INDUSTRY WATCH
TRANSMISSION AND
DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
ARE SEEN TO BE THE
WEAKEST LINKS IN
AFRICA’S POWER SYSTEMS
AND HENCE REPRESENT A
HUGE OPPORTUNITY AREA
FOR IMPROVEMENT.
T
he whitepaper explores the
opportunities and challenges
faced in Sub-Saharan Africa as the
new future of energy and electrification
emerges. The paper also looks at the role
of smart technology to transform grids
as they continue to reflect the changes in
the way energy is generated, distributed,
traded, managed and stored.
Co-authored by the Strategic Marketing
unit of GE Power in Sub-Saharan
Africa and energy and environment
research analysts of Frost & Sullivan, the
whitepaper presents several challenges
that affect energy access and power
supply stability in Africa. They include
inadequate power generation but more
significantly, low levels of electrification
caused primarily by faulty, aged or
wrong setup of transmission and
distribution infrastructure.
With the Digital Transformation of the
energy sector rapidly gaining traction
on a global scale, new opportunities
are emerging to help deliver efficient,
affordable and reliable electricity to
consumers. According to the whitepaper,
smart grids can create the potential to
combat SSA’s power sector challenges
and provide the opportunity for the
region to develop its energy capabilities
and therefore its energy security as
well as security of supply. The Digital
Transformation of grids allows users
to take a holistic approach to achieve
efficiency, flexibility, transparency and
long-term sustainability.
www.intelligentcio.com
• Information Communication
Technology Integration will support
real-time or deferred bi-directional
data transmission that will enable
stakeholders to efficiently manage
the grid through increased speed
and volume of data output,
providing utilities the opportunity to
maximise cost reductions, increase
power reliability and increase
customer satisfaction
• Wide Area Monitoring and Control
ensures visibility into the power
systems to observe the performance
of grid components allowing for
major cost-saving benefits associated
with predictive maintenance and
self-diagnosis
• Smart technology like Intelligent
Electronic Devices (IEDs), advanced
metering infrastructure and grid
automation ensure seamless transition
and integration of renewable
generation or micro-grids where
necessary; predictive maintenance in
distributed grids to reduce outages and
effective revenue management
“Transmission and distribution networks
are seen to be the weakest links in
Africa’s power systems and hence
represent a huge opportunity area for
improvement,” said Lazarus Angbazo,
CEO, GE’s Grid Solutions business, Sub
Saharan Africa.
“Going forward, there is a need to
move beyond simply maintaining
and repairing aged infrastructure. To
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