Addis ababa: The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside African institutions in strengthening regulatory frameworks and unlocking the potential of renewable energy and regional energy trade. Opening the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) High-level Technical meeting today, Head of Policy and Cooperation at the EU delegation to the African Union Gianluca Azzoni commended the coordination among AU energy institutions, regional economic communities, power pools, regional regulators, and member states.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Azzoni emphasized the EU’s role as a key partner in this journey, as outlined in the EU Global Gateway strategy. He highlighted the EU’s support for investment in energy transmission and generation infrastructure, as well as energy access at both national and regional levels through the Africa-Europe Green Energy Initiative. He reiterated the EU’s commitment to work with African institutions to remove investment barriers, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and unlock renewable energy and regional energy trade potential.
As AfSEM transitions from design to full-scale implementation, Azzoni encouraged member states and regional institutions to maintain momentum, foster deeper collaboration, and integrate AfSEM principles into national and regional planning frameworks. African Development Bank PESR-Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation Director Wale Shonibare added that electricity trading allows countries to access cheaper, cleaner energy sources and improve system reliability.
Shonibare noted the African Development Bank’s crucial role in deploying innovative de-risking instruments. He emphasized the bank’s commitment to leveraging and expanding various de-risking tools, including partial risk guarantees, partial credit guarantees, and specialized blended finance instruments like the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa. He also stressed the need for deeper collaboration with other multilateral development banks, bilateral partners, private sectors, and financiers.
AUDA-NEPAD Energy Principal Program Officer Tichakunda Simbini stressed the importance of the central African Power pool, and the Southern and Eastern power pools in generating power for trading between the pools. He urged all partners to ensure these regional power pools become operational by 2030 in line with the AfSEM timeline.
AUC Infrastructure and Energy Director Kamugisha Kazaura remarked on the significance of the day, marking a pivotal moment in the collective pursuit to transform Africa’s energy landscape. He highlighted the opportunity to lay institutional and operational foundations for a unified Africa electricity market, aimed at delivering clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for the continent. Kazaura also acknowledged the technical and financial support provided by the European Union since the program’s inception in 2015, facilitated through the Global technical assistance facility.
AfSEM aims to enhance energy security, sustainability, and competitiveness among African Union Member States.