21 SEPTEMBER 2023

Advancing East Africa’s Electricity System for Regional Energy Security and a Sustainable Energy Future

Access to reliable and affordable electricity has long been regarded as the linchpin of socio-economic development. In East Africa, a region blessed with abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and hydro, a unique opportunity emerged to bolster energy security and foster a sustainable future. The East African Power Pool (EAPP), a regional organisation dedicated to promoting power trade and cooperation, assumed a leading role in the monumental transformation of the region’s electricity landscape.

In collaboration with EAPP, the Africa Women in Energy and Power (AWEaP) orchestrated a pioneering webinar that provided a platform for the convergence of industry stakeholders, thought leaders, and member utilities affiliated with EAPP. The primary objective of this webinar was to engender comprehensive dialogues and assessments concerning the multifaceted challenges and opportunities confronting power utilities operating within the ambit of the power pool.

During the AWEaP webinar, participants embarked on a thorough exploration of pivotal subjects related to the energy  sector. Leading industry stakeholders, including our  platinum sponsor Rockwell Automation, underscored the critical importance of grid modernisation and the effective deployment of smart grid solutions in fortifying energy systems. The discussion further delved into the strategic implementation of digital technologies, enabling utilities to make judicious decisions while enhancing their resilience against cyber risks.

The Ethiopian Women in Energy also participated in the webinar and illuminated the prevailing misconceptions surrounding women’s roles in the energy sector. This organisation presented enlightening statistics highlighting the prevalent biases regarding technical roles, with a notable tendency to favour men in the field. Simultaneously, they shed light on the persistent challenges faced by women in this male-dominated industry.

Throughout the webinar, the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) seized the opportunity to elucidate tangible prospects within the East African energy sector. EAPP articulated its vision of optimising the region’s abundant clean energy resources to yield reduced electricity production costs and heightened electrification rates across Eastern Africa. Additionally, insights were shared regarding forthcoming developments in the EAPP pipeline.

AWEaP’s Kenya Chairperson comprehensively outlined the plethora of opportunities unveiled during AWEaP’s recent B2B mission in Turkey, conducted in collaboration with Green Collar Women Association and Solis Renewable Hub in Turkey. This webinar effectively illuminated the expansive growth potential and opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Notably, the webinar drew the participation of key utilities hailing from Rwanda, Sudan, Libya, Kenya, and Uganda, each offering invaluable perspectives. Discussions encompassed a meticulous evaluation of strategies aimed at extending energy access to the remote corners of rural regions, thereby addressing the pressing issue of energy inequality. Additionally, the discourse centred on the significance of capacity building and skills development within the energy sector, duly acknowledging their pivotal role in propelling progress and innovation. This collective exploration of critical energy-related themes during the AWEaP webinar served to foster an enriched understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities within the domain of energy, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and insights among participants.

Our theme for 2023 is: Together, we can make inclusion in Africa's energy and power sector a competitive edge.

The following stakeholders were invited to share insights on the construct of energy value chains and opportunities emerging as countries endeavour to achieve security of energy supply: 

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs):

Our monthly webinars included OEMs like Rockwell Automation for the following reasons: OEMs design and manufacture products, services, solutions, and systems sought by utilities and different large power users in the energy and power sector. We invite them to share trends in electricity system digitisation, decarbonisation, and decentralisation. We invite them to showcase how they enable access to technology for SMMEs, especially women-owned companies.

Electricity Utilities: 

Electricity Utilities and their vital role in the direction and realisation of electricity infrastructure and regulatory reform. Utilities play a profound role in creating a market for products, services, solutions and system for the entire electricity value chain. We invite representatives of electricity utilities to share their strategic focus, project pipelines, integration of renewable energy, gender mainstreaming policies and procurement processes.

Power Pools:

Power pools are regional networks of electric power transmission systems that are interconnected and operate in coordination to ensure the reliable and efficient supply of electricity to customers. In a power pool, multiple electric utilities come together to pool their generation resources and coordinate the dispatch of electricity across the network, which allows them to balance supply and demand across a wider area.

The purpose of a power pool is to provide greater efficiency, reliability, and cost savings to the utilities and customers served by the network. By sharing resources and coordinating operations, the power pool can reduce the need for individual utilities to build excess generation capacity to meet peak demand, saving money for everyone involved.

Additionally, by coordinating the dispatch of generation resources across a wider area, the power pool can ensure that the electricity supply is more reliable and less prone to outages.

Programme

Content Framework

Webinar 8

Speaker

Introduction

Introduction to AWEaP
Purpose of the Webinar and
Introduction to the topics

AWEaP

MS. BERTHA DLAMINI
Founding President
African Women in Energy and Power
NPC

Sponsoring OEM

Technologies necessary for
Utility Modernisation & The Utility of the Future

Rockwell Automation
Platinum Sponsor

MR. MAFA MATLALA
Software Specialist
Rockwell Automation

Women in Energy Network

Women in Energy
 – East Africa Perspective

Ethiopian Women in Energy

MS. YEMISRACH MEKKONNEN
Board Member
Ethiopian Women in Energy

Women in Energy Network

Women in Energy
– East Africa Perspective

AWEaP

MS. SARAH MBWAYA
AWEaP Kenya Chairperson

Power Pool

Developments in Energy Security for the region

Eastern African Power Pool
(Endorsing Power Pool)

ENGINEER JAMES WAHOGO
Secretary General
Eastern Africa Power  Pool (EAPP)
General Secretariat

Perspectives From Electivity Utilities: Advancing East Africa’s electricity system for regional energy security and a sustainable energy future

 

Rwanda

RONALD NTARE – REG

Egypt

GEHAN SHABAN M BASYONY  – EEHC

Sudan

ELAFF ALFADEL ISMAIL  – SETCO

Ethiopia

TINSAENESH SISAY – EEP

Libya

ENG. FAHIMA M O ZAIDAN – GECOL

Kenya

BEATRICE MUSYOKA – KenGen

Kenya

ENG. FELISTUS AYERA MISIKO – KETRACO

Uganda

DIANA NAKABUGO – UETCL

Closing Remarks

Working together to build an inclusive energy market

AWEaP

MS. BERTHA DLAMINI
Founding President
African Women in
Energy and Power NPC

We encourage you to do the following:

  1. Visit our YouTube channel
  2. Watch previous webinars
  3. Take notes from the presentations given
  4. Note the tips shared on how you can gain entry into the energy and power sector as an entrepreneur
  5. Note programmes in place to address some of the barriers:
    1. Access to market
    2. Access to skills development
    3. Access to finance
    4. Access to technology
  6. Download presentations and listen to the recorded webinar again
  7. Follow through by: visiting websites and taking the initiative to build the network necessary to enable your participation.

Inspiration

"It is undeniable that women play a pivotal role in steering the energy transition towards a sustainable future across Africa. Their engagement transcends environmental preservation; it is a catalyst for fostering social and economic equity. While designing policy interventions and solutions that will accelerate the energy transition, women need to be involved to ensure that interventions are built with the users in mind."

Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya

“The underrepresentation of Women at decision making levels of the energy and extractives sector is closely linked to their low representation in STEM higher education, preventing them from competing for better-paying and more influential positions in the sector. Partnerships with utilities and universities is creating the enabling environment to increase female representation in STEM and address this imbalance over time.”

Dr. Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank, Regional Vice President (East and Southern Africa Region)

“The energy transition in Africa presents an unparalleled opportunity to address climate change, promote sustainable development, and achieve gender equality. Empowering women and recognizing their pivotal role in the energy sector will yield transformative outcomes, including improved energy access, reduced emissions, and enhanced resilience.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All