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First-ever 100% electric BRT bus system in Sub-Saharan Africa
Project
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Signature date
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Location
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Senegal
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Financing tool
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Financing amount (Euro)
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52650000
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Financing details
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EUR 45.9m senior loan, EUR 6.6m grant and EUR 150,000 for technical assistance
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Customer
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Dakar Mobilité
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Type of customer
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Company
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Country of headquarters
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Senegal
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Project number
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PSN1080
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Environmental and social ranking
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A
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Climate co-benefits
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Project with climate co-benefits
This project is carried out with the support of the European Union and is part of the 2X Challenge initiative.
The content of this project information sheet falls under the sole responsibility of the Proparco and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Union. This information is given at the time of signature, without prejudice to any developments in the operation/project.
The Senegalese company Dakar Mobilité, which is owned by Meridiam and the Fonds Souverain d’Investissements Stratégiques du Sénégal (FONSIS), has raised all the EUR 135m of financing needed to deploy the BRT Dakar project. Proparco, EAIF, PIDG TA (Technical Assistance) and the European Union (EU) are contributing to this project which aims to improve mobility in the Senegalese capital.
Client presentation
Dakar Mobilité is the concessionaire of the Dakar BRT. This Senegalese company is 70% owned by Meridiam and 30% by the Fonds Souverain d’Investissements Stratégiques du Sénégal (FONSIS). It is responsible for the acquisition of an electric bus fleet, as well as the operation and maintenance of the Dakar BRT system.
Project description
As part of an extensive program to restructure the Senegalese capital’s urban transport network, the Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables du Sénégal (CETUD) has developed the Dakar BRT project, the first-ever 100% electric BRT system in Africa. It has granted a 15-year concession to Dakar Mobilité for the acquisition, operation and maintenance of a fleet of 121 electric buses and the associated equipment.
To finance the BRT equipment, a EUR 85.4m loan is being provided in equal parts by Proparco and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), acting through its management company Ninety One. Both are also providing Dakar Mobilité with a loan for a total of EUR 6.4m to finance the replacement of the bus batteries at the end of their useful life (eight years). Two grants, one delegated by the European Union (EU) for EUR 7m, the other secured from PIDG TA for around EUR 9m, complete the financing of the project. The remainder is being provided by Meridiam and FONSIS.
The financing from the European Union is part of the investment package mobilized under the European Global Gateway strategy, aimed in particular at strengthening smart, clean and secure connections in the digital, energy and transport sectors, including urban mobility.
The client has received technical assistance through an expert directly recruited by Proparco to strengthen its communication and visibility strategy for an amount equivalent to almost EUR 150,000.
Project impact
The expected impacts of the project are as follows:
- Support for some 1,350 direct and indirect local jobs
- Access to a public transport service for 300,000 passengers a day in the suburbs of Dakar, and an affordable fare should be introduced, with a reduction of up to 50% compared to the standard fare
- Better air quality in Dakar through the reduction in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with around 40 kt of CO2 avoided
- Facilities integrating the specific needs of women are planned in and around the stations (safe pedestrian traffic and flow management, accessibility, lighting, etc.), as well as action to prevent gender-based violence. The project is thereby 100% qualified for the 2X Challenge.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted by the project are SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities) and SDG 13 (Climate action).