WAPP Completes Construction of Information Centre, to Commence Day-ahead Trading 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja 

With the completion of the construction and equipping of the West African Power Pool, (WAPP) Information and Coordination Centre (ICC), the organisation is finalising arrangements  to commence a day-ahead electricity trading in the regional market.

WAPP is a specialised institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It covers 14 of the 15 countries of the regional economic community, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

A statement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) disclosed that the day-ahead energy market will now allow transactions for the buying and selling of  electrical power one day prior to the delivery day. 

Speaking at the WAPP 59th Executive Board Meeting holding at Calavi, Cotonou, Benin Republic, the Executive Board Chairman and Managing Director TCN, Dr Sule Abdulaziz, said that the regulatory document for activation of the next phase of the market was undergoing approval process at the ECOWAS Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA).

Abdulaziz disclosed that in preparation for the new phase of the electricity market in West Africa, operators were currently undergoing training on the working of live trading system to ensure that once approval is granted, the transition would be seamless.

The WAPP chairman added that with support from the World Bank, the organisation was recruiting 11 new engineers to bolster the capacity of the ICC.

He stressed that the study for the restructuring of the secretariat in fulfilment of legal requirements for an independent system and market operator had kicked off.

“Building and equipping of infrastructure alone does not guarantee the success of the market. Equally important is the behaviour of the market participants,” he said.

Speaking on the new WAPP secretariat, which has been scheduled for inauguration in November this year, he said, “this will be a unique occasion for WAPP to announce itself to the world at large.

“ Let us make maximum use of this opportunity to not only inform the global audience about what WAPP is doing, but also the tremendous opportunities that our sector offers to private investors. “

Earlier, the Secretary General of the organisation, Mr. Siengui  Ki, in his address, commended  member utilities that paid their contributions to WAPP despite the COVID-19 pandemic and regional security crisis. He urged those who are yet to pay to do so.

Chairman, Strategic Planning, and Environmental Committee of WAPP, Kabiru  Adamu, who is also the General Manager System Planning, TCN, presented the WAPP Business Plan of the organisation for the next four years to the executive board for consideration and adoption.

The 59th session also witnessed the admission of two new heads of utilities; the Director General of SONABEL, Mr. Sulieman Ouedraogo and the new Managing Director of SBEE, Mr. Gabriel Degbegni, who are to serve as members of the WAPP board.