The European Union, together with the German Cooperation Agency GIZ and Senegal's national electricity company Senelec, inaugurated two mini solar power plants 2.0 on 12 May 2026 in the villages of Dayane Kodiolé and Dayane Séllé in the Matam region, providing electricity access to more than 94 households (712 people) as well as schools and health facilities. The ceremony was presided over by Senegal's Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines Birame Souleye Diop, in the presence of EU Ambassador Jean-Marc Pisani, German Ambassador Kai Baldow, and Senelec Director General Papa Toby Gaye.
The installations are part of the project "Promoting access to electricity for people living in isolated, off-grid villages in Senegal," known as Pro-Access, which exemplifies triangular cooperation between the Government of Senegal, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the European Union through its Support Programme for the Development of Renewable Energies for Universal Access to Electricity (PADERAU). PADERAU is part of the EU's Global Gateway strategy, which aims to mobilise sustainable and high-quality investments worldwide. With a total budget of €92 million (60.4 billion CFA francs) over six years, the programme is co-financed by the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the French Development Agency (AFD), and BMZ. It includes a grid-extension component implemented by Senelec, electrifying 556 rural communities in the Matam, Tambacounda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor regions, and an off-grid component implemented by GIZ through the ENDEV project.
The mini power plants are expected to improve living conditions and socio-economic development in these remote rural areas. The inauguration underscores Team Europe's commitment to sustainable development and improving living conditions for Senegalese communities far from major power grids.