Africa advances continental framework to strengthen energy security

Africa is stepping up efforts to strengthen energy security through a common continental policy framework aimed at improving regional electricity integration and promoting climate-resilient hydropower development.

The African Union's Continental Energy Security Policy Framework, launched at the ongoing 36th African Hydro Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, provides a common strategy for addressing Africa's energy challenges, including infrastructure deficits, climate risks, market volatility and rising demand, while promoting reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supplies.

Covering electricity, bioenergy, oil and gas, the framework seeks to strengthen regional energy integration, expand cross-border power trade and mobilize investment in resilient energy infrastructure.

It also calls for coordinated implementation by African Union institutions, regional economic communities and member states to improve energy planning, strengthen institutional capacity and build more resilient energy systems across the continent.

The framework was developed with support from organizations such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Energy Commission.

Speaking at the symposium, UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said stronger regional power pools, electricity interconnections and effective power markets would help African countries make better use of their energy resources while improving the resilience of their electricity systems.

"We must recognize that energy security is increasingly a regional undertaking," Gatete said, calling for coordinated infrastructure planning and sustained cooperation among governments, utilities, regulators and regional organizations.

Gatete outlined priorities for translating the framework into action, including integrating climate risk assessments and sustainable water management into hydropower planning, strengthening regional electricity trade, improving project financing and building African technical and institutional capacity.

He emphasized the need for countries sharing river basins to improve information exchange and coordination, while ensuring that environmental and social safeguards guide hydropower development.

"Countries sharing river basins should strengthen information exchange and coordination," Gatete said, stressing the importance of sustainable water management and climate risk assessments in hydropower planning.

He also called on governments and developers to assess changes in water availability over the lifetime of hydropower projects, strengthen hydrological monitoring and ensure utilities are better equipped to respond to droughts and floods.

On financing, Gatete said hydropower required substantial long-term investment and careful risk management, urging governments and development partners to strengthen project preparation, financing arrangements and institutional frameworks to attract investment.

The need to diversify energy sources and strengthen resilience against climate-related disruptions was also highlighted by Zambia's Permanent Secretary for Electricity in the Ministry of Energy, Arnold Simwaba, who reaffirmed his country's commitment to expanding electricity generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts by 2031 and achieving universal energy access by 2030.

Simwaba said the effects of the 2023–2024 drought on hydropower generation had reinforced the importance of diversifying Zambia's energy mix. He cited the expansion of solar power and the achievement of the country's 1,000-megawatt solar capacity target as part of efforts to strengthen electricity supply.

He also called for stronger regional cooperation, transparent procurement and sustained investment in climate-resilient energy infrastructure, citing the rehabilitation of Kariba Dam through the Zambezi River Authority as an example of cooperation between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Echoing the call for stronger regional energy integration, Ethiopia's Water and Energy State Minister Dinku Seyoum said surplus clean electricity generated from Ethiopia's hydropower resources could support cross-border power trade and contribute to more interconnected regional energy systems while strengthening domestic energy security.

Dinku called on African countries to deepen cooperation in developing their hydropower resources and mobilize domestic resources to address financing and technical capacity constraints.

He also highlighted Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative and integrated watershed management efforts as important measures for protecting water resources and sustaining hydropower generation, adding that diversifying energy sources would further strengthen climate resilience.

The symposium, held under the theme "Climate-Resilient Hydropower and Water-Energy Security in Africa", brings together government representatives, utilities, financiers, developers and researchers from Africa and beyond to discuss sustainable hydropower development and the continent's energy security.

Gatete said the deliberations should translate into practical actions, with clear institutional responsibilities and follow-up arrangements to support implementation of the continental framework.