- The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) is finalising cross border interconnection to facilitate trading of electricity between 11 countries in central and east Africa with the potential to provide energy access to 600 million people.
- EAPP member countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- South Sudan and Somalia remain unconnected but a feasibility study is underway to connect Ethiopia with Somalia. Read more
The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) secretariate, James Wahogo, has indicated that they are targeting to go live on power auctioning (trading) by December this year. 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.
“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.
“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 added.
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.
The new energy trading 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. Their massive 6450MW Grand Renaissance Dam project started to produce power in February 2022. Read more
Tanzania also stands to have surplus power for export. Commissioning has started on the 2115MW Nyerere hydro project. Read more
Kenya/Tanzania interconnector
Kenya is near final completion of the construction of its portion of the 400 kv, USD 309.26 million transmission line that will link the country to Tanzania paving the way for the import and export and export of electricity between the two countries and beyond. Full commissioning is expected by December.
The project involves the construction of a high voltage alternating current (HVAC) 400 kV transmission line (T-line) with a total length of 507.5 km, of which about 414.4 km are in Tanzania and 93.1 km in Kenya.
In Tanzania, the project includes the construction of a 400 kV substation in Arusha and the extension of the existing Singida substation. In Kenya, the project does not involve any works related to substations. Indeed, the substation outgoing bay in Isinya is part of the existing Nairobi Reinforcement project which is currently under construction. Link to the full project description HERE
Tanzania/Mozambique interconnector
Tanzania and Mozambique have been in talks since 2022 to construct a 400kV interconnector between the two countries rom Toa Re, in Tanzania, to Palma, in Mozambique.
Related news: a 400kVA transmission line is already under construction connecting Mozambique with Malawi
There is already a memorandum of understanding between the two Governments but the formulating of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries’ state owned energy utilities EDM and TANESCO is lacking.
The interconnector will facilitate energy trading between EAPP and the twelve countries who are members of the Southern Africa Power Pool. This could potentially see energy wheeled from Ethiopia to customers in South Africa.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
