The “Technical Assistance to The African Union – Infrastructure Support Mechanism” has provided support through the Energy NKE to support member states to submit projects in the energy sector and to prioritise 18 out of the 64 eligible energy projects based on their alignment with the PIDA PAP2 criteria and their contributions to the Continental Transmission Master plan and the African Single Electricity market (AfSEM) launched by the African Union Commission (AUC) in March 2021.
The alignment of the PIDA priority list with the energy flagship of AUC will support the implementation of AfSEM and has created favorable conditions for collaboration with the EU- TAF team supporting AUC in the energy sector.
The energy sector has cross cutting dimensions with synergies across other PIDA sectors:
- There are a number of cross border multi-purpose dams projects with an hydroelectric power component which are classified under transboundary water sector.
- In the transport sector, rail projects have been prioritized over road projects due to their energy efficient operations and the relative ease for electrification of rail compared to road transport.