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Africa’s power sector needs integrated planning, grid modernisation to strengthen energy security – CESI – EnviroNews
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Africa must accelerate integrated power sector planning, grid modernisation and regional electricity interconnections to improve energy security, accommodate renewable energy and meet growing electricity demand, according to global engineering and consulting company CESI.
The company said rapid population growth, urbanisation, industrial development and ambitious electrification targets were placing increasing pressure on electricity networks across the continent.
In a statement, CESI noted that utilities, regulators and governments were facing the dual challenge of planning future power systems while modernising existing infrastructure to ensure safe, reliable and efficient operations.
Drawing on its experience supporting utilities, transmission system operators and public institutions across Africa, the company highlighted the growing connection between long-term electricity sector planning and the modernisation of grid operations.
It identified countries such as Angola, Mozambique and Liberia as examples where national power sector master plans were examining how generation, transmission and distribution systems could evolve over the coming decades while remaining technically feasible and financially sustainable.
According to CESI, an important development in electricity sector planning is the increasing adoption of integrated approaches that consider investments across the entire power value chain rather than treating generation, transmission and distribution independently.
It said demand forecasting methodologies were also evolving to accommodate industrial development, electric mobility and broader electrification trends.
The company further stressed that renewable energy integration was becoming a central consideration in power system development, given Africa’s substantial solar, wind and hydropower resources.
However, it noted that integrating these resources required careful assessment of transmission capacity, system flexibility, reserve requirements and grid stability.
On regional electricity cooperation, CESI identified cross-border interconnection projects linking Ethiopia and Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania, as well as Uganda and South Sudan, as important initiatives for strengthening regional energy security.
It explained that such infrastructure could improve electricity supply reliability and optimise the use of available generation resources across participating countries.
However, the company said successful implementation required coordination of technical, economic, regulatory and operational considerations among the countries involved.
Through its participation in various interconnection initiatives across Africa, CESI said it had supported stakeholders in assessing project feasibility, network performance and operational requirements for cross-border electricity exchanges.
The company added that regional power markets could benefit from interconnected systems through improved reliability, operational flexibility and more efficient utilisation of electricity resources.
On grid modernisation, CESI identified control centres, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Energy Management Systems (EMS) and telecommunications networks as increasingly important technologies for managing complex electricity networks.
It cited projects in Mozambique and Angola supporting the development of advanced control centres capable of monitoring power generation facilities, transmission networks and cross-border interconnections through integrated operational platforms.
According to the company, these technologies provide real-time network visibility and decision-support capabilities that improve operational efficiency and system reliability.
It also highlighted programmes in Tunisia and Nigeria aimed at upgrading ageing SCADA and EMS infrastructure to meet changing operational requirements.
Modern grid solutions, it said, increasingly incorporate cybersecurity measures, wide-area monitoring capabilities and renewable energy management functions.
Beyond technological improvements, CESI stressed the importance of incorporating environmental and social considerations into electricity infrastructure planning and investment decisions.
It said climate resilience was becoming central to infrastructure development, particularly in countries vulnerable to extreme weather events or heavily dependent on hydropower resources.
The company also identified technical capacity building as essential to the successful deployment and management of modern electricity infrastructure.
It explained that emerging technologies and advanced analytical tools required utilities and public institutions to continually strengthen their technical expertise through training and knowledge-transfer programmes.
Summarising developments across the continent, CESI identified four major trends shaping Africa’s electricity future: longer-term power sector planning, increased renewable energy integration, expanding regional interconnections and digitalisation of grid operations.
It maintained that the challenge facing African countries was no longer simply expanding electricity infrastructure but ensuring that future networks were planned, operated and modernised in a coordinated manner.
Achieving this, it said, would require sustained collaboration among utilities, governments, regulators, financiers and technical stakeholders. CESI is a global engineering and consulting company specialising in power systems and energy transition. It is a partner of ESI Africa, a power, energy, water, transport and utility multimedia platform that forms part of VUKA Group.