Power Pools In Africa: Releasing The Potential Of Regional Power Trade
African School of Regulation (ASR)
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Abstract: This conference proceedings document synthesizes insights from a pan-African power trade summit involving regional pools like SAPP, EAPP, and WAPP. It covers cross-border market design, harmonization of transmission tariffs, balancing markets, and infrastructure planning. Speakers from COMESA, AfDB, and UNECA stressed the need for regulatory capacity and interconnector expansion to unlock continent-wide trade. Kenya's role in EAPP is discussed with focus on synchronized dispatch, regional pricing, and coordination via KETRACO. The document highlights key challenges including underutilized infrastructure, lack of harmonized grid codes, and planning misalignment. Sessions showcase innovative designs for standardization, contract mechanisms, and renewable integration into pooled systems. Participants stressed training, finance de-risking, and digital monitoring to ensure equitable access and optimization. The compilation offers blueprints for competitive regional electricity trade as climate resilience and energy security strategy across East, South, and West Africa.