AEEP Energy Talks: Electrifying Transportation in Africa – supporting successful energy planning with open-source modelling
8 April 2026, 11:00 – 12:30 (CET); 12:00-13:30 (EAT)
The 23rd AEEP Energy Talks on 8 April 2026 (11:00-12:30 CET/12:00-13:030 EAT), organised jointly with OpenMod4Africa, will delve into the electrification of transportation in Africa.
Achieving development impacts in Africa require more than just expanding access to energy in line with UN 2030 targets and the Sustainable Development Goal 7. Reliable supply, meaningful use and broad development efforts are needed to drive socio-economic growth. In this context the electrification of road transport offers great opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on costly fuel imports, and numerous other direct and indirect benefits for customers, the environment, and society at large. Challenges, however, still remain. Local energy infrastructures, including charging stations and the impact on fragile electricity grids are some of the issues that need to be solved.
Two case studies have been developed under the OpenMod4Africa project, an initiative aimed at advancing open-source energy modelling capacity across Africa to support evidence-based energy planning. The studies focus on Ethiopia and Senegal.
The first study titled “An open modelling framework to support the electrification of private transport in African cities: A case study of Addis Ababa” simulates the introduction of 100,000 private electric vehicles (EVs) in Addis Ababa to assess grid capacity requirements and public charging infrastructure needs. The analysis examines three distinct charging scenarios: home charging, workplace charging, and a mixed scenario in which 50% of charging occurs at public points of interest (POIs). Key findings show that the additional EV load would increase total daily electricity demand by only 1.5% demonstrating how one of Africa’s largest cities could meet a substantial share of private transport energy demand through locally generated solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
The Senegal case study focuses on the electrification of Dakar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a flagship example of large-scale public transport electrification in West Africa. The analysis assesses how different charging strategies (depot-based and/or opportunity charging assumptions) influence electricity demand, peak power requirements, and potential local grid constraints, while exploring the contribution of solar PV (and, where relevant, storage) to reduce both peak impacts and the carbon intensity of charging. The results provide practical insights for planners and utilities on how to scale e-bus systems in a grid-compatible and climate-aligned way, with lessons that are transferable to other African cities.
After two deep dive presentations into the case studies, the AEEP Energy Talks will host a moderated panel discussion where experts from Africa and Europe will explore the topic in more detail.
About the AEEP Energy Talks
The Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) Energy Talks is a bimonthly webinar series that fosters dynamic dialogue by between key stakeholders and energy players from Africa and Europe. Since its launch in November 2020 the webinars have delved into transformative energy topics at the intersection of the two continents, fostering knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas among experts and participants. Previous AEEP Energy Talks have covered topics such as: From ACS to COP28: Unlocking Opportunities for a Synergetic Africa-EU Climate and Energy Future, Sunlight Success: Pursuing African Development Priorities Through a Solar Economy, Utilising Renewable Hydrogen for Decarbonising Value Chains and Promoting Development in Africa and the EU, and Achieving SDG7 in Africa – The 2022 AEEP Report: European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa. The outcomes of the AEEP Energy Talks inform the AEEP’s knowledge products, including Spotlights or policy briefs, and contribute to the ongoing discourse on sustainable energy development in Africa and Europe.
