• The Eastern Africa Power Pool has made major inroads in increasing cross-border electrification.
• The system has the potential to connect 600 million people to clean energy.
• EAPP member countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) is targeting to go live on power auctioning (trading) by December this year, the secretariat now indicates, in what will allow the 13-member countries to sale excess electricity across borders.

This comes as countries continue to build a strong power connection network, amid huge investments in renewable energy mainly solar, wind, hydro and geothermal.

The EAPP member countries are Burundi, DRC, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Council of Ministers and the EAPP Steering Committee met in Nairobi this week to deliberate on the future of the power pool and the framework on the planned power auction in the region.

According to the Secretary General of the Eastern Africa Power Pool, James Wahogo, there has been significant progress in efforts toward fostering regional collaboration and advancing sustainable energy solutions and power trade across Eastern Africa.

“The Eastern Africa Power Pool remains committed to enhancing energy security, promoting cross border electricity trade, and driving the development of renewable energy sources within our member countries,” Wahogo said.

EAPP continues to facilitate the implementation of cross-border transmission projects aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and ensuring the reliable supply of electricity to the growing population, he noted.

The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) 

The pool has the potential to impact over 600 million people through increasing of electrification rates within the region according to energy sector experts.

Currently, the countries are trading over 3,400GWh annually, which represents a big achievement compared to the 504GWh of power transferred in the region when the EAPP was first established, in 2005.

Ongoing efforts to enhance the interconnection of national power grids continue to boost efficiency in power exchange and supporting economic development across member countries.

“To build on the benefits of this interconnectivity, we are striving to have the competitive day-ahead power market go live by the end of December 2024,” Wahogo said.

The market will take the Eastern Africa region from bilateral trade to trade amongst all countries in the region, ensuring not only regular supply but efficient use of energy.

Currently, Ethiopia is among the biggest producer and seller of electricity in the region, benefiting mainly immediate neighbouring countries. South Sudan and Somalia remain unconnected.

EAPP is sourcing partnerships and financing for projects in solar and hydropower for a greener and more cost-effective energy future.

During the Nairobi meeting, the Steering Committee and Council of Ministers recommended the formulation of guiding principles within which the Secretariat operates to fulfil its mandate.

The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) is a regional organisation established to facilitate the development, and integration of power infrastructure across Eastern Africa.

Formed by member countries in 2005, EAPP aims to enhance energy security, promote sustainable development, and foster collaboration and trade in the power sector.

It is keen on fostering cross-border electricity trade and cooperation in the planning, operation, and development of power infrastructure.

It is also working on enhancing the reliability and security of the electricity supply system through regional collaboration and resource sharing.

There has been key cross-border transmission projects and facilitation of financing to enhance regional connectivity, for instance the Ethiopia-Kenya, Uganda-Rwanda and the Kenya-Tanzania interconnections.

Kenya-Tanzania power line complete

As part of increasing interconnectivity, Kenya and Tanzania have finally completed the construction of a 400 kilovolt electricity line between the two countries, ending an eight-year long wait for the project completion.

According to Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Ministry Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, all the infrastructure is in place in the $294.5 million project with testing of the line also complete.

“What is remaining deciding on when to commission the line,” Chirchir said at the Nairobi meeting.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) however wants Kenya and Tanzania to speed up the signing of key agreements to pave the way for the exchange of excess electricity.

These includes a wheeling agreement between Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco), a power exchange deal between Kenya Power and Tanesco and a tripartite deal for the maintenance of the interconnected grid.

The 507.5-kilometre line that runs from the Isinya substation to Arusha through Namanga has the capacity to transferring up to 2,000 megawatts. Completion of the line had been slowed down by compensation and resettling of families along the project.

The line whose construction started in 2015 will allow cross-border exchanges of cheap and cleaner surplus power from neighbouring countries in the Eastern Africa Power Pool countries.

Kenya currently imports cheap hydroelectricity from Ethiopia and Uganda, supporting the country’s main grid supply and helping avoid power rationing, especially last year when hydro-generation hit record lows on prolonged drought.

“Kenya has already reaped the rewards of regional integration through bilateral frameworks such as importing 200MW of renewable energy from Ethiopia and engaging in energy exchange with Uganda. These initiatives have ensured a reliable energy supply and reduced outage risks,” CS Chirchir said.

Talks are ongoing with Independent Power Producers and Independent Transmission Developers, to be part of the EAPP.

Apart from Kenya and Tanzania, there are other numerous projects that have been completed in the successful implementation of joint power projects, contributing to increased energy access, with others under construction.

After running a successful shadow market, where member countries simulated how the real power market would run, EAPP is now working to set up the interface for the day-ahead and intra-day market to be launched.

Read also: Masdar and Africa50’s clean energy alliance lights up Africa’s future

Enhancing coordination

At the Nairobi meeting, discussions also evolved around strengthening the organisational structure of the EAPP, with a view of enhancing coordination, streamlining decision-making processes and to fortify the EAPP’s capacity to address emerging challenges head-on.

Experts noted that Africa is now experiencing a new frontier of industrialisation and economic growth, and this calls for a robust energy revolution to match the current and future demand.

This, as almost 600 million of the 1.5 billion people in Africa lack access to electricity, with a bigger number being served by unclean sources.

“This scenario calls for regional partnerships to address the dynamic energy landscape in Africa for the good of our citizens. This week’s deliberations therefore mark a substantial step towards enhancing energy security, promoting renewable resources, and driving economic development across our diverse nations,” CS Chirchir said.

Uganda’s Minister of State for Energy Okaasai Opolot, who is also the Chairperson Council of Ministers, sad the region has huge potential in green energy which remains untapped, calling for concerted efforts to drive growth of renewable energy use.

There is hydro in Ethiopia, Kenya has geothermal, Egypt, Libya and Tanzania have gas, if we put our resources together, we can be able to drive our economies,” Opolot said.