LAGOS, Nigeria, October 24, 2024 – GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) has announced the deployment of its GridOS® orchestration software at the newly established Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) in Abomey-Calavi, Benin. This development supports the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming the energy infrastructure of the region. The ICC, which has just been inaugurated, will act as the centralized hub for coordinating energy exchange among the mainland member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It will oversee the interconnected power grids of 14 nations: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. This achievement is a crucial step toward establishing a unified power market in West Africa, fostering a more reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy system.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Africa Energy Outlook 2022 report¹, Africa’s GDP is expected to grow by an average of 4.6% annually between 2022 and 2040, which will lead to a 2.8% annual increase in energy demand. This growth is expected to double electricity consumption by 2040. By expanding power capacity, improving forecasting tools, and ensuring a seamless balance between energy generation and demand across borders, the ICC and the West Africa Power Pool are addressing the gap between growing energy needs and reliable supply.

The ICC is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with advanced electric grid management technologies. GE Vernova’s GridOS software portfolio plays a key role in ensuring secure and reliable grid orchestration. This software is designed to provide utilities with the resiliency and flexibility required for a more sustainable energy grid. Several intelligent grid applications from the GridOS portfolio are deployed at the ICC, including:

• Energy Management System (EMS) for dispatch optimization
• Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) for grid stability
• Advanced Market Management System to facilitate power trading between ECOWAS countries

Additionally, GE Vernova has upgraded the ICC’s technology platform with its GridOS forecasting solution, which improves the integration of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) into the market. Through advanced forecasting and ramping tools, this system enhances the value of renewable energy by providing near real-time insights into energy flows across the WAPP network. This enables engineers to monitor, analyze, and optimize power distribution more effectively.

“We are proud to partner with WAPP in advancing power generation and transmission infrastructure, as well as facilitating energy exchanges among ECOWAS nations,” said Mahesh Sudhakaran, General Manager for GE Vernova’s Grid Software division. “Our GridOS software equips the ICC with modern tools to automate grid operations, boosting the efficiency of energy transactions across the region and helping to solve energy challenges within the ECOWAS zone.”

GE Vernova has been collaborating with national utilities and regional power pools in Africa for years, assisting them in adopting cutting-edge technologies for grid modernization. In November 2022, the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) opened a new Coordination Control Center, featuring the latest Energy Management System from GE Vernova’s Grid Software division. With additional projects in progress, GE Vernova is proud to contribute to Africa’s ongoing energy transition.

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About GE Vernova

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) is a global energy company, encompassing Power, Wind, and Electrification segments, supported by accelerator businesses. With more than 130 years of experience addressing global challenges, GE Vernova is well-positioned to lead the energy transition, focusing on electrification and decarbonization. GE Vernova is dedicated to powering economies and providing electricity essential to health, safety, security, and quality of life. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with over 75,000 employees in more than 100 countries, GE Vernova is committed to delivering a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. For more information, visit GE Vernova’s website and LinkedIn. The company’s Electrification Software division drives the adoption of intelligent applications and insights, accelerating decarbonization across the energy ecosystem. GE Vernova’s Grid Software and GridOS® portfolio are trusted by utilities worldwide to create more sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy grids.

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