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African Union, AfDB to draw up
African transmission masterplan
AFRICA THE African Union Development Agency the African Union-European Union partnership
(AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Development to harmonise the African Single Electricity Mar-
Bank (AfDB) aim to spearhead the development ket Regulatory Framework.
of a pan-African masterplan to develop a conti- The baseline study goals include reviewing
nent-wide transmission grid. the existing masterplans developed by each of
They two partners have drawn up a series of the five regional power pools in Africa and iden-
recommendations to carry out a baseline study tifying power generation capacity and power
into creating an efficient, competitive energy demand up to 2063. The study will also develop
sector in Africa. the terms of reference for phase 2.
This would help to serve Africa’s vast “Our continent has a vision to develop a sin-
non-connected population, which is key to the gle electricity grid that will guarantee secure,
continent’s economic prospects, the partners reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity
said. supplies to enhance the economic prospects of
The plans were announced by the Bank last the continent, especially for our children. This
week, and draw on a decision made by African can only be realised with a well-co-ordinated,
energy ministers at a series of African Union widely accepted and highly articulated master-
meetings. plan,” said Cheikh Bedda, Director Energy, at the
“This will be a game-changer, since, in the African Union Commission.
long term, a continental transmission net- The recommendations of the baseline study
work will allow energy trade within Africa, as include: establishing a permanent unit to develop
well as off the continent, with Europe and Asia the masterplan in order to produce a skills trans-
through existing links,” said Dr Ibrahim May- fer within AUDA-NEPAD and the five regional
aki, CEO of the African Union Development power pools, and aligning the plan with existing
Agency-NEPAD. infrastructure projects, such as those identified
Over 640mn Africans have no access to under the Program for Infrastructure Develop-
energy, corresponding to an electricity access ment in Africa (PIDA), a joint initiative of the
rate for African countries of just over 40%, the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD
lowest in the world. and the AfDB.
Per capita consumption of energy in sub-Sa- The next steps are to develop the terms of
haran Africa (excluding South Africa) is reference for phase two and to discuss how the
180kWh, compared with 13,000 kWh per capita masterplan will be funded.
in the US and 6,500 kWh in Europe. “The continental masterplan will provide a
The baseline study constitutes the first of two holistic roadmap to connect countries to each
phases of the masterplan. The next phase entails other within a single regional power pool and to
the development of the plan itself. connect the power pools into a single electricity
The European Union agreed to support Phase market, promoting energy access and regional
1 under its EU Technical Assistance Facility (EU integration,” said Kevin Kariuki, vice-president
TAF) for sustainable energy, under the scope of for Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth.
Week 44 05•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7
