design and integration of the storage system. The two companies are already working together on several similar international projects.
A regional market in formation
The Kolda region, which has historically had limited energy infrastructure, is set to benefit from the plant as part of national programmes aimed at improving electricity access. At a regional level, the emergence of projects combining renewable energy and storage technologies responds to the need for greater grid resilience and optimisation of local generation capacity.
Through this initiative, AXIAN Energy, Voltalia and Entech are engaging in the structuring of a still-nascent segment on the continent. The project reflects current trends in Africa’s energy sector, in a context where supply reliability remains essential to economic development.
