African Energy Week 2024 Panel Champions Private Power to Transform Africa’s Energy Landscape
At the African Energy Week (AEW) 2024, a panel discussed Africa’s path to reliable energy through private power initiatives, focusing on Independent Power Producers (IPPs). South Africa’s IPP program emerged as a model, having provided 8 GW of capacity since inception, with 7.2 GW from renewable sources.
Head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producers Office, Bernard Magoro, noted the nation’s progress and the need to decommission coal-fired power, aiming to replace it largely with renewables.
Experts highlighted the “IPP energy ecosystem” in South Africa as a framework for sustainable energy transition across Africa. Moderator Hasnayn Ebrahim underscored the need for cross-border collaboration, echoed by World Bank’s Mirlan Aldayarov, who emphasized leveraging the South African Power Pool (SAPP) to address IPP challenges continent-wide.
Simphiwe Jantjies of the Development Bank of Southern Africa stressed that regional power pools and market liberalization are critical to empowering IPPs. He added that development finance institutions can support projects through robust financing, making them viable for long-term investment.
However, expanding transmission networks remains crucial, with South Africa facing the task of building 14,000 km of new lines by 2032. Magoro highlighted the role of private sector support in bolstering grid capacity, ensuring Africa can maintain the momentum towards sustainable power generation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
