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SAPP Moves to Develop Infrastructure Projects to Boost Regional Integration
The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) has announced plans to coordinate and develop infrastructure projects to drive regional integration.
According to Wilson Masango, Chief Engineer Markets, SAPP, who spoke during the Connecting Africa: Advancing Regional Trade through Integrated Power Pools panel session at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025, the international power pool has tasked its advisory unit for the preparation of large-scale infrastructure projects.
“The next step is to make sure we move on towards sharing the resources we have in the region,” Masango stated, adding, “The focus for SAPP is to develop infrastructure projects to mitigate shortages.”
The SAPP Project Advisory Unit is spearheading key initiatives, including the development of interconnectors, hydropower, and renewable energy projects, alongside frameworks aimed at enhancing grid connectivity. This strategy aims to ensure bankability and promote regional integration among the member states of the Southern African Development Community.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Hansby, Advisor Corporate Affairs and Business Development at renewable energy buyer and seller Africa GreenCo emphasized the need for bilateral contracts to sell power to big industrial energy users and trade actively on the SAPP, stating, “We see private utilities as our biggest stakeholders.”
In addition to the SAPP, power pools in West, North, East and Central Africa are pushing for increased renewable energy, expanded cross border trade and overcoming financial and political challenges.
“We’re seeing quite a number of reform areas coming through, especially in terms of what governments are doing,” stated Theo Acheampong, Board Member of policy advisor Natural Resources Chartered Limited.