Algeria’s Sonelgaz has signed two memorandums of understanding with Senegal’s national electricity company, Senelec, prompting fresh debate over Algeria’s expanding energy influence in West Africa and raising expectations for a broader government-level agreement in Dakar this December.
The agreements, finalized in Algiers, mark another step in Algeria’s push to export its energy engineering across the continent. Already active in Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania, Sonelgaz is now turning its attention to Senegal — a move that has sparked both interest and questions about what it means for regional energy dynamics.
The talks brought together Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, Dr Mourad Adjal, and his Senegalese counterpart, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf. The focus was on transferring Algerian expertise and supporting Senegal’s development of electricity and gas infrastructure.
Reactions to Algeria’s deepening energy footprint
The memorandums have fueled public discussion about Algeria’s growing role in West Africa’s energy sector. For some observers, the deal represents a logical extension of Algeria’s economic diplomacy; for others, it raises questions about dependency and the balance of benefits.
Algeria is no longer content to simply export hydrocarbons — it is now exporting its engineering know-how. After building partnerships and infrastructure projects with Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Mauritania, Sonelgaz has set its sights on West Africa.
During the high-level meeting, Dr Adjal reiterated Algeria’s willingness to support Senegal across the entire value chain: from power generation to gas distribution, electrical equipment manufacturing and training.
Natural gas at the heart of the Senelec cooperation
Senegal, which is preparing to join the ranks of gas-producing nations, is looking for experienced partners to help develop its resources. This is where Sonelgaz’s expertise becomes a major asset. Discussions largely focused on power generation from natural gas, a field in which Algeria has proven capabilities.
The two memorandums signed between Sonelgaz and Senelec 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, the choice of Algeria is no accident. 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 recalled that energy remains the strategic engine of his country’s development.
This alliance fits squarely within the vision of a mutually beneficial South-South cooperation. By relying on a continental champion like Sonelgaz, Senegal hopes to accelerate its energy independence while benefiting from optimized development costs.
What comes next: a government agreement expected in Dakar in December
Sonelgaz’s Senegal push is only just beginning. The fruitful meeting in Algiers has laid the groundwork for an even broader political and economic partnership. The two 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, Sonelgaz reaffirms its ambition to become the undisputed leader in electricity and gas across the African continent, consolidating Algeria’s position as a regional energy power.