MOMBASA, Kenya, (Xinhua) – A three-day regional conference began on Monday in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa in an effort to boost energy security in the region.
The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) Regional Trade Conference 2024 was organized by the EAPP, a regional organization that aims to promote and facilitate cooperation in the field of electricity generation, transmission and distribution, in collaboration with the World Bank. The meeting brought together more than 300 delegates of energy ministers, regulators, utilities, international experts, and development partners from across the continent to discuss strategies for greater energy integration.
In his opening remarks, Opiyo Wandayi, cabinet secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said there is noticeable progress in the development of regional electricity infrastructure in interconnecting countries to allow bilateral trading and a centralized competitive market.
“Kenya has finalized the construction of the 400-kilovolt transmission line with Tanzania, which will enable Tanzania to harness renewable energy capacity in Kenya and also leverage Kenya’s transmission infrastructure to access renewable energy from Ethiopia,” Wandayi added.
He revealed that the establishment of a competitive regional power market presents immense opportunities, including enhancing energy security through cross-border interconnections, which will enable the utilization of indigenous energy resources.
Okaasai Opolot, chairperson of the EAPP Council of Ministers and Ugandan minister of state for energy, said the shared physical infrastructure between EAPP member markets will provide access to low-cost energy and integration of intermittent renewable energy produced in member countries.
Opolot noted that the benefits of a single regional market will extend to citizens and businesses across Eastern Africa, providing them with reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.
Erik Fernstrom, practice manager at the World Bank, said harmonization of national and regional energy regulations is key to achieving a seamless transition to a single market framework.
Fernstrom noted that sharing resources and integrating markets will promote the development of renewable energy by accelerating investments in renewable energy projects, leveraging the region’s vast potential in solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power.
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