AFRICA - Energy experts agree strategy to transform the sector

The importance of a well-coordinated strategy to modernise Africa's power infrastructure cannot be overstated

ENERGY INDABA - African energy experts come together as part of a well-coordinated strategy to modernise Africa's power infrastructure

COTONOU, Benin (Plant Defence) - There has been significant strides in the establishment of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and the development of the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP), paving the way for major infrastructure developments within energy sector on the continent.

The importance of a well-coordinated strategy to modernise Africa's power infrastructure cannot be overstated. It is projected that the demand for electricity in the continent will triple come 2040, industrialisation, rapid urbanisation, the growing middle class, and climate change have been cited as among other driving factors. 

Energy stakeholders convened in Cotonou, Benin, from  3rd -5th July, 2023 to chart way forward for the AfSEM and CMP initiatives, aiming to provide Africa with a reliable and sustainable power supply to meet the growing demands of its population.

Major developments are on the horizon as the CMP work plan enters its final development phase to produce an optimised integrated generation and transmission expansion plan for 2023-2040 .

Four important deliverables were discussed during the 3-day workshop, i.e. the Baseline and Reference Case Planning Scenario Results,  Additional Planning Scenario and Sensitivity Analysis Results Report, the Economic Cost Benefit Analysis of Power Generation and Transmission Investments, and then finally Transmission Network Studies Report. 

These outputs represent significant progress for both AfSEM and CMP's objectives to curb electricity deficit and allow a well-balanced sharing of affordable, reliable, and clean energy resources to facilitate the realisation of the continent’s ambitious Agenda 2063 including the ongoing operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This bottom-up, participatory process is vital for the successful implementation of the African Union’s far-reaching visions for a unified electricity market in Africa.

It also fosters a common understanding of the CMP modelling activities among the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Power Pools, European Union (EU) modelling partners, and other key African institutions. 

The delegation also undertook a site visit to the West African Power Pool Information and Control Center to take stock of the progress made in the region.

The power pool, which is a specialized agency of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) aims to integrate the national power systems in ECOWAS into a unified regional electricity market with the goal of providing in the medium and long term, regular and reliable energy at a competitive cost to the citizenry of the region. 

The delegation commended the progress made by the power pool and indicated that WAPP serves as a testament of what can be replicated by the power pools.

Towards the end of the gathering experts committed to the successful implementation of both AfSEM and CMP with the overall goal of the realisation of the visions of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, African Development Bank’s new deal for energy in Africa, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the IRENA- led initiative for Clean Energy Corridors in Africa.

The meeting concluded that the implementation of the AfSEM and CMP  should be aligned to the transformative socio-economic development agenda of the continent. 

Source : African Union Development Agency - NEPAD