AEEP Energy Talks Spotlight: Electrifying transportation in Africa supporting successful energy planning with open-source modelling
The 23rd AEEP Energy Talks, held on 08 April 2026 and jointly organised by the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) and OpenMod4Africa, focused on the electrification of transportation in Africa and the role of open-source energy modelling in supporting integrated and forward-looking energy planning.
As African cities continue to urbanise rapidly, demand for mobility is increasing alongside pressure on already constrained energy systems. Electrification of transport presents a major opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. However, it also introduces new and complex challenges related to electricity demand, grid capacity, infrastructure requirements, and system planning.
This webinar examined how electric mobility across both private and public transport systems can be integrated into African energy systems, with particular attention to implications for electricity demand, grid capacity, charging infrastructure requirements, and renewable energy integration, especially in rapidly urbanising contexts where mobility demand is increasing.
The session featured two technical presentations of case studies developed under OpenMod4Africa:
– Dawit Habtu Gebremeskel from Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) presented a study titled “An open modelling framework to support the electrification of private transport in African cities: A case study of Addis Ababa.
– Cheikh Mouhamed Fadel Kebe from the University of Dakar & Centre de Test des Systèmes Solaires – CT2S in Senegal presented a study on “Dakar BRT Electrification: Charging Strategies, Grid Integration and PV-Based Supply.”
The session concluded with a panel discussion featuring experts and policymakers from Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, who explored practical considerations for scaling electric mobility across the continent, including infrastructure readiness, grid capacity constraints, and the necessity of robust regulatory and investment frameworks.
