Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has reached an agreement with Senegal for the development, financing, construction and operation of a 300MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant that will be the country’s largest renewable energy project.

The agreement, announced during the Investment Forum in Dakar, was signed with Senegal’s Ministry of Energy, Petroleum & Mines and state utility Senelec.

Upon completion, the facility will be one of the largest independent power producer (IPP) plants in sub-Saharan Africa. It is intended to help Senegal meet its target of sourcing 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.

The new plant builds on Acwa Power’s increased presence in Senegal, following the recently announced Grande Cote desalination project being developed by the company.

Senegal has previously developed smaller-scale solar projects, including the 25MW Kael solar PV plant and 35MW Kahone solar PV plant.

These were jointly commissioned by France’s Engie, Senegal’s sovereign strategic investment fund (FONSIS) and Paris-based investment and asset-management firm Meridiam in 2021.

The plants were developed as part of the World Bank’s Scaling Solar programme, which is designed to facilitate private investment in solar projects.