By: Energy capital & power

The Republic of Congo has awarded Senegal’s national electricity company Senelec a 10-year contract to manage the distribution and commercialization of electricity in the country.

The agreement – signed last week by Congo’s Minister of Energy and Hydraulics Emile Ouosso and Pape Mamadou Diop, Managing Director of a Senelec subsidiary – will reduce state control over distribution while maintaining oversight of electricity tariffs.

“Based on our previous evaluations and upcoming audits, we believe that within ten years, or even sooner, we can significantly improve performance in the sector,” stated Senelec CEO Pape Toby Gaye.

Senelec will be responsible for managing, maintaining and improving the performance of Congo’s public electricity distribution system, including billing, debt recovery and customer service.

As part of ongoing energy sector reforms, Congo’s national utility company Energie Électrique du Congo (E²C) has been restructured as a heritage company and now holds a 15% stake across all market segments, including generation, transmission, distribution and commercialization.

“We recognize the expertise of local professionals from E²C. Our engineers, having faced similar challenges in Senegal, are prepared to implement effective solutions with their support,” Diop added.