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Business Reporter

THE Southern African Development Community (Sadc) says notable progress has been achieved towards implementation of priority energy interconnector projects in the region.

The projects seek to connect Angola, Malawi and Tanzania to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) grid. The Zambia-Tanzania interconnector is divided into several components and is at construction phase from both sides where the two transmission lines are designed to converge near Nakonde Border by 2022.

The Angola-Namibia Interconnector is at feasibility study stage and is also expected to be commissioned by 2022 following expression of commitment by the two member states by signing the inter-governmental memorandum of understanding (IGMOU).

According to the progress report by the Sadc secretariate to the 40th Sadc Summit, the Mozambique-Malawi interconnector attained financial closure and is at construction stage. The project is expected to be commissioned in 2022.

Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are also considering developing an interconnector project, which is still at pre-feasibility stage.

The Sadc secretariat is advocating for the development of the western transmission corridor along Angola, Botswana, Namibia and central transmission corridor along Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Plans are also underway to develop eastern corridors along South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania of the SAPP network in order to relieve congestion from the existing central corridor.

Moreover, in order to unlock and leverage development of the power transmission interconnector projects, backbone transmission lines as well as those linked to the new power plants, the Sadc secretariat in collaboration with SAPP and through support from the World Bank, is developing a study on establishment of a Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility (RTIFF).

Recommendations of the study are set to be presented to relevant sectoral ministerial committees for clearance and ultimately to Council of Ministers for consideration and approval.

The regional bloc also said the operationalisation of the Sadc Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) was ongoing with the secretariat having secured signing of inter-governmental memorandum of agreement by 10 member states namely Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.