CONAKRY — Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah has urged West African nations to prioritize regional electricity collaboration over national isolation, opening the 21st General Assembly of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) in Conakry.
Representing President Mamadi Doumbouya at the two-day summit, the Prime Minister called on the 15 member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to establish a unified energy community built on shared performance standards and cross-border solidarity.
Highlighting Guinea’s strategic position as a regional energy hub through major hydropower assets—including the Kaleta and Souapiti dams, alongside upcoming developments at Koukoutamba, Sambangou, and Amaria—Bah emphasized that cross-border grid connections represent a cornerstone of economic stability and regional sovereignty.
“The Republic of Guinea reaffirms its readiness to support this collective ambition and to contribute actively to the development of a more integrated, efficient, and united West African energy space,” Bah told delegates.
Regional power market to launch in early 2027
Addressing energy ministers, utility chief executives, and international development partners, the Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, announced that the second phase of the West African regional electricity market will officially launch in early 2027.
The upcoming phase will introduce a competitive “day-ahead” market structure, allowing power prices between participating countries to be determined dynamically by real-time supply and demand.
To ensure market transparency and operational independence, ongoing institutional reforms will establish a dedicated, independent system and market operator, supported by a Liquidity Enhancement Revolving Fund designed to guarantee financial transactions between trading utilities.
Grid synchronization achieves major milestones
WAPP Secretary General Abdoulaye Dia highlighted the technical progress toward full regional grid integration, noting that all 15 ECOWAS power networks achieved a historic continuous synchronization milestone.
Following a successful initial test, member utilities are conducting a 48-hour continuous synchronization exercise to pave the way for permanent, real-time power sharing across West Africa.
At the conclusion of the assembly, 17 Transmission System Operators (TSOs) across the region formally signed the Inter-grid Operators Agreement, establishing the binding operational protocols for sub-regional power trading.
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