In Malicounda, a bustling town of 15,000 located 85 kilometers southeast of Dakar in Senegal's Thiès region, a new era of reliable energy has dawned with the African Development Bank's Malicounda Dual Fuel Power Project.
Approved on November 27, 2018, with a €51 million Bank loan signed on June 29, 2022, the 135-megawatt power plant, built in partnership with Melec PowerGen, Africa50, and Senelec- became operational in August 2022. Part of a €159 million collaboration that includes financing from the Arab Bank for Economic Development (BADEA), OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund), and West African Development Bank (BOAD), the plant now injects 956 gigawatt-hours into Senegal's national grid annually, a 17% increase in energy supply.
For years, unreliable electricity, reaching only 70% of Senegal's 18 million people in 2018 held Malicounda back, despite its proximity to Mbour's thriving markets. Today, steady power fuels progress.
"Since the site was set up, we've been helping the community as best we can socially," says Pape Daouda Conte, Administrative and Social Officer at Malicounda Power Senegal. "At the start, we focused on schools, supporting students financially for exams and travel. But we soon realized the greater need was in healthcare. We helped install an ultrasound machine for prenatal care."
That ultrasound machine has transformed maternal healthcare, offering expectant mothers essential services without traveling over 10 kilometers to Mbour.
Khady Sene, Head Nurse at Malicounda's health post, sees the impact firsthand:
"Women used to travel long distances for ultrasounds. Now, they can access them right here. It's an incredible improvement," she says. The power plant's support extends further, funding free annual medical consultations for the elderly and children, organizing blood drives to supply Mbour's hospitals, and even building lodging for a midwife, ensuring round-the-clock maternal care. "Really, it's a major act to applaud," Khady adds.
Beyond health, the project has sparked wider economic benefits. The plant's construction created 429 jobs, while Thiès has seen a 30% drop in power outages (2024 estimates). Senegal's reinforced national grid now strengthens West Africa's regional power pool, helping neighbours like Mali.
The African Development Bank's €51 million investment bridges financial capital (funding), natural capital (Senegal's gas resources), and human capital (people like Pape and Khady), a modern echo of the Bank's transformative projects since the 1970s, such as Nigeria's $2.8 million investment in Calabar Airport.
With cheaper, more reliable energy and deep community investment, Malicounda's power project is more than just infrastructure; it is a catalyst for lasting progress in Senegal and beyond.
Early hiccups, like a 2021 dust complaint, were met with improved oversight, ensuring benefits endure. "We're doing our best," Pape says. Malicounda, Africa's capital, powers a brighter, bolder future. The implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is being monitored with the completion of the action plan on social and economic support activities.
