About
The Global Electrification Platform
A Global Good for Achieving Universal Electrification
The Global Electrification Platform (GEP) is an open access, interactive, online platform that allows for overview of electrification investment scenarios for a selection of countries. The scenarios present pathways for achieving universal electricity access (grid, mini-grid and SHS), split into an intermediate strategy for 2025 and full electrification by 2030. The results of the model indicate the least-cost investment requirements based on publicly available information on demand and existing infrastructure.
Users can explore 96 different scenarios to meet the access goals. These different combinations and parameters are presented in the form of "levers". Users can overlay additional layers as well (e.g. wind potential, electricity networks, location of health facilities) to help illustrate useful contextual information about a selected country.
The current set of results in the GEP were created using the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool (gep-onsset). In the interests of transparency and collaboration, the modelling process has been opened for feedback and improvements from other institutions, experts and practitioners. In addition to the web platform, there are two additional aspects to the GEP model that facilitate the creation, exploration, and dissemination of novel modelling results:
- The Generator - enables users to explore the GEP, selecting their own parameters and assumptions, and allowing for combinations customized to a local country context. While the GEP web platform allows users to explore 6 different levers affecting electrification; the complete GEP model has over 150 parameters, and the Generator will allow users to explore all of these levers in any combination that is relevant for their context.
- The Toolbox - includes the tools used to generate the input data to the GEP model. These allow for greater customization and make it possible for users to incorporate and analyze their own GIS and non-GIS data. While fewer users are expected to engage at this level of the modelling, the combination of the Toolbox and the Generator will allow potential users to customize every aspect of the GEP.
To date, three versions of the GEP have been developed:
- The first instance of the Global Electrification Platform, GEP 1.0 was launched in November 2019. Based on a version of the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool (OnSSET), this version identified the least-cost technology to provide access to every household by 2030 in countries with less than 90% electrification rate in 2018, choosing between grid-connection, mini-grids and SHS. For each technology option, the costs associated with generation, transmission and distribution (where applicable) were used to calculate the Levelized Cost of Electricity, drawing in the local characteristics and distance to existing infrastructure of each settlement, and selecting the least-cost option in each location. A set of standardized scenarios, with different assumptions on demand and supply, were developed for each country, allowing the user to explore how technology mixes and investment requirements may change.
- GEP 2.0 was launched in September 2021. This version provided updated input data, updated the start of the modelling period from 2018 to 2020 and provided refined methodologies for modelling mini-grid systems and demand estimations. Notably, GEP 2.0 also added demand estimates for social uses (based on locations of health and education facilities) as well as small-scale productive uses (based on settlements accessibility, GDP and population size).
- In addition to input data updates, GEP 3.0 provides methodological updates to account for the GHG emissions stemming from providing increased access to electricity. The emissions associated with new customers’ consumption of grid electricity as well as diesel consumption in mini-grids are accounted for. To do so, the GEP-OnSSET model is coupled with a version of The Electricity Model Base for Africa (TEMBA), a capacity expansion model that includes all mainland countries in sub-Saharan Africa, to provide the average cost and GHG emissions per kWh of grid electricity supplied in each country until 2030 under three demand growth scenarios. Additionally, scenarios including a shadow price of carbon have been developed to explore how the technology mix, investment requirements and associated emissions are affected in the GEP-OnSSET and TEMBA models.
For any inquiries and potential collaboration please contact the development team:
- The World Bank: Ashish Shrestha – ashrestha1@worldbank.org
- KTH Energy Systems: Camilo Ramirez Gomez – camilorg@kth.se
- Development Seed: Olaf Veerman – olaf@developmentseed.org
- WRI: Dimitrios Mentis – Dimitrios.Mentis@wri.org
- Derilinx: Eric Soroos – eric@derilinx.com
- Google: Saleem Van Groenou – svangroenou@google.com