WAPP reiterates commitment to complete North Core Project by 2023

WAPP reiterates commitment to complete North Core Project by 2023

Story from Abah ADAH, Abuja

The West African Power Pool (WAPP), a specialised agency of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), has reiterated its commitment to completing the WAPP North Core  Project-a transmission line project that will link Nigeria to three other countries within the sub-region.

Chairman, Executive Board of WAPP, Engr Sule Abdulaziz who is also the Acting Managing Director/CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)  made this known at the 52nd  WAPP Executive Board Meeting taking place as part of the 16th Session of the WAPP General Assembly in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

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According to a statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Ndidi Mbah, the WAPP head while giving updates on the implementation of key projects said, “The WAPP North Core Project that seeks to interconnect Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin is in the implementation phase with the procurement process underway.

“The project is expected to be completed by 2023 and is part of WAPP’s effort to integrate the power systems of West African countries by delivering priority projects which would ensure that all fourteen countries in the mainland of ECOWAS are eventually interconnected.

“Other projects undertaken within the West African Sub-region include the construction of the 330kV Volta (Ghana) to Lome ‘C’ (Togo) – Sakété (Benin) interconnection line that has been completed and will soon be energised and the WAPP Cote d’Ivoire – Sierra Leone – Guinea (CLSG) which will also be commissioned very soon.”

He noted that on the regulatory aspect, WAPP has continued to make giant strides towards the effective operationalisation of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity through continuous harmonisation of the market rules and agreements. This, he said, will ensure flexibility in the power system and increase trading opportunities for market participants, among others.

He tasked the members with sustained determination towards attaining the set goals of WAPP, saying that even though a lot had been achieved under the current leadership of the Pool, more needs to be done, until the goal of the founding fathers is achieved.

The Secretary-General of WAPP, Mr Siengui Appolinaire KI, at the hybrid meeting urged members on resilience. He said despite the challenges, “we must at all cost continue our journey towards the ultimate goal of our institution, which is the implementation of a competitive regional electricity market. We absolutely must redouble our efforts to this end, the goal being more than ever within reach”.

He said new members of the Executive Council will have to sit for the next two years and a new Vice-Chairman would be elected as the former Vice Chairman, Mr Hamidou Traore has been redesignated.

Earlier, while welcoming participants to the meeting, Mr Baba Ahmed Coulibaly, the Director-General of Sonabel,  the power firm hosting the meeting, called for more commitments, saying that “in our sub-region, the stakes in the electricity sector are so high that we must rigorously ensure that the decisions are implemented on time”.

The North Core Project is a 330KV transmission line from Burning Kebbi (Nigeria) to Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) through Zabori (Niger) and Niamey (Niger) with T-off to Malanville (Benin), with estimated investment costs put in the region of US$550 million for the 853KM of lines and five association substations.

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