AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS DE LA CENTRALE À CHARBON DE SENDOU SUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS LOCALES

This community audit, supported by Natural Justice and RAPEN, documents the environmental, social, and legal impacts of the 125MW Bargny-Sendou coal-fired power plant on local communities in Senegal. The report identifies multiple violations of Senegalese law and international human rights, including water and air pollution, illegal land expropriation, and threats to local livelihoods and cultural practices.

• The Bargny-Sendou coal power plant, a 125MW facility operated by Nykomb Synergetics Development AB for the Compagnie d’Electricité du Sénégal (CES S.A), has faced severe technical failures and financial instability. A June 2020 African Development Bank (BAD) report stated the plant was "opérationnelle par intermittence" since November 2018 and "est fermée depuis juillet 2019", with inspectors concluding the plant is "en faillite" due to construction shortcuts.
• The plant has caused significant water pollution through the discharge of wastewater and cooling water into the environment, specifically affecting Lake Khouloup. Analysis from February 2019 showed these waters were contaminated with hydrocarbons at a value of "94,5 mg/L contre 15 mg/L dans la norme". These discharges led to the flooding of fish processing crates for women at Khelcom, causing estimated losses of "2.550.048 FCFA".
• Air pollution is a critical issue as coal and ash are stored in the open, allowing wind to disperse particles into residential areas and crops. This has forced some community members to abandon agriculture. Furthermore, a report by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung found that nitrogen oxide (NO2) emissions "dépassent les normes de la Banque mondiale et les normes sénégalaises".
• The facility violates the Senegalese environmental code's requirement for a 500-meter safety buffer zone between Class 1 installations and residential areas, lakes, or public establishments. The audit notes that "une partie de la zone habitée, Khelcom et le lac Khouloup sont dans l’emprise de la centrale à charbon", placing residents in a state of "danger permanent".
• The plant was constructed on land previously allocated for the relocation of victims of coastal erosion from 1996 and 2007, affecting over 1,000 residents. The audit claims that the "condition d’un versement d’une indemnité « juste et préalable » n’est pas observée", constituting a violation of the right to property guaranteed by the Senegalese Constitution.
• The project has negatively impacted local economic activities and cultural rights. It encroached upon the Khelcom fish processing site, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of women and approximately 500 men. Additionally, the plant restricted access to a "baobab sacré" used as a community altar by erecting a wall, which the report describes as an "atteinte au droit à la libre pratique de la religion".

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS DE LA CENTRALE À CHARBON DE SENDOU SUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS LOCALES. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Audit-Communautaire-des-Impacts-de-la-Centrale-a-Charbon-de-Sendou-sur-les-Communautes-Locales.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS DE LA CENTRALE À CHARBON DE SENDOU SUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS LOCALES. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Audit-Communautaire-des-Impacts-de-la-Centrale-a-Charbon-de-Sendou-sur-les-Communautes-Locales.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS DE LA CENTRALE À CHARBON DE SENDOU SUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS LOCALES |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Audit-Communautaire-des-Impacts-de-la-Centrale-a-Charbon-de-Sendou-sur-les-Communautes-Locales.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendaudit, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS DE LA CENTRALE À CHARBON DE SENDOU SUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS LOCALES}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Audit-Communautaire-des-Impacts-de-la-Centrale-a-Charbon-de-Sendou-sur-les-Communautes-Locales.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }