THE SENEGALESE EXPERIENCE ON NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
In the field on energy, Senegal has to face two major issues :
1. It almost depends on the oil importation to ensure its internal consumption. In 1986, the payment of the oil bill amounted to 11% of the exportation receipts out of energy, against 37% in 1982. These variations are due to several consequences : international rate of, rate of the US Dollar, the world rate of the exported basis products (mainly groundnuts), variation of the agricultural production. Even if the present situation in the field of petrol seems to be favourable, the past inflation and the present crisis are developing strategies which are minimising the risk of impact of new oil increases of petrol on the Senegalese economy. Then, on the one hand, the national refinery unit should be preserved and efforts continued for an energetic redistribution for ensuring the diversification of the sources of energy.
2. The importance of the consumption of firewood leads to and over-exploitation of the reserves of natural forests, which already are seriously damaged due to structural and conjectural phenomenon : the demographic growth, the needs for cultivable lands, the permanence of agricultural methods which now are outdated, overpasturing and the drought.
According to the studies led in the field of elaboration of the forest guide-line in 1979-1980 (from Land Sat Pictures taken at the end of the 70’s), the natural forest areas were covering 70% of the national territory in 1970, i.e. 13.8 millions of ha. In 1980, they were covering less than 12.4 millions of ha and in 1986, it is amounted to 8.5 millions of ha i.e. 43% of the national territory.
In front of these problems, Senegal, since several years, shows interest for a re-organisation in the sub-sector of the solar energy and get integrated it to its energetic development.
A. THE POTENTIAL
Presently, the precise sunlight data are not available, regarding a specially long period. The few measurements taken in the region of Dakar has amounted the insulation to about to about 5.8 kwh/m²/day. The solar radiation evaluated from these data represents approximately 65% of the total radiation with periodical variations sometimes rather important.
The sun radiation on the rest of the territory is not well know due to the lack of measurements stations. Although, it has been noted that the average duration of the solar varies from 7 to 9 hours/day with acute degrees changing from North to South. The intensity of the whole territory is evaluated to 5.4 KwH/m²/day. This available potential helps to plan appropriate applications, despite the lacks of deep studies on the sun radiation data.
B. THE SOLAR ENERGY IMPLEMENTATIONS
As for estimation, during the two last decades, Senegal has set up an important programme of research-Development (R/D) on the use of new and renewable energies sources, with the support of international financial banks amounted to CFA F 10 Billions (US $ 20 millions). This programme helped to locate the possibilities of development and the output of the applications renewable energy sources, especially the solar systems.
This R/D programme has pointed out that solar solutions are generally competitive with the diesel in the low tension conventional electrification. However, it has allowed to find specialised place to the solar applications in the isolated areas for certain number of public investment programmes.
The use of solar energy in daily activities of the Senegalese rural world (and even the urban world is several years old. In the early years of independence the meteorological and physics Institute was created. Since 1980 this Institute became the renewable energy research centre connected to the Dakar University. The first experimental thermodynamic solar pump was set up in the meteorological and physics Institute in the framework of the search of solution to water and energy problems which remain the concern of the country.
1. The thermodynamic applications
The main achievements in that field concerns :
· The power station of Diakhao (25 kW) ;
· The five pumps of Meouane, Niakhene, Diagle, Medina Dakhar, Diakhao
2. The thermal applications
The main actions are :
i. The solar water heating : some operation have been led within the framework of the nation building programmes and in some hostels.
ii. Solar drying (agricultural and sea products) : the renewable energy research centre and the food technology Institute had perfected two types of dryers :
* a small-scale production of tent
* a semi-industrial
iii. Water distillation : many water distillers of different dimensions have been experimented by the renewable energy centre and one is installed in the nation agricultural research centre of Bambey
iv. Solar water distillation : in many localities water is briny or bitter. For those localities solar water desalination is the hopeful solution. Within the framework of the co-operation with the USA an experimental unit is installed at Falia and Senegal plans to develop this experience throughout the localities confronted to the problem of bitter water.
v. Solar cooking : the renewable energy research centre has perfected solar cookers destined to the rural and semi-rural areas.
vi. Photovoltaic applications
* Water pumping : Presently Senegal disposes of about two hundred photovoltaic pumps which power is comprised between some watts and five kW. An important programme of solar pump installation in the North of Senegal is undertook with the support of France, Belgium Germany and the European Development Fund. Those pumps destined to the irrigation and managed by the populations have effectively contributed to the growth of the agricultural potential of that area.
* Power stations : Senegal disposes with seven photovoltaic
Tendiem (10 kWp)
Notto (10 kwp)
Diaoule (24 kwp)
Ndiebel (20 kwp)
Dionewar/Niodior (100 kwp)
Bassoul/Bassar (80 kwp)
Djirnda (10 kwp)
* The solar lighting : three thousands of systems are disseminated throughout the territory. Those systems are hopeful within the promotion of rural electrification.
1. Senegal-France project “Rural Electrification”
It consists of installing six (6) 650 WP PV pumps destined to irrigation (5 surface pumps along the Senegal river) and domestic uses (1 submersible pump)
Budget : $US 800,000
2. Rural energy experimental centre
This project amounted to US S 434,000 consists of connecting a 4KVA wind generator
To a 5KWPp PV generator to supply a village situated at 30 km from Dakar.
3. The Senegal-Spain project
Its consists of constructing a 10KWp two-face PV power station
Budget: $ US 300,000
4. The Senegal-Italy project “Aqua per gli Villagi”
Experimentation of 3 types of new and renewable pumping systems for irrigation :
* Installation of ten 6 KVA wind generators
* Construction of a 25 kWp power station
* Installation of a 105 KVA Biomass power station
Budget : US $ 86,500,000
5. Senegal-Belgium project
* Installation of seven 2.5 kwp PV pumps for irrigation along the Senegal river
* Electrification of eight (8) sanitary centres (320 Wp) destined to lighting and medicines conservation)
15 solar sea products drying systems
Budget : US $ 226,000
1. The Senegal-France project
This project which budget is ensured by the federal republic of Germany achieved many installations in the field of domestic water pumping ,power stations and home lighting system dissemination.
The project undertook many Research-Development actions that allowed to perfect in Senegal a charge-controller adapted to the rural home lighting systems. The second phase of this project is essentially axed to the dissemination of home lighting systems.
|
Sector |
Nber |
Concerned localities |
Total PV power (kWp |
|
Pumping |
6 |
Ndame, Mbassis, Keur Yorro, Thialane Diokhar, Medinatou Salam |
21.46 |
|
Power stations |
2 |
Diaoule (24 kWp Ndiebel (20) |
44 |
|
Mini – stations |
9 |
Niakhar, Dielmon, CEMT Fatick, NDIOP Djoudj, Tiarré, Ngoyé, Tanaff |
2.74 |
|
Lighting systems |
1,667 |
Regions of Fatick, Thiés, Kaolack and Diourbel |
83.35 |
2. The Senegal Japan Project
This project evaluated to US $ 800,000 concerns the implementation of :
3 PV power stations for five islands connected to diesel generator sets
|
Localities |
PV power |
Support set power (KVA) |
Extra set power (KVA) |
|
Dionewar/Niodior |
100 |
30 |
250 |
|
Bassoul/Bassar |
80 |
30 |
150 |
|
Ndjirnda |
10 |
- |
- |
10 Desalination units for 10 islands
|
Localities |
PV power kW |
Daily production m3 |
|
Bassoul |
38 |
17 |
|
Bassar |
16 |
7 |
|
Diogane |
9 |
4 |
|
Mounde |
11 |
6 |
|
Niodior |
56 |
25 |
|
Dionewar |
45 |
20 |
|
Felir |
3 |
2 |
|
Djinack |
6 |
2 |
|
Bossikang |
12 |
4 |
|
Bettenty |
24 |
12 |
6 water pumps
|
Localities |
PV power kWp |
Daily production m3 |
|
Bakhaya |
5.565 |
74 |
|
Diao Insacounda |
5.406 |
116 |
|
Ngoki |
7.791 |
58 |
|
Samecouta |
5.565 |
78 |
|
Sinthiou Demba Ba |
5.406 |
62 |
|
Kalibiron |
5.406 |
69 |
3. The Regional Solar Program
This three phases project financed by the European consists the implementation in Senegal of;
- 28 PV freezers
- 8 battery charging units
- 89 drinking water pumps
- 130 home lighting systems
Concerned countries are: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea and Tchad.
4.The Senegal India Project
This project is initiated within the framework of the G.15 (India, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brasil, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Jamaica). It consists of disseminating solar home systems in Soune situated at 80 Km from Dakar, a village of 267 homes, one maternity, one sanitary centre, 4 mosques.
Mamadou Kanoute
Civil Engineer, Solar Energy Specialist.