Energy experts from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have met to review key regulatory instruments aimed at strengthening the regional electricity market, advancing energy storage deployment and reinforcing the market’s financial sustainability.
The two-day meeting, held in Accra, Ghana, brought together representatives of energy ministries of ECOWAS Member States, the ECOWAS Commission and its institutions, as well as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), to examine proposed regulatory measures and make recommendations for consideration by the region’s Energy Ministers.
According to a statement on the ECOWAS Commission website, the instruments under review include the Draft Directive on the Deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems and Other Energy Storage Technologies, proposed by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).
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The experts also reviewed the Draft Regulation proposed by the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) to amend Regulation C/REG.14/12/23 on the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market Levy, alongside five memoranda submitted for the information of Ministers.
The meeting forms part of the preparatory process for the ECOWAS Energy Ministers’ meeting in Accra, where Ministers will consider the experts’ recommendations and determine the way forward on the proposed instruments.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitisation, the Director of Energy and Mines at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Arkadius Koumoin, underscored the significance of the meeting’s outcomes for the region’s energy future.
He noted that the experts’ “recommendations would provide a solid foundation for advancing energy storage technologies, strengthening the financial sustainability of the regional electricity market, and ultimately improving access to reliable and affordable electricity for the people of West Africa.”
In his opening remarks, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Richard Mensah, expressed confidence that the experts’ deliberations would yield practical outcomes to strengthen the regional energy agenda and bring West Africa closer to universal and sustainable energy access.
