SENEGAL – French company Fonroche Lighting has won US$134.22 million contract to supply and install 67,000 solar-powered streetlights in several localities in Senegal.
The company based in Lot-et-Garonne (France) has just signed a contract with the Senegalese Ministry of Finance and Budget.
The solar streetlights will be installed as part of a program implemented by the National Agency for Renewable Energy (ANER), under the aegis of the Senegalese Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, aimed at expanding the use of solar street lighting throughout the country.
Solar street lights are water-resistance and weatherproof and have a low glare and low insect attrition rate.
The solar panels in these lights convert solar energy into electrical energy that gets stored in the inbuilt battery and is utilized for dusk-to-dawn lighting operations.
As part of its contract, Fonroche will install streetlights in 256 localities, at a rate of 1,200 installations per week.
The work, which will be spread over three years, is scheduled to begin in October 2022. According to the Senegalese government, this public lighting project should benefit 6 million people.
The project financing has been provided by the Senegalese government via the French banks BPIfrance and Société Générale.
“This is a new distinction for Fonroche Lighting, which marks the beginning of a year rich in projects. This new major project in Senegal is the continuation of several years of activity and investment in the country,” says Laurent Lubrano, Fonroche Lighting’s Managing Director.
The French company won the first contract of 57 billion CFA francs (US$96.51) in 2018 from the Senegalese government for the supply and installation of 50,000 solar streetlights in several cities in the country.
The company, which has 180 employees, is expanding its activities in Africa with a US$24.4 million contract won in Benin in 2019. In recent years, Fonroche has also installed its solar streetlights in Mali and Cameroon.
The installation of streetlights in already built roads reflects the commitment of the West African country to improve transport networks for economic development.
The economy needs reliable infrastructure to connect supply chains and efficiently move goods and services across borders.
Infrastructure connects households across metropolitan areas to higher quality opportunities for employment, healthcare, and education. Clean energy and public transit can reduce greenhouse gases.
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