The Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) is one of those targeted interventions aimed to facilitate sustainable development of the African electricity sector through the integrated continental electricity market based on the 2019 AfCFTA Agreement. The goal is to give African households, businesses and industries more secure, sustainable, reliable, competitive, and affordable energy.
The journey to create AfSEM at the continental level started in 2015 in cooperation with the EU through the AU programme on Harmonisation of Regulatory Frameworks for the Electricity Market in Africa. In addition to a series of products over the five year-period, the AfSEM Policy Paper, the Roadmap, and the governance structure were prepared by a team of EU-TAF Experts coordinated by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, validated by RECs, Power Pools and other Pan African Energy Institutions and adopted by the AU Head of States at the 34th AU-Summit in in February, 2021.
AfSEM is designed to bring greater energy security, sustainability, and competitiveness to the Africa Union Member States, it will be the largest single electricity market in the world covering 55-member states serving a population of over 1.3 billion, AfSEM will be the most cost-efficient response for strong growth of electricity demand in Africa, most essential tool to use the full potential of the continent’s Renewable Energy Sources, and an effective accelerator to 100% access of electricity in the continent.
