West Africa: $1.6Bn World Bank Operation to Support Functional Regional Power Market, Address Crucial Needs for Electricity Access
The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a landmark investment program to bolster regional power system integration, enhance energy security, and advance the transition to a more affordable, sustainable, and lower carbon power sector in West Africa. The $1.6 billion multiphase West Africa Regional Electricity Market Program (WA-REMP), supported by the International Development Association (IDA), will address crucial electricity needs for households, industries, and medium-sized companies, as well as regional and national power sector institutions.
“WA-REMP is a transformative initiative that marks a new stage in the World Bank’s commitment to strengthening regional power system integration in West Africa,” says Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Regional Infrastructure Director for Western and Central Africa. “It builds on the well-established foundation of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and its vital regional interconnectors and strengthens the regional market and regulatory institutions to remove the remaining barriers to a fully functional regional power market. It also aligns with our Mission 300 (M300) ambition to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.”
In its first phase, the program will help implement the WAPP’s Ghana-Côte d’Ivoire Interconnection project to enhance power transmission capabilities, facilitate electricity trade between the two countries – key players in the regional market – and strengthen connections with other regional participants. This initiative will also bolster the resilience of the regional power system and launch of the regional power market. It will also support the Mauritania Transmission Corridor Project helping to expand electricity access in underserved areas, reinforce the national grid, and support the development of renewable energy capacity and privates sector investment, while also enabling electricity exports from Mauritania to the WAPP, contributing to regional energy security and sustainability.
The new program’s benefits will extend across West Africa, fostering economic growth and quality job while demonstrating the power of regional collaboration. It underscores the World Bank Group’s commitment to sustainable development and energy security in the region. By enhancing regional power system integration, it paves the way for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable energy future.
