Reviewing the Energy Security Challenges and Risks in the Eastern Africa Power Pool Grids

In efforts to achieve energy security and electrification targets by 2030 onwards, countries of the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) are expanding cross-border electricity trade, interconnected networks and increased generation capacity. While interconnected grids offer technical benefits such as systems flexibility, increased capacity to balance intermittent renewable energy sources (RES), and reduced local pressures on grids, careful consideration to the current state and challenges facing EAPP countries must be taken into account in the planning stages. Studies have addressed the benefits of connecting electricity networks across African regions, however a gap in the literature on specific techno-economic and climate vulnerability challenges specific to Eastern Africa's power sector still remains. This paper contributes to the literature by reviewing the techno-economic, techno-environmental and reliability challenges and risks in the EAPP grids. Key findings highlight grid inefficiencies, limited rural access, aging infrastructure, vulnerable hydropower plants to climate change, and limited grid capacities for renewable energy integration that impact regional integration. The challenges also extend to non-technical issues, such as electricity affordability, energy geopolitics, and financial access in regionally interconnected grids. Regional energy planning and decision making processes must consider risks to mitigate offsetting regional interconnections' prospects and misaligned policies that may potentially hinder energy access and security efforts.