Abstract
Lack of access to affordable electricity is a major detriment to the development of the resource-rich West African region. Accelerating development in this region will require massive expansion of access to electricity. The purpose of this paper is to more clearly identify the status of current efforts to improve the energy situation. Analysis of existing literature shows that an increasingly interesting aspect of solving power problems in the developing word is the design and implementation of competitive electricity markets. In West Africa, the most ambitious plan to reform the Power Sector is the West African Power Pool (WAPP). By conducting a review of current power sector integration projects and approaches to market liberalization in West Africa, this paper provides a robust basis for future research on paths for energy security in the region.
Highlights
West African IntegrationWest Africa is an important sub-region of the African continent, representing a third of the continent’s total population and economic activity by gross domestic product
Based on an updated Master Plan, the West African Power Pool (WAPP) identified 5 priority sub-programs for generation and transmission projects listed below: (1) Coastal Transmission Backbone (CTB) Sub-program to establish a robust link between national power systems in Zone A coastal countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin/Togo, Nigeria)
In terms of the objectives sought by integration, as shown by WAPP documents, sector- specific objectives dominate with sub-themes such as “economy of scale and efficiency”, “security of supply” and “reliability” being mentioned the most often
Summary
West Africa is an important sub-region of the African continent, representing a third of the continent’s total population and economic activity by gross domestic product. Its Short-Term Action Plan for Infrastructure promotes integration initiatives in the energy sector, notably through the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) and other power pools (Southern Africa Power Pool, Central African Power Pool). These projects, with the support of major international finance institutions (such as the World Bank) and international donors (such as the United States Agency for International Development or the European Union through its EU Africa Partnership on Infrastructure) aim at integrating the different power systems in the region and improving access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. This paper will provide an overview of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) initiative and important issues potentially limiting its success
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