Africa’s pipeline of bankable power infrastructure projects highlighted at the Africa Energy Indaba

The session promoted priority energy infrastructure projects on the continent to generate interest from investors, financing institutions, developers, and other stakeholders. It also underscored that turning the pipeline of projects into operating infrastructure will require faster project preparation, stronger regional coordination, and structures that attract private capital at scale.

As the continent's leading annual energy event, the Africa Energy Indaba convened energy ministers, policymakers, investors, and industry leaders on 3-5 March 2026, offering a perfect setting for discussions on power infrastructure projects throughout Africa.

Africa currently lacks a significant number of mature power infrastructure projects, which would enable the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP) to be effectively operationalised. The investment needs exceed 1.2 trillion euro for the CMP to be successfully implemented. Many more priority power infrastructure projects need to be identified, and necessary preparatory studies developed to enhance Africa's pipeline of mature and bankable projects.

EU

In her opening remarks Ms Sara Buzzoni, Policy and Programme Officer on Energy at the EU Delegation to the African Union, reconfirmed the EU's commitment to enhance access to electricity on the continent, support interconnectivity between regions and enhance public and private sector investments. The EU-funded Continental Energy Programme in Africa (CEPA), launched in 2025, builds on two decades of fruitful EU-AU energy collaboration focusing on the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP) and the African Energy Efficiency Strategy (AFEES) - key elements of the AU Agenda 2063.

Ms Sara Elhag Ahmad, Head of Energy Division, AUC, speaking on behalf of Director Kamugisha Kazaura, AUC, followed by noting that it is time to translate policy into implementation and bankable projects. Through the support provided by CEPA and Accelerating the Energy Transition in Africa (ENGAGE), a technical cooperation project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the AUC has seen concrete progress in laying the investment foundation of AfSEM and the establishment of its Strategic Planning and Coordination Unit.

Speaking on behalf of Mr. Amine Idriss Adoum, Director of Infrastructure, Industrialisation, Trade and Regional Integration of AUDA-NEPAD, Mr. Tichakunda Simbini, Principal Programme Officer for Energy, highlighted the need to continue shortening the time of pre-feasibility studies through a programmatic approach - work which is already ongoing as part of the collaboration with European partners.

In the efforts to develop a steady pipeline of projects to implement the CMP, CEPA is carrying out prefeasibility for up to 20 priority projects. During the Deep Dive session, CEPA showcased two already completed prefeasibility studies for the Burundi-Tanzania and Angola-DRC interconnectors. These studies will feed into the ongoing work by ENGAGE to package projects to make them bankable for implementation. The session identified opportunities in the project preparation stage, especially for the detailed feasibility and environmental and social impact assessment studies where development partners can step in to support the realisation of a bankable pipeline of projects that will sustain the momentum for the implementation of the CMP.

EU

Power Pools take Centre Stage

The Deep Dive also provided a rare look into the regional infrastructure pipeline underpinning Africa's future power market, through presentations by four African regional power pools - Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), West African Power Pool (WAPP), Eastern Africa Power Pool and Central Africa Power Pool (CAPP). More than a dozen priority projects were showcased, ranging from large hydropower developments to major cross-border transmission corridors, representing thousands of kilometres of transmission infrastructure and multi-billion-dollar investments needed to strengthen regional electricity trade.

The power pools are becoming increasingly interconnected, with corridors linking Southern, Eastern, Central and Western Africa and creating the building blocks of a future continental electricity market. Nevertheless, existing project pipelines move slowly, and transmission remains the critical missing link. Several projects focus on reinforcing existing corridors or building new interconnections to evacuate hydropower and renewable energy resources across borders. Private sector participation is increasingly necessary and therefore structuring projects in a way that allows private investment, including in transmission infrastructure, will be key to accelerating delivery.

The AU-EU collaboration to date has provided a strong foundation for increasing private participation in projects. With continued support from partners, including projects such as CEPA and ENGAGE, increased regional harmonisation of regulatory policies and scaling of power projects, the potential and successful implementation of the AfSEM and CMP can be fully realised.

Contacts for more info on the session:

AUDA NEPAD: Mr. Therance Ndisanga [email protected]

CEPA: Tonderayi Gumunyu [email protected]

GET.invest Mr. Angelous Kamande [email protected]