American Capital Energy & Infrastructure (ACEI) has announced a commitment to invest in Senegal's first industrial-scale wind power project and the largest wind farm planned in West Africa.
The total capital cost of this facility is estimated at € 305 million, with ACEI anticipating to provide an estimated € 76 million of equity and the remainder expected from senior and mezzanine lenders. The project is a 151.8MW wind farm under development, which will be located in Taiba Ndiaye in Senegal, approximately 75 kilometres northwest of Dakar. Power from the project will be sold to Senelec (Societe Nationale d'Electricite du Senegal), the national utility company of Senegal, under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed in December 2013. The project has been developed by Sarreole S.a.r.l. (Sarreole), a French based team, and ACEI will work with Sarreole, funding development costs and project equity. Construction on the plant is scheduled over three years in three phases of 50.8MW. Chapin International & Co is acting as the project development and financial advisor for the project.