In June, African energy stakeholders and representatives from leading European energy institutions came together for a nine-day strategic policy dialogue to advance the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM). The study trip was jointly organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the ENGAGE project. The experts gathered to improve collaboration on regional electricity market integration, energy transition and investment mobilisation.
The AfSEM Study Trip brought 31 senior representatives from over 21 African institutions, including 6 RECs, 4 Regional Power Pools, 3 Regional Regulatory Authorities, and 4 continental institutions to several European cities and organisations. Notable participants included the AUC, African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), Infrastructure Regulatory Board (IRB) and Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA). High-level meetings with the BMZ, as well as the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) in Brussels demonstrated the increasing strength of the Africa–EU energy cooperation.
Under ENGAGE, GET.transform contributed to the trip through fostering exchange and sharing expertise. The tour focused on building blocks for the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market: regulatory harmonisation, market design, institutional coordination, infrastructure financing and cross-border governance.
Participants exchanged on technical experiences with institutions including International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), European Power Exchange (EPEX SPOT), the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), SolarPower Europe, Eurelectric, Aurora Energy Research, the German Energy Agency (dena) as well as financing bodies like KfW Development Bank (KfW) and the German Investment and Development Company (DEG). The focus ranged from integrated energy planning, transmission development and utility transformation to renewable energy integration and battery storage.
The Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP), the blueprint for the AfSEM, was another key topic of discussion. Lessons from the development of the European Power Market will help inform the next phase of AfSEM implementation – especially the EAPP-SAPP Market Coupling Initiative, expected to become Africa’s first inter-regional electricity market within the next two years. Looking ahead, future regular meetings with delegates are planned to translate insights from the study trip into actions.
The study tour demonstrated the value of sustained African-European cooperation in accelerating regional electricity market integration. By translating practical European experience into the African context, participants identified concrete approaches to strengthen regional governance, mobilise investment and support the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market. The exchange also laid the foundation for continued collaboration as African institutions advance the next phase of AfSEM implementation.
