Yemisi Izuora
The West African Power Pool (WAPP) capacity has been upgraded after
GE Vernova Inc. deployed its GridOS orchestration software in the newly completed Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
This is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the region’s energy landscape.
The recently inaugurated ICC will serve as the centralized command centre for the mainland member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), overseeing the interconnected power grids of 14 nations, namely Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. This milestone marks a significant step towards establishing a unified power market across the region, paving the way for a more reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy infrastructure for West Africa.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Africa Energy Outlook 2022 report, Africa’s GDP is expected to grow by an average of 4.6 per cent per year between 2022 and 2040.
This economic growth is expected to drive up energy demand by 2.8 per cent per year, with electricity consumption expected to double by 2040.
By expanding power capacity, enhancing forecasting capabilities, and ensuring a seamless balance between generation and demand across borders, the West Africa Power Pool powered by the ICC is bridging the gap between energy needs and reliable supply.
The ICC is a state-of-the art facility equipped with the latest electric grid management technologies. Elements of GE Vernova’s GridOS software portfolio are deployed in the facility to enable more secure, reliable grid orchestration. The software is designed to help utilities achieve the resiliency and flexibility needed for a more sustainable energy grid.
The ICC is using several of the portfolio’s intelligent grid applications, including: Energy Management System (EMS) engineered for dispatching, Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) designed for grid stability and Advanced Market Management System designed to support the trading of power among ECOWAS countries
The ICC technology platform has also been upgraded with GE Vernova’s GridOS forecasting solution to enhance the value of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) on the electricity market with advanced forecasting and ramping tools.
Through this integration, engineers will have near real-time access to data on energy flow across the WAPP interconnected network, enabling them to monitor, analyze, and optimize the distribution of power.
“We are honored to partner with WAPP in their mission to promote and develop power generation and transmission infrastructures, as well as to coordinate power exchange among the ECOWAS member states. Our GridOS portfolio provides the ICC with modern software capabilities to automate grid operations and help increase the energy transaction rate across the region, helping overcome energy challenges in the ECOWAS zone,” said Mahesh Sudhakaran, General Manager for GE Vernova’s Grid Software business.
GE Vernova has long worked with national electric utilities and regional power pools from the region, helping them adopt best-in-class technologies for grid modernization.
In November 2022, the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) inaugurated a new Coordination Control Center equipped with the latest Energy Management System (EMS) from GE Vernova’s Grid Software business.
With more projects underway, GE Vernova is proud to be contributing to the energy transition in Africa.