A strong delegation from the Regulatory Board (IRB) of the East African Power Pool (EAPP) was this Friday, September 30, 2022 at the headquarters of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria. The objective of this working visit was to learn from the experience of development, management and regulation of the energy market in West Africa by the Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization Department of ECOWAS.
Led by its President, Engr. Modestus M. LUMATO and composed of heads of national structures in charge of regulating the energy, oil and water sector of several East African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, l uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia and Egypt, the delegation of the Regulatory Board (IRB) of the East African Power Pool (EAPP) held a meeting work this Friday with the ECOWAS Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization Department.
The IRB/EAPP delegation was received by Mr. Bayaornibè DABIRE, Director of Energy and Mines and his collaborators, accompanied by some staff from project units managed by ECOWAS in the field of energy ( BEST, ECOREAP and ROGEAP), as well as representatives of the ECOWAS Legal Affairs and External Relations Directorates.
In his welcoming address delivered on behalf of Commissioner Sédiko DOUKA in charge of the ECOWAS Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization Department, the Director of Energy and Mines conveyed the gratitude of His Excellency Dr. Omar A. TOURE, President of the ECOWAS Commission to the members of the delegation for having chosen ECOWAS in order to immerse themselves actions undertaken in the energy sector, more particularly in the establishment of a functional and regulated regional electricity market.
Mr. Dabire pointed out that ECOWAS has set up specialized institutions, to which it has allocated financial and technical resources, so that physical infrastructure can be developed to allow cross-border exchanges of electrical energy and promote the development of renewable energies. . He also indicated that several regulatory texts have been adopted to facilitate the management of the implementation of electricity production and transmission projects, the interconnection of networks and energy exchanges between Member States as well as the regulation of the market. regional level through Directives, standard contracts, rules and procedures and applicable sanctions.
” In this sense, we have adopted the ECOWAS Master Plan for the development of the means of Production and Transmission of Electric Power 2019-2033 in the amount of US$36.4 billion, comprising 75 priority projects including 47 projects generation and 28 transmission projects. Renewable energies will represent 70% of production, particularly hydroelectricity ,” said the Director of Energy and Mines, before recalling that despite these advances, challenges remain, particularly those related to securing payments in the context of trade. cross-border electricity network to avoid situations of non-payment and non-delivery of electrical energy as well as securing financing for the development of projects, for which ECOWAS has already designed mechanisms.
Following him, Engr. Modestus M. LUMATO, Chairman of the Regulatory Board (IRB) of the East African Power Pool (EAPP), after thanking ECOWAS for the welcome extended to the members of his delegation, recalled the objective of this mission which is to learn from the experience of ECOWAS in the management and regulation of its regional electricity market. This mission to the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, which follows that carried out earlier this week to the West African Electricity Exchange System (WAPP) in Cotonou, Benin, will contribute to increasing the knowledge of the IRB/EAPP on the ECOWAS energy sector and its energy policy resolutions, including enforcement and monitoring modalities.
Before closing his speech, Engr. Modestus LUMATO made the history of the RD/EAPP. Created in 2012 to promote cross-border electricity exchanges between East African countries and to ensure the harmonization of practices within the regional market, the Regulatory Council has the human, financial and institutional capacity little developed to meet the needs of the East African regional market.
To fill the gaps, the IRD / EAPP aims to initiate at the level of national energy regulators, a skills development program to fill the gaps in regional electricity trade and harmonization of political and legal frameworks. related.
After the official opening ceremony of this meeting, the participants were invited to follow presentations on the organization and the operating mechanism as well as the major projects in the energy sector, respectively of ECOWAS and the Community. East Africa Regional Economics. This meeting ended with a series of questions and answers. This enabled participants from both parties to better understand their reciprocal areas of activity and to make a commitment to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two regions.