Senegal's Power Woes: Nationwide Outage Sparks Concerns

Senegal experienced a nationwide electricity outage due to an accident at a power station. The U.S. has invested heavily in upgrading Senegal's electricity grid, but ongoing power issues persist. The utility company Senelec is working to restore electricity gradually.

Senegal was plunged into darkness following a nationwide electricity outage on Thursday, triggered by an accident at a major power station in the capital city, Dakar, as confirmed by Senelec, the country's power utility company.

The U.S. has invested over $550 million to upgrade Senegal's electricity infrastructure under a 2018 agreement aimed at enhancing reliable power supply. The incident at the 90,000-volt Hann station led to a broader disruption across the interconnection grid, affecting power distribution nationwide.

Details about the accident remain sparse. However, this outage underscores the persistent power challenges in Senegal, which has been investing heavily in its electricity sector since a severe power crisis a decade ago. Efforts are underway to gradually restore power, with some regions and parts of Dakar already receiving electricity.

(With inputs from agencies.)