From July 28 to August 3 (local time), Mr. Liu Zehong, Executive Vice Chairman of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), led a delegation to Ethiopia and Kenya. During the visit, he held meetings with senior representatives of the United Nations agencies and national energy and power institutions. The discussions focused on Africa’s energy transition and innovative development, resulting in broad consensus.
Mr. Liu briefed on GEIDCO’s recent activities and innovative practices in the global energy and power sector. He emphasized that Africa is endowed with abundant clean energy resources and holds tremendous development potential. GEIDCO has conducted extensive research on Africa’s energy and power development and advocates for innovative models for clean energy development, further electrification, enhanced power grid infrastructure, and regional interconnection. GEIDCO is willing to engage in practical cooperation with African partners in areas such as planning and research, capacity building, standards development, and project promotion, to jointly address the continent’s energy challenges.
While recognizing GEIDCO’s achievements and contributions, all parties expressed their support for global energy interconnection initiatives. Mr. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), endorsed the coordinated development of renewable energy and industry to improve electricity access and electrification levels across Africa, and expressed willingness to cooperate on clean energy resource assessments. Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), voiced support for GEIDCO’s vision of integrated energy-environment governance and hoped to jointly promote global e-mobility projects and conduct research on energy efficiency and green cities. Mr. Ashebir Balcha, CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), and Dr. John Mativo, Managing Director of KETRACO, fully agreed with the proposals to develop new types of loads, enhance system flexibility, optimize cross-border dispatch, and unify regional standards. They looked forward to working together on capacity building and joint research in areas such as grid dispatch, standard application, renewable integration, DC project operations, and market mechanism design, jointly advancing the development of Africa’s energy interconnection and sustainable development.
Mr. Liu also held talks with Mr. Huang Xia, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region; Mr. Alex Kamau Wachira, Principal Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Energy; Mr. Liu Jian, Director of UNEP’s Science Division; Ms. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Director of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Africa; and Mr. Zelalem Gebrehiwot, Technical Director of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP). During the visit, Mr. Liu also met with H.E. Ambassador Jiang Feng, Head of Mission of the Permanent Mission of China to the African Union.
Heads of GEIDCO’s Development Bureau and Research Institute also participated in the above activities.