Dakar (The Times Groupe)- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday on his first trip to Africa that Germany will pursue gas and renewable energy projects with Senegal in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.
Scholz began his three-day trip in Senegal, which has billions of cubic metres of gas reserves and is expected to become a major gas producer in the region.
As a result of the Kremlin‘s invasion of Ukraine, Germany wants to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. Scholz said the company has begun discussions with Senegalese authorities about gas extraction and liquefied natural gas.
“This is an issue worth pursuing intensively,” he said at a joint news conference with Senegalese President Macky Sall, adding that progress was in both countries’ interests.
German renewable energy projects are also of interest to Scholz. No further details were provided.
Germany could help explore a gas field in Senegal, a German government official said on Friday.
All said Senegal was ready to provide LNG to the European market. Senegal’s LNG output is forecast to reach 2.5 million tonnes next year and 10 million tonnes by 2030.
In terms of gas exploration, project financing, and other questions, Sall said, “all that is open, and we are eager to work with Germany in this respect.”