Oryx Energies launches its solar power strategy in Senegal
15 November 2022
Oryx Energies Senegal SA is now operating a service station equipped with solar panels that cover a significant proportion of its energy requirements.
The PAI service station in Dakar has a canopy made of transparent solar panels manufactured by the German producer Sonnenstromfabrik, a cutting-edge quality leader in solar modules.
The decision to build a service station equipped with solar functionality supports Senegal’s decarbonisation efforts. The country is one of the pioneers of the energy transition in sub-Saharan Africa, and since the early 1980s has initiated a policy of popularising solar equipment for households and communities.
Chosen to deliver robust performance in combination with a stylish look and feel, the purpose-built canopy has a panel output of 24 MWh/year. It covers 40% of the service station’s energy requirements and represents a capital investment of US$ 40,000.
Stephen Paris, Chief Financial Officer & Chairman of the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Committee of Oryx Energies SA, explains: "This installation, the first for our group, is part of our ESG and solar energy strategy for our industrial, commercial and administrative sites. This strategy covers the next three years. We have a budget of US$ 4 million to reach an expected production capacity of almost 4 GWh/year."
The company’s ESG strategy rests on four pillars:
- Climate Change and Innovation;
- Local Environmental Management;
- Communities and Customers; and
- Our People and Sub-contractors.
Solar power is an essential part of this strategy and one of the more advanced projects of the Climate Change pillar.
Pierre Sow, Managing Director of Oryx Energies Senegal, comments, “Wherever possible, we will always favour the use of renewable energies. Legal frameworks and local electricity networks vary greatly depending on country and location, but our intent is to steadily increase our use of renewable energy.”
The company’s plans to expand the number of its service stations in Senegal benefitting from solar power are paralleled by ongoing projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali, with plans formulated also for The Gambia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, covering a total of 150 service stations by 2025.
Download the press release:
PR-Oryx-Energies-launches-solar-power-strategy-in-Senegal-and-beyond-20221115.pdf
