Meeting a Vital Need
The Senegalese Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investment (FONSIS) has recently signed a partnership agreement with the Chinese company Sinohydro to construct the country’s first “water highway.” This project is part of the new Senegalese government’s water transfer initiative, the Grand Transfert d’Eau (GTE) project, which aims to ensure a sustainable supply of drinking water and support the agricultural sector.
Sinohydro, a subsidiary of the PowerChina, is responsible for the implementation of the GTE. The planned 250-km aqueduct will link Lac de Guiers in the north to the cities of Mbour, Dakar, and Thiès, forming a strategic water supply triangle. The project is set for completion in 2028.
Proven expertise
The Chinese company was selected through a rigorous international tendering process, in which it prevailed for several reasons: It conducted feasibility studies alongside FONSIS, demonstrated proven expertise in Africa and globally, committed to using the local workforce, and showed the ability to meet tight deadlines.
Senegal’s Minister of Water and Sanitation Cheikh Tidiane Dieye said that Sinohydro was the only company that met all the criteria set by the Senegalese authorities. This was echoed by Babacar Gning, director general of FONSIS, who highlighted the competitiveness of the company’s financing offer and its commitment to rapid project implementation while using the local workforce.
According to Abdou Niang, managing director of the National Water Co. of Senegal, the project will deliver 165,000 cubic metres of water per day to the Thiès Plateau. Additionally, pumping stations and pipelines will be installed to optimise supply and tap into additional underground resources, particularly the Ndièyène Sira and Thiénaba aquifers, which are expected to provide a further 15,000 cubic metres of water.
FONSIS is responsible for mobilising funding, managing construction contracts, and ensuring equal access to water for all. “This project reflects Senegal’s ambition to provide drinking water to households, strengthen the agricultural sector, and ensure a sustainable supply,” Gning stated.
Alioune Ndiaye, a technical advisor at the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning, noted the GTE’s economic significance: “By mobilising funds from national resources as well as Senegal’s private sector, our reliance on borrowing will decrease.”
A driving force for development
Sinohydro has been operating in Senegal for 17 years and will bring its technical expertise to the project. Ma Yuxin, vice president of PowerChina International, said that the company will introduce innovative solutions to meet Senegal’s water needs while adhering to economic, social, and environmental requirements.
Alpha Bâ, secretary of state to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, in charge of cooperatives and farmer support, sees the project as a landmark moment in Senegal’s agricultural history. “The GTE will irrigate 40,000 hectares in the groundnut basin and support year-round farming. Alongside benefitting farmers and livestock breeders, the project aims to provide drinking water to more than 5 million people initially, expanding to 11 million users by 2050.”
The GTE is a long-term solution for securing water supplies to major cities and agricultural regions. Beyond its vital role in ensuring access to drinking water, it is expected to irrigate more than 12,000 hectares of farmland, strengthening food security and driving regional development.
“This project embodies our ambition to make water a driver of sustainable and inclusive development, in line with Vision Senegal 2050. It is not just a ‘water highway,’ but a bridge between our present and our future, paving the way for shared prosperity for millions of Senegalese,” said Dièye.
Gning added, “With the GTE, Senegal will secure its drinking water supply for the next 30 years, particularly for major cities and the country’s horticultural heartland, the Niayes region.”
The contract signing followed an inter-ministerial council meeting on drinking water supply chaired by the Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in August 2024. The meeting resulted in several key decisions regarding the GTE, including the drafting of a new water code aligned with the Senegal Vision 2050 guidelines.
Funding for the first phase of the project is estimated at 610 billion CFA francs ($1 billion), while total water infrastructure construction will require an overall investment of 1,627 billion CFA francs ($2.71 billion).
The water for the project will primarily come from Lac de Guiers, a large freshwater lake in north Senegal. Additional projects to transfer water from catchment fields to major towns are also under consideration.
