Energy Storage Application Studies and Knowledge Exchange Framework for Sustainable Green Growth in WAPP

Project Summary:

West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) is a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) currently covering 14 of the 15 countries of the regional community (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo). The main vision of WAPP was to integrate the operations of national power system into a unified regional electricity market, which was over the medium to long term, assure the citizens of ECOWAS Member States a stable and reliable electricity supply at a competitive cost. This Korean Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF) grant supported WAPP countries as they refine both policy frameworks and infrastructure planning and upgrades for increased reliance on renewable sources on energy, including large-scale hydroelectric, wind, and solar. A critical component of this shift became the use of battery-operated energy storage systems (ESSes) that can make renewable energy more reliable. Investigating how ESSes could help stabilize renewable energy in WAPP countries was an important step toward building long-term, integrated energy infrastructure in West Africa. WAPP would assess energy storage system applications and financing in member countries and then train existing utility managers to plan for and employ ESSes for grid support, grid integration, and green growth. Part of grant funding went toward study exchange so that utilities operators in West African could see first-hand how ESSes were successfully being used in other countries to ameliorate renewable energy dips and support grid stability and integration. This KGGTF grant allowed the WAPP region to expand upon all of this work by studying energy storage systems for the first time in Africa. This inclusive green growth strategy further increased the World Bank’s support of green energy infrastructure in Africa aid in WAPP sustainability, technically and environmentally. 

The grant funded countries also include Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

List of Activities:

1. Assessment of energy storage applications in the WAPP utilities and countries
   1. Feasibility study of energy storage for frequency support in WAPP power system
   2. Assessment of energy storage applications in WAPP countries (on grid and off-grid micro grids, buildings and factory storages etc…)
   3. Financial assessment of incorporating energy storage for grid support Improving functionality and promoting structural planning of WAPP through Training and study exchange program framework
2. Improving functionality and promoting structural planning of WAPP through Training and study exchange program framework
   1. Knowledge Exchange program for WAPP utilities to address the current system issues and future recommendations, training session of WAPP engineers and policy makers, and insight on the policies for inter-regional connection and system planning

Outcomes:

Output 1:

• 1.1. Study report on energy storage in WAPP power system
• 1.2. Analytical report on energy storage application in WAPP countries
• 1.3. Financial assessment report of energy storage technology applications in WAPP countries

Output 2:

• 2.1. Study tour and technical exchange workshops on power system operation and related topics and framework for interactive training sessions

Outcomes:

The feasibility study results provided strategies in the efficient usage of the resources of the West African power system and improving the reliability of the system thereby improving efficiency of the grid. The project helped create a framework to not only help finance energy storage related projects including several pilot pr Study of specific cases where the energy storage systems would be effective and providing feasible solutions for alleviating system issues would provide the basis for developing the strategies for strengthening the grid for a more sustainable green growth projects but also expedite lending projects that relate to system reinforcement. Through the training and study exchange program, the decision makers would get more insight and solutions to how to effectively plan and implement plans and policies to promote optimal and reliable electricity supply at an accessible cost. The project also provided technical recommendations for a structural reinforcement of the grid and scaling up of variable renewable energy in the energy matrix by providing more flexibility through energy storage would increase the overall competitiveness of the energy sector. Use of the program resulted in the West Africa energy strategies and planning and increasing the awareness and exposure to best practices would promote efficient and resilient planning of the future infrastructure projects

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• WBG internal partners:

          ESMAP – ESMAP will be the key contact for the study on renewable energy integration including the study of energy storage application

• K-Partners:
  KEPCO: collaboration with KEPCO on performing Frequency Regulation testbeds employing energy storage systems in the Korean power system as well as expertise in energy storage system solutions such as LS Industrial Systems and Kokam.
  Korean government and non-government institutions in the power sector: seeking for assistance in the training of the policy makers and utility engineers and future pilot projects 

• Other external partners:

          Possible collaboration with AfDB for future pilot projects based on energy storage systems for grid support 

          IRENA has already performed planning and prospects for renewable energy in the West African region where collaborative work would be considered