Design and visualization of the central, eastern, and Southern African power grid with large-scale generation in Tanzania

Abstract

The inadequate, and oftentimes scarce, infrastructure in Africa is largely hinged on poor electricity generation and transmission in the continent. To combat this, several projects have commenced in different regions and countries to boost electricity supply. This affords the continent the opportunity to pool together their different electricity resources and generation capabilities in a bid to stimulate regional cooperation and a power market. Fortunately, the existing four power pools provide a good foundation upon which the opportunity for an interconnected ‘African grid’ can be realized. Recent discoveries of large reserves of less-pollutant gas along the shores of Tanzania, hydro capability in Congo and other regions provide more impetus to a continental corridor for bulk transmission of electricity. However, these potentials are dependent on effective policy-making and implementation that are based on sound judgement. This paper summarizes the existing grid interconnection within Africa, and the prospects that abound by utilizing the power systems simulator — PowerWorld — to visualize the grid. Current grid models that have been designed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are presented. It is hoped that policy-makers and other stakeholders can make more-informed decisions based on understanding power systems using intuitive visualization software.