- ACWA Power and the Government of Senegal signed an $800 million deal to develop the Grande-Côte Seawater Desalination Project.
- The project, structured as a PPP with national water company SONES, will unfold in two phases and be fully operational by 2031.
ACWA Power has signed two landmark agreements with the Government of Senegal to develop the $800 million Grande-Côte Seawater Desalination Project, the largest initiative of its kind in West Africa. The signing ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Dakar formalised a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract and a Government Support Agreement (GSA).
Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, presided over the event alongside key cabinet members, including Water Resources and Sanitation Minister Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Finance Minister Cheikh Diba, and Economy Minister Abdourahmane Sarr. Officials from Senegal’s national water asset company, SONES, and ACWA Power also participated.
In addition, a Saudi delegation, led by Ambassador Saad bin Abdullah Al-Nafaie and representatives from the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority (MISA), the Saudi Water Authority, and other strategic entities, attended the ceremony.
Furthermore, ACWA Power will develop the project in two phases, delivering 200,000 cubic meters of potable water daily to Dakar and surrounding regions. The partners expect financial close by 2026 and full commercial operations by 2031. The facility will operate under a long-term partnership with SONES.
A key feature of the project is its 100% reliance on renewable energy. Under a dedicated power agreement with SENELEC, Senegal’s national utility, the desalination plant will use only green electricity, positioning it among the few large-scale desalination facilities globally powered entirely by renewables.
Meanwhile, ACWA Power Vice Chairman and Managing Director Raad Al Saady emphasised the project’s global significance.
“These agreements confirm ACWA Power’s dedication to sustainable development and solving global water challenges,” Al Saady said. “We’re proud to work with the Government of Senegal and SONES on a transformative project that sets a new benchmark in renewable-powered desalination.”
The Grande-Côte project aims to bolster Senegal’s water security and climate resilience. It also marks a strategic expansion of ACWA Power’s footprint across Africa while reinforcing the country’s use of public-private partnerships to deliver critical infrastructure.