Power outages have affected Dakar and other parts of Senegal since the beginning of September 2026, as the national electricity company, Senelec, struggles with rising fuel costs, cash-flow constraints and technical failures.
Although Senelec began producing electricity from liquefied natural gas in 2020, it remains heavily dependent on fuel oil. The company said the price of the commodity had risen from $60 to $100 per barrel in recent months.
The financial pressure has been compounded by debts owed to Senelec by the Senegalese government, reportedly amounting to about one-third of the company’s turnover. Senelec has consequently introduced selective load shedding, rotating power cuts among different areas to reduce consumption.
Electricity demand has also exceeded projections, while faults affecting a floating power plant at the Port of Dakar and another facility in Rufisque have constrained supply. The incident at the port reportedly reduced generation by about 200 megawatts.
Although the technical faults are expected to be repaired within days, power cuts could continue until the government settles its debt. Demand is also expected to remain high during the hot and humid season as consumers rely heavily on fans and air conditioners.