2 African Energy Challenges in the Transition Era …
65
Despite that the WAPP and SAPP are regarded as the most advanced
power pools in the Sub-Saharan region in terms of trading structures,
the role of regional trading mechanisms remains still limited. Indeed, the
desire for regional energy access and sustainability in both regions entails
a delicate balance between building common institutions and infrastructures that address national and regional interests. These common
institutions at the different value chain of the sector will serve as a check
against countries who may attempt to favour the sovereign route to attain
national self-sufficiency in situations of severe shortages of resources
rather than depend on imports from other countries.
For example, the coal-based Mmamabula Power Station project, situated in Botswana near the South African border, was initially meant as
a regional initiative, Botswana decided, in the face of electricity shortages, to build the project on its own rather than wait for the long process
of regional dialogues to take place. Initiated by five-member States to
draw power from the DRC to Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South
Africa, the Westcor Power Project is another illustration of the difficulty
in building regional initiatives. The project is now moribund due to
various factors, including national concerns over the security of supply.
76
Also, regional trade in both regions has been constrained hugely by
transmission infrastructure deficit. While several projects are being initiated to boost regional electricity grid access, the existing weak and
limited electricity grid infrastructure has continued to hamper the role of
regional cooperative efforts in the overall energy landscape. For example,
within the SADC, Angola, Malawi and Tanzania are not yet connected
to the rest of the region because of transmission infrastructure deficit.
77
When one looks at the nature of energy in the region, it is clear that
demand for energy is greater than the supply over the last few years
for both ECOWAS and SADC. Put another way, a share of the potential transaction is not met due to infrastructure constraints. This calls
for further regional cooperation in promoting regional trade, provided
76 See C Wood (n. 73).
77 J Vanheukelom, and T Bertelsmann-Scott, ‘The Political Economy of Regional Integration in Africa’, The Southern African Development Community Report (ECDPM,
Maastricht, 2016), https://ecdpm.org/wp-content/uploads/ECDPM-2016-Political-EconomyRegional-Integration-Africa-SADC-Report.pdf, accessed March 23, 2020.
65
Despite that the WAPP and SAPP are regarded as the most advanced
power pools in the Sub-Saharan region in terms of trading structures,
the role of regional trading mechanisms remains still limited. Indeed, the
desire for regional energy access and sustainability in both regions entails
a delicate balance between building common institutions and infrastructures that address national and regional interests. These common
institutions at the different value chain of the sector will serve as a check
against countries who may attempt to favour the sovereign route to attain
national self-sufficiency in situations of severe shortages of resources
rather than depend on imports from other countries.
For example, the coal-based Mmamabula Power Station project, situated in Botswana near the South African border, was initially meant as
a regional initiative, Botswana decided, in the face of electricity shortages, to build the project on its own rather than wait for the long process
of regional dialogues to take place. Initiated by five-member States to
draw power from the DRC to Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South
Africa, the Westcor Power Project is another illustration of the difficulty
in building regional initiatives. The project is now moribund due to
various factors, including national concerns over the security of supply.
76
Also, regional trade in both regions has been constrained hugely by
transmission infrastructure deficit. While several projects are being initiated to boost regional electricity grid access, the existing weak and
limited electricity grid infrastructure has continued to hamper the role of
regional cooperative efforts in the overall energy landscape. For example,
within the SADC, Angola, Malawi and Tanzania are not yet connected
to the rest of the region because of transmission infrastructure deficit.
77
When one looks at the nature of energy in the region, it is clear that
demand for energy is greater than the supply over the last few years
for both ECOWAS and SADC. Put another way, a share of the potential transaction is not met due to infrastructure constraints. This calls
for further regional cooperation in promoting regional trade, provided
76 See C Wood (n. 73).
77 J Vanheukelom, and T Bertelsmann-Scott, ‘The Political Economy of Regional Integration in Africa’, The Southern African Development Community Report (ECDPM,
Maastricht, 2016), https://ecdpm.org/wp-content/uploads/ECDPM-2016-Political-EconomyRegional-Integration-Africa-SADC-Report.pdf, accessed March 23, 2020.