Wood charcoal market in Senegal

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2021, Senegal's wood charcoal market volume remained stable at 300 thousand tonnes per year. This period was characterized by tighter forestry regulations and enforcement against illegal logging, as well as the promotion of improved cookstoves and biogas to reduce reliance on charcoal. Simultaneously, the development of biochar production from agricultural waste, such as peanut shells, began to offer a more sustainable alternative.

In 2022, market volume surged by 39% to 416 thousand tonnes, driven primarily by the first significant imports of 116 thousand tonnes. This demand spike was triggered by sharp increases in fuel and electricity prices the previous year, making charcoal more appealing for household use, especially in rural areas. Concurrently, ongoing operational difficulties at the Sendou coal-fired power plant may have exacerbated energy insecurity, further boosting demand for solid fuels.

By 2023, domestic charcoal production more than halved to 132 thousand tonnes, leading to an overall market contraction to 271 thousand tonnes despite a further rise in imports to 139 thousand tonnes. This production drop stems from the cumulative impact of strict logging restrictions enacted earlier and an accelerated shift toward renewable energy under a new international just energy transition partnership. Increased imports only partially offset the decline in local supply, reflecting persistent demand amid high energy costs.

Production wood charcoal in Senegal

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of wood charcoal, 2017-2020

World map of production of wood charcoal, 2017-2020

In 2020, Senegal produced 300.0 thousand tons of wood charcoal, showing only minor fluctuations compared to the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2018, at 0.0%, while the largest increase was also recorded in 2018, at 0.0%.

Annual dynamics of production in Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Exports wood charcoal from Senegal

Exports in kind, kg

The data reveals irregular changes, indicating a volatile market environment. Export volumes bottomed out in 2019 and peaked in 2020, with a top-to-bottom ratio of 711 times. In 2020, Senegal exported 23 449 kg of wood charcoal, marking a dramatic increase of 70 957.6% from 2019. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 33 kg, with the largest decline that year at 99.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, kg

From 2017 to 2020, the main destinations for Senegal's wood charcoal exports in kind were Lebanon (36.6% of exports), Turkey (32.5% of exports), and Spain (29.3% of exports), together accounting for 98.4% of total flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Senegal in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, $ US

Volatility characterized the market behavior during these years. Export values hit their lowest point in 2019 and reached their maximum in 2018, with a gap of 390 times between these years. In 2020, Senegal exported 6 375 US dollars of wood charcoal, which is 25 763.3% higher than the previous year. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 25 US dollars, while the maximum was in 2018 at 9 619 US dollars. The largest decline occurred in 2019, at 99.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Senegal in value, 2017-2020, $ US

Throughout 2017 to 2020, Spain and Lebanon clearly dominated Senegal's wood charcoal exports in value terms, jointly accounting for 81.2% of total flows, while other countries held much smaller shares.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Senegal in value, 2017-2020

Imports wood charcoal to Senegal

Imports in kind, kg

The data reveals irregular changes, indicating a volatile market environment. Import volumes bottomed in 2020 and peaked in 2019, differing by a factor of 8.1. In 2020, Senegal imported a total of 4 511 kg of wood charcoal, representing an 87.7% reduction compared to 2019. The maximum value was recorded in 2019 at 36 723 kg, with the largest increase that year at 601.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Senegal in kind, 2017-2020, kg

From 2017 to 2020, three principal markets—Egypt, China, and the United States—together accounted for 84.1% of total imports in kind of wood charcoal to Senegal.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Senegal in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, $ US

There were noticeable fluctuations in market performance during the period. Import volumes varied 5.2 times from the low in 2017 to the high in 2019. In 2020, Senegal imported 5 718 US dollars of wood charcoal, equivalent to a sharp reduction of 74.5% compared to the previous year. The maximum value was recorded in 2019 at 22 404 US dollars, with the largest increase that year at 238.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Senegal in value, 2017-2020, $ US

From 2017 to 2020, China (29.8% of imports in value terms), Egypt (24.5% of imports in value terms), and France (18.0% of imports in value terms) continued to head the list of suppliers of wood charcoal to Senegal, jointly taking 72.3% of total imports in value terms.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Senegal in value, 2017-2020