MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM HOSTS THE EAST AFRICA POWER POOL(EAPP) STEERING COMMITTEES AND COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING IN NAIROBI.

BY VICTORIA MOVINE 

CS Energy and petroleum Mr. Davis Chirchir middle on a press briefing at Emara Ole-sereni hotel Nairobi 

The East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) Steering Committees and Council of Ministers meeting was held at Emara Ole-sereni hotel Nairobi, Kenya where member states were present along with development partners. 

 (EAPP) is a regional organization established to facilitate the development,and integration of power infrastructure across Eastern Africa. The body was formed by member countries in 2005, with an aim to enhance energy security, promote sustainable development, and foster collaboration and trade in the power sector.

The three-day meeting (26th–28th February) was hosted by the Cabinet Secretary for ministry of energy and petroleum Mr. David Chirchir who in a statement outlined the aim of the meeting. The key discussions in the meeting were strengthening the organisational structure of the EAPP with a view of enhancing coordination, streamlining decision-making processes and to fortify the EAPP’s capacity to address emerging challenges head-on.

The EAPP member states that were represent were Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and, Kenya while the development partners present were: World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and USAID/Power Africa.

Member states of the EAPP at Emara Ole-sereni hotel Nairobi.

According to the energy and petroleum CS Mr Chirchir, Kenya has already reaped the rewards of regional integration through bilateral frameworks, such as importing 200MW of renewable energy from Ethiopia and engaging in energy exchange with Uganda. These initiatives have ensured a reliable energy supply and reduced outage risks.

 He further noted that plans are at advanced stages to complete commission, and operationalize the Kenya -Tanzania inter-connector. Other key exciting projects include the Egypt -Libya line, Egypt -Sudan, Ethiopia-Sudan, Ethiopia -Djibouti, and the Uganda -Rwanda lines.

In his remarks he stated, “we also discussed the issue of admitting Independent Power Producers and Independent Transmission Developersto be part of the East African Power Pool. Noting that such private players hold a considerable energy market share in the region, we cannot afford to leave them behind in the regional power integration program. The discussions around this will continue and we will be providing updates in the months ahead."

The Secretary General of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), Eng James K.Wahogo expressed his remarks saying that 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 the member countries

James K. Wahogo, General Secretary EAPP addressing his statement at Emara Ole-sereni hotel Nairobi.

“Currently the countries are trading over 3,400GWh annually, which represents a big achievement compared to the504 GWh of power transferred in the region when the EAPP was first established in 2005.Ongoing efforts to enhance the interconnection of national power grids are progressing well, contributing to increased efficiency in power exchange and supporting economic development across member countries," said the SG.

He added that EAPP is actively promoting the harnessing of renewable energy sources to meet the region's power demands sustainaby. We are sourcing partnerships and financing for projects in solar and hydropower for a greener and more cost-effective energy future.