The Nigerien government has initiated feasibility study activities for the Salkadamna coal complex, a 5,200 MW energy project located in the Tahoua region.
This project, spearheaded by the Ministry of Energy, aims to strengthen the country’s energy sovereignty.
The meeting in Niamey was chaired by Minister of Energy Amadou Haoua and brought together key stakeholders, including the Niger Mines and Energy Company (CMEN), NIGELEC, AMPIPS, ARSE, and the Ministries of Mines and the Environment.
The project is being developed through a public-private partnership involving the Nigerien company WANDA GROUP and its Chinese and Indian partners, HEC and Kalpa-Taru.
Haoua noted that the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the WANDA-JIMEI group and its partners on September 3, 2024, which was later amended on January 10, 2025.
As outlined in the agreement, the group will finance and carry out all required technical, environmental, social, economic, and financial studies for the project.
The Salkadamna project, originally proposed in the 1980s and revived in 2014, aims to harness coal reserves estimated at 69 million tonnes. It will feature the construction of a thermal power plant, an open-pit mine, power transmission lines, and a coal briquette plant capable of producing 100,000 tonnes annually.
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The initiative is projected to create up to 3,000 jobs and reduce Niger’s dependence on energy imports, particularly from Nigeria.
It is worth recalling that following the military coup in Niger on July 26, 2023, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, in alignment with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), imposed sanctions that included cutting off electricity supplies to Niger.
This led to widespread power outages in Niger, which relies on Nigeria for approximately 70% of its electricity.
The Salkadamna coal complex is expected to play a pivotal role in addressing Niger’s energy shortfall and reducing its reliance on external power sources.
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