VZCZCXRO6867
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0416/01 0911517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011517Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2162
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000416 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG EINV BTIO KNNP SG
SUBJECT: Senegal-Ambassador meets the Minister of Renewable Energy 
 
DAKAR 00000416  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1. (SBU) On March 30, Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Christian 
Sina Diatta, the Minister of Biofuels, Renewable Energy and 
Scientific Research, to discuss alternative energy possibilities and 
nuclear power in Senegal.  End Summary 
 
Downbeat 
-------- 
¶2. (SBU)  Minister Diatta is a mathematician by education and has a 
solid reputation for being well versed in the portfolio for which 
his Ministry is responsible.  During the meeting he underlined that 
his Ministry was considering every type of alternative energy 
possible in order to increase Senegal's energy output, which is 
currently well below demand.  However, the Minister was decidedly 
downbeat about the prospect of using alternative technologies in 
Senegal citing, the high cost of importing solar panels, weak and 
seasonal winds off Senegal's coast and unstable undersea currents. 
Furthermore, the Minister pointed out that even if Senegal was able 
to produce more energy, the electricity grid is so out of date that 
it could not efficiently carry the extra load.  According to the 
Minister, the grid dates from the colonial era, wryly adding, "As do 
the laws governing the electricity sector." 
 
Nuclear Power 
------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Emphasizing that Senegal was party to all nuclear power and 
proliferation-related conventions, the Minister had no illusions 
that even if they started today it would be at least 15 years before 
a civilian nuclear power station could be built in Senegal, or 
anywhere in Africa: "We can't just set up a plant tomorrow.  We need 
to reach milestones in the process first.  We need to set up the 
knowledge base, train people, pass laws, and establish oversight 
bodies.  That being said smaller countries than us have nuclear 
power, so why not?"  Diatta noted that Senegal already has a law on 
nuclear security, noting this was an absolute prerequisite for 
considering building a nuclear power plant.  Reminding that Senegal 
had already discussed this possibility with France, the Minister 
said Senegal wanted to work with a nuclear power on such a project. 
 
Internal Warfare 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Picked in order to satisfy the need to have both ethnic and 
religious diversity in the Cabinet, according to observers, Minister 
Diatta is a competent Minister with little real power, especially in 
his own energy field, and he knows it.  (Note: Diatta is Catholic 
and a member of the Jolla ethnic group from the Casamance region of 
southern Senegal.)  The real power lies with the Minister of Energy, 
Samuel Sarr, who also controls Senegal's electricity parasatal, 
Senelec.  The Minister said that his office had drafted two laws on 
the use of alternative energy in Senegal, but that both laws had yet 
to make their way through the Cabinet, "The national refinery 
company SAR, would feel threatened by such a project as bio-fuels, 
as would Senelec" he explained. 
 
U.S.-Brazil Biofuels Cooperation 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Now that Senegal is part of the second tranche of countries 
in the U.S.-Brazil Biofuels Cooperation initiative, the Minister 
asked the U.S. to "close the triangle" by having American technical 
experts come to Senegal to work with his Ministry on planting and 
managing a biofuel crop like jatropha, "Senegal has plenty of land 
available that is currently being unused for any agricultural 
productivity," he asserted.  We would welcome companies that would 
be willing to invest in setting up a jatropha growing operation here 
so that we can produce biodiesel.  Even if we can't convert our own 
power plants to use biodiesel we can become exporters of green 
energy."  In answer to a question concerning the U.S. company Energy 
Allied, which is already working in this field in Senegal, the 
Minister was very dismissive and accused the company of being 
arrogant in the way it treated the government.  Having failed to 
present at least one project to his Ministry, Diatta warned that 
"They are falling behind other companies already here." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) After having successfully defended his party's candidates 
in the Casamance region in the recently concluded local elections, 
Minister Diatta should keep his Cabinet seat.  The Minister is a 
knowledgeable interlocutor and is keen to work with the United 
States on a variety of alternative energy possibilities for Senegal. 
 The Minister is also fully aware that he will need to find projects 
that win the backing of President Abdoulaye Wade in order to trump 
 
DAKAR 00000416  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Senegal's current energy providers.  End Comment