Extreme E – Electric car off-road racing in Senegal

One of the more unusual vessels and cargoes that OMA has handled in Senegal this year was the discharge and re-loading of the 24 race vehicles and 65 containers destined for Extreme E – the electric car off-road desert race.

The cargo arrived on the MV St Helena, which has an interesting history; “The RMS St Helena was a unique cargo-passenger ship that sailed to the stunning island of St Helena, one of the most remote, inhabited islands in the world. She was also one of the last working Royal Mail ships in the world.”

The location of the race was Lac Rose, approximately 30km north of Dakar, Senegal. Sand dunes, salt beds, gravel, rocks, and undulations all combined to provide the drivers with challenging rallying conditions, as they navigated the narrow off-road sand tracks in the vicinity of Lac Rose and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

Extreme E chose Senegal as a location to highlight the issues and solutions around ocean health which include sea-level rise, plastic pollution, and rising ocean temperatures. Extreme E has worked with local social business GroupeSenghor and its Legacy Partner to support the EcoZone Project based in Lac Rose – once a tourist hotspot but now facing vulnerability.  Read more about the projects here.