Southern Africa: Power Shortages to Dominate SAPP Meeting

The 29th Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) management committee meets to discuss imminent power shortages in the region in Swakopmund today.

The agenda of the meeting would be dominated by the electricity supply industry and how to address looming power shortages in the entire SADC region.

Over 120 delegates from participating countries in SAPP are expected to attend the meeting hosted by NamPower.
Paulinus Shilamba, NamPower Managing Director, said the meeting is of significance to regional power supply given the challenge of power shortages.

“Through this forum, SAPP member utilities will interact and exchange ideas on power planning, system operation and environmental issues affecting the electricity supply industry in the SADC region,” he said.

He added that “thinning” power capacity in the region calls for urgent attention on generation and transmission projects, in addition to rehabilitation and refurbishment of power stations.

SAPP aims to provide a forum for the development of a world class, safe, efficient, reliable and stable interconnected electrical system in the region.

Given the power generation shortages in the region, countries saw it fit to promote regional energy trade and thus the Inter-Governmental Agreement creating SAPP was realised in August 1995.

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