KIGALI - An international conference on electricity production will kick off this week in Kigali to address power trade and sharing in a bid to streamline the development of regional energy infrastructure.

The two-day conference under the auspices of "Eastern Africa Power Pool” is expected to attract representatives from power rich countries like Egypt and Ethiopia as well as development partners to discuss current power shortages in the region.

The Director General of Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), Yves Muyange, said the conference is an opening for African countries to recognise potential benefits from a regional power pool.

"Some countries like Egypt and Ethiopia have surplus power production; this conference will discuss how they can trade power with others with shortages through common planning,” Muyange said in an interview yesterday.

"Our main focus will also be on the stability of power structures and commissioning of studies for the integration of specific regional power lines.”

A statement from EWSA says that the conference would discuss the establishment of a regional electricity market within EAPP and also determine the headquarters of the market centre.

"The conference will pass the formal approval of the modified inter-utility MoU to start and develop a regional electricity market. Stakeholders will also discuss the adoption of the findings and conclusions of the regional electricity master plan,” the statement reads.

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