Algeria’s energy heavyweight is asking a serious question of Senegal’s power sector: is the country ready to hand over part of its energy future to foreign expertise? Sonelgaz, already entrenched in Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania, is now making its move on the Senegalese market — and the stakes are rising fast.
Two memorandums of understanding signed with Senelec this Saturday mark a fresh chapter in Algeria’s push for African energy integration.
Algeria is stepping up its economic diplomacy across the continent. On Saturday, October 3, the Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, Dr Mourad Adjal, hosted his Senegalese counterpart, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf. At the top of the agenda: transferring Algerian know-how and supporting Senegal in building out its electricity and gas infrastructure.
Why Sonelgaz is Algeria’s sharpest diplomatic tool
The pattern is unmistakable. Algeria is no longer content to simply export hydrocarbons — it now exports its engineering. After rolling out partnerships and infrastructure projects across Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania, Sonelgaz has set its sights firmly on West Africa.
During this high-level meeting, Dr Mourad Adjal reaffirmed Algiers’ willingness to support Senegal across the entire value chain: from power generation to gas distribution, through to the manufacturing of electrical equipment and the training of technical staff.
Natural gas emerges as the real prize in the Senelec talks
Senegal, which is on the verge of joining the small club of gas-producing nations, is hunting for experienced partners to help monetise its resources. This is precisely where Sonelgaz’s expertise becomes a decisive advantage. Talks focused heavily on power generation from natural gas, a field where Algeria has proven credentials.
The drive to pool expertise has now been formalised through the signing of two memorandums of understanding between the Sonelgaz group and Senelec (Senegal’s national electricity company). These agreements cover:
- Skills transfer and technical assistance;
- Manufacturing and marketing of electrical equipment;
- Development of energy infrastructure;
- Strengthening of electrical interconnection.
Senegal bets on a ‘reliable partner’
For Dakar, choosing Algeria is no coincidence. 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.
This alliance fits squarely into the vision of a mutually beneficial South-South cooperation. By leaning on a continental champion like Sonelgaz, Senegal hopes to accelerate its energy independence while keeping development costs optimised.
A government-level accord is expected in Dakar this December
Sonelgaz’s Senegalese offensive is only just beginning. This productive meeting in Algiers sets the stage for an even broader political and economic partnership. Both countries have already set a date: a comprehensive government agreement in the field of energy and renewable energies will be signed in Dakar in early December.
With this new deployment, the Sonelgaz group is confirming its ambition to become the undisputed leader in electricity and gas across the African continent, further cementing Algeria’s position as a regional energy power.
