The Council of Ministers of Senegal has approved the country’s first electricity code, which aims to provide a new regulatory framework for the power sector. The reform will have to be adopted by the parliament. It aims to transform Senelec, the state-owned integrated power utility into a holding company and separate its generation, transmission and distribution activities. The draft electricity code also includes provisions for independent power producers (IPPs) and rural electrification concession companies, and aims to set up an integrated 10-year plan (Plan Intégré à Moindre Coût, PIMC), on which 5-year power generation, renewable development, transmission, distribution and energy efficiency plans would be based. Senegal aims to increase the electrification rate to 100% by 2025, from 71% in 2020.
In addition, the Council of Ministers plans to create a regulatory commission for the energy sector, to strengthen regulatory mechanisms and extend them to the oil and gas downtream sector and to the upstream and midstream gas sector.