Mérina Dakhar is a 34.4 MW solar power plant in Thies, Senegal. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 15k homes (estimated). It ranks #14 of 21 Senegal power plants by installed capacity. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, solar supplies about 8.9% of Senegal's electricity; the national grid averages 540 gCO₂/kWh (19.8% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WKS0069752.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Solar PV converts sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts or fuel; output varies by time of day and weather, so it pairs with storage or flexible backup.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Senegal solar capacity
- 31.4% of 109 MW across 4 plants in this dataset
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest solar plants in Senegal
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Local climate & thermal context
This solar plant converts sunlight directly into electricity with photovoltaic panels. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 15.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
Solar PV loses ~0.35%/°C above 25°C cell temperature — roughly 1.2% at warm-season highs here (estimate).
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #1 largest solar power plant of 4 in Senegal by capacity.
Senegal has 4 solar power plants in this dataset, together about 109 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Ten Merina · Solar · 30 MW · Thies
- Tobène power station · Gas · 115 MW · Thiès
- Mboro power station · Coal · 250 MW · Thiès
- Gallen Cement power station · Coal · 30 MW · Thiès
- Sendou power station · Gas · 125 MW · Dakar
- Kepco Sendou power station · Coal · 250 MW · Dakar
Location
Coordinates 15.155, -16.593 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Mérina Dakhar?
Mérina Dakhar is a 34.4 MW solar power plant in Thies, Senegal.