GHANA AND CÔTE D’IVOIRE SEAL STRATEGIC ENERGY DEAL TO POWER REGIONAL ELECTRICITY UNITY

The project is aimed at enhancing grid stability, boosting operational reliability, and facilitating efficient power exchanges across borders.

West africa Ghana Côte d’ivoire Power interconnection project Energy integration.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire Signs MoU to Advance 330-kilovolt Power Interconnection Project
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire Signs MoU to Advance 330-kilovolt Power Interconnection Project

In a landmark move to fast-track West Africa’s energy integration, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance a 330-kilovolt power interconnection project, signaling a new era in cross-border energy cooperation.

The agreement, announced during a high-level ministerial meeting in Accra, marks a pivotal milestone in the West African Power Pool’s (WAPP) vision for a unified electricity market. The project, valued at $173.7 million, will reinforce the double-circuit electrical interconnection between the two countries, aimed at enhancing grid stability, boosting operational reliability, and facilitating efficient power exchanges across borders.

The newly signed pact establishes two key institutional frameworks: a Joint Technical Steering Committee led by the Chief Executives of Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and Côte d’Ivoire’s CI-Energies and an Interstate Committee co-chaired by energy ministers from both countries. These bodies will drive implementation, ensure accountability, and guarantee transparency throughout the project’s life cycle.

Addressing delegates, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah, stressed that the initiative reflects the shared aspiration of both countries to build a resilient, integrated regional energy network. “Through our collective efforts, we can help shape effective policies and ensure that the energy sectors of both countries and the broader region remain resilient and sustainable for future generations,” he said. 

Côte d’Ivoire’s Deputy Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mr Jean-Baptiste Aka Kadjo, reaffirmed that, “Côte d’Ivoire is ready to work closely with each of you to make this project an exemplary success.”   

WAPP Secretary General, Mr Abdoulaye DIA, hailed the MoU as a crucial step toward the realisation of the ECOWAS Master Plan for Regional Generation and Transmission Infrastructure (2019–2033), which was endorsed by ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja in 2018.

“With this signing, we are not only building electrical connections but also laying the groundwork for a regional electricity market that will serve more than 400 million people,” he said.

He added that over the next year, WAPP would complete the full synchronisation of all 14 ECOWAS countries into a single grid and launch a fully operational ECOWAS electricity market managed by an independent operator.

The initiative stands as a powerful testament to regional solidarity, technical collaboration, and the political will to transform West Africa’s energy landscape for generations to come.

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