Capacity Building for Energy Planning and Modelling Events
The energy planning support provides capacity-building for developing energy/electricity sector masterplans at both the national and transnational levels. Through training activities on energy modelling and the process of developing and updating national energy scenarios as direct inputs into national energy master plans, IRENA and its expert partners guide country teams with customised technical support, on-demand advisory services and draft output reviews..
More information about the events detailed below upon request at energyplanningcb@irena.org.
Upcoming events
Past events
2025
22-25 April 2025
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Eastern Africa: Training 2
This event is the second of six week-long regional training courses within the programme. The training focused on enhancing participants' expertise by introducing key concepts of the MESSAGE Reference Energy System (RES), the SPLAT-MESSAGE tools, and essential software installations, including the SPLAT interface, solver, and CMP model. Participants will also learn how to run a single-country model, enabling them to apply MESSAGE-SPLAT for national planning, review model results, and interpret key outputs effectively.
This workshop builds upon the MESSAGE E-learning course, which was held virtually from 17 to 24 March 2025, providing participants with a fundamental grasp of the MESSAGE modelling tool. By expanding on these concepts participants are expected to gain practical skills to run a single-country model, apply SPLAT-MESSAGE for national planning, analyse model results, and interpret outputs.
2024
9-20 September 2024
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Eastern Africa
This is the first training of six sessions under the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP). It is offered in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) focused on developing energy demand projections using the Model for Analysis of Energy Demand (MAED) tool. Participants received hands-on training in data collection, demand forecasting methodologies, and scenario analysis to enhance their capacity to integrate demand projections into national and regional energy masterplans.
The programme aims to build and enhance capacity for long-term energy planning in thirteen EAPP member countries that were able to participate: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Around 50 experts from ministries, electric utilities, and specialised energy planning agencies across these countries took part in the training.
16 April 2024
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan – 14th IRENA Assembly Side Event
On April 16th 2024, during IRENA’s 14th General Assembly, the agency hosted a side event to showcase the high-level outcomes of the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP) effort and invite country decision makers, key African institutions, and major international partners to take stock of this important progress for the region. This is an important step towards promoting the importance of institutional capacity building and ownership of energy planning processes across Africa. The event was attended by approximately 90 IRENA member state delegates and partners.
2023
28 Aug – 1 Sept 2023
Senegal Masterplan Development Support Programme – Second training course
This event was the second of a three week-long national training courses for the programme. The training course focus was on deepening expertise in modelling with the SPLAT-SN model, including updating the model, implementing scenarios to be analysed, and investigating model results.
27 July 2023
During this session IRENA, the CAPP Secretariat, and country stakeholders reviewed the regional modelling results that have been achieved based on the work of the participants. This was the final consultation regarding modelling results before IRENA continued to develop a consolidated regional study, which may be used as the basis for the region’s first power sector masterplan.
19-23 June 2023
Senegal Masterplan Development Support Programme – First training course
This event was the first of three week-long national training courses for the programme. The training course focus was on foundational elements of modelling with the SPLAT-SN model, such as review of input data and concepts, updating the model, and defining scenarios to be analysed.
20-21 March 2023
Senegal Masterplan Development Support Programme – Kick-off meeting
This kick-off meeting served as the inaugural session of the 2023 Senegal Masterplan Development Support Programme, with the aim to gather all relevant stakeholders in the programme, including members of the Steering Committee and Working Group, alongside broader energy sector stakeholders.
13-17 March 2023
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan Week 4
The objective of this event was to give the final training to the CMP modelling team that consists of experts from AUDA-NEPAD and representatives of the five power pools. The country and region-specific insights from scenarios were presented and the alternative CMP scenarios that would incorporate increasing degree of regional coordination through provision of cross-border interconnections was discussed in details. The participants were trained along with hands-on exercises on designing various sensitivities around fuel prices, technology evolution, hydro variability, and delay in key projects using the SPLAT interface.
13 January 2023
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan – 13th IRENA Assembly Side Event
On 13th January 2023, during IRENA’s 13th General Assembly, the agency hosted a side event to highlight the African Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP), an important step towards promoting nationally-owned energy planning processes across Africa. The event was attended by approximately 80 IRENA member state delegates and partners.
2022
28-30 November 2022
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Central Africa Phase 2: Workshop 2
This workshop aimed to provide CAPP Secretariat and its utility members with more experience exploring the results of the regional IRENA modelling, and with the opportunity to provide feedback and discuss possible changes to the models and scenarios.
21-25 November 2022
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan Week 3
In this workshop, the participants learnt: (1) how to run all continent model carrying detailed power system expansion models for 50 countries; (2) how to develop alternative scenarios of interconnecting national grids at intra-regional and continent wide scale; and (3) how to visualize the big datasets of model results using SPLAT interface, a dedicated excel widget and web based dashboard.
17-20 November 2022
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Central Africa Phase 2: Workshop 1
This workshop aimed to provide advanced training on modelling concepts and issues related to regional planning, such as: methodological issues related to model input harmonisation, interconnections and electricity trade; expected changes to national model results after regional optimisation; how to assess the benefits of regional trade; inter alia. Further training on SPLAT-MESSAGE inputs and results were integrated into the workshop.
11 November 2022
The consultative workshop brought together key stakeholders from national institutions, to review and discuss the recommendations for the national renewable energy master plan. Over 40 participants from national institutions and other stakeholders (e.g. GIZ, IAEA, and AfDB) joined the meeting in Yaounde.
Event Summary(English, French)
15 September 2022
IRENA Regional Model Analysis and Planning Support Programme
In this session, IRENA staff and Programme partners presented a detailed view of the capacity building programme elements, including: modality, objectives, deliverables, resource requirements and timeline.
14-18 August 2022
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan Week 2
Prior to this workshop, the CMP modelling team fully configured the base year scenario inputs as per the most updated data and stats available from the Power pools. In the workshop, the participants achieved the 2nd milestone of developing the base case scenario and how to interpret the scenario results.
20-24 June 2022
Africa Continental Power System Masterplan Week 1
This workshop followed after a MESSAGE eLearning course organized by IAEA on 9-13 May 2022. In this workshop, the participants learnt how key elements of the SPLAT-Africa model are represented in the MESSAGE modelling framework, through lectures and hands-on sessions.
28 February – 4 March 2022
Capacity Building on Long-Term Energy Planning in the Republic of Cameroon
This fourth training course focused on the review of current report draft in more detail and the identification of areas that require additional data/research. Significant time was allocated for progress towards the finalization of the draft report.
2021
6-10 December 2021
Capacity Building on Long-Term Energy Planning in the Republic of Cameroon: Third Training course
This third training course covered the progress made on the development of a baseline scenario and the definition of alternate scenarios. Significant time was also allocated for the review of current report draft in more detail and the identification of areas that require additional data/research.
strong>29 September 2021
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Central Africa Training 3
In partnership with the Central Africa Power Pool (CAPP), IRENA has delivered a six-month regional training on energy model analysis and planning to CAPP countries in 2021.
The programme has built and enhanced capacity for long-term energy planning in seven CAPP countries able to participate: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Rwanda.
23-27 August 2021
Capacity Building on Long-Term Energy Planning in the Republic of Cameroon: Training course #2
The training was organized as the second milestone as a part of 12-month programme – IRENA-Cameroon capacity building programme on strategic long-term energy planning. The training carried out in the week of the 23-27 August was led by IRENA experts and attended by the core working team.
12-19 July 2021
Capacity Building on Long-Term Energy Planning in the Republic of Cameroon
The training was organized as the first milestone as a part of 12-month programme – IRENA-Cameroon capacity building programme on strategic long-term energy planning.
14-18 June 2021
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Central Africa Training 2
In partnership with the Central Africa Power Pool (CAPP), IRENA is delivering a six-month regional training on energy model analysis and planning to CAPP countries in 2021.
The programme aims to build and enhance capacity for long-term energy planning in seven CAPP countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Rwanda.
19-22 April 2021
IRENA Regional Model Analysis & Planning Support Programme: Central Africa Training 1
In partnership with the Central Africa Power Pool (CAPP), IRENA is delivering a six-month regional training on energy model analysis and planning to CAPP countries in 2021.
In this training session, participants were introduced to IRENA’s System Planning Test (SPLAT) model framework for Central Africa.
2018
17-21 December 2018
Energy Planning Capacity Building Sierra Leone National training course 3 Master plan development
The Republic of Sierra Leone’s government and IRENA held a one-week training course on strategic long-term energy planning at the Ministry of Energy in Freetown that focused on developing the draft energy master plan document. The training was part of the IRENA-Sierra Leone capacity building programme on strategic long-term energy planning.
25 October 2018
IRENA-Eswatini Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Masterplan 2034 Launch
The Kingdom of Eswatini’s government and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held a festive launch event for the national Eswatini Energy Masterplan 2034 that was developed as result of the joint Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme.
View the Kingdom of Eswatini Energy Masterplan 2034.
27 August – 7 September 2018
Energy Planning Capacity Building Sierra Leone – National Training 2
The training course was part of the IRENA-Sierra Leone capacity building programme on strategic long-term energy planning. It built off the IRENA kick-off mission to Sierra Leone in August 2017, the MESSAGE software online training in May 2018 (provided at the courtesy of the International Atomic Energy Agency), and the first two-week national training course in May/June 2018 that focused on development of the SPLAT-SL model.
28 May – 8 June 2018
National training course 1 Model Development
From 28 May – 8 June 2018, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Energy and IRENA held the first two-week country training course to further familiarize the national working team – consisting of energy planning professionals from, among others, the Ministry of Energy, EGTC, EDSA, EPA and various universities - with the SPLAT model application for Sierra Leone (SPLAT-SL) and with developing energy modelling scenarios.
View Agenda & Summary article on the Ministry of Energy website.
7-11 May 2018
Scoping mission and online MESSAGE training course
This online training programme was provided at the courtesy of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in coordination with IRENA. The training familiarized participants with the MESSAGE software and the structure of IRENA's System Planning Test (SPLAT) model.
2017
23 November 2017
IRENA-Swaziland Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Consultation Workshop
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Kingdom of Eswatini’s government held a consultation workshop to present and discuss the draft national energy master plan 2034 document with a group of key energy sector stakeholders.
2016
17-28 October 2016
IRENA-Swaziland Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Masterplan Developments
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Kingdom of Eswatini’s government held a two-week training course on strategic long-term energy planning in Manzini that focused on finalising the SPLAT-SW model and energy planning scenarios and on finalizing the draft national energy master plan document.
27 June – 8 July 2016
IRENA-Swaziland Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Scenario Building
The training course was part of the IRENA-Swaziland capacity building programme on strategic long-term energy planning. It built off the data preparation meeting in Swaziland in April 2016 and the MESSAGE software distance-learning in June 2016 that was provided at the courtesy of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
25 January – 5 February 2016
IRENA-ECREEE Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Training 2
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) held a second training course in Dakar to look more closely at SPLAT-W, the System Planning Test model for the West African power system.
The two weeks of training involved the development of renewable energy scenarios, analysis and comparison of scenarios, and presentations and documentation of results from the model.
2015
7-11 December 2015
IRENA-ECREEE Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme Training 1
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) held a training course in Dakar introducing SPLAT-W, the System Planning Test model for the West African power system.
At the first face-to-face session, participants were introduced to the use of the model and learned how to create different scenarios for long-term power-sector development. Working sessions incorporated the latest data (provided by participants).
2014
3 October 2014
An Introductory Session on Power Sector Planning Model for East African Countries SPLATE model
On October 3 2014, IRENA and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Sub-regional office for Eastern Africa held a one day workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, to discuss power sector planning models for East African countries, their applications for energy planning, and energy planning states and gaps in the region.
2012
10-12 December 2012
IRENA-ECREEE workshop Renewable energy planning for the West African Power Pool
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) held a workshop on the Western African Power Pool system planning model.
Participants of the workshop were energy planners from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
View Prospectus, Meeting announcement & Outcome of the workshop.
19-20 November 2012
IRENA SANEDI workshop Renewable energy planning for the Southern African Power Pool
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), along with the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) held a workshop on energy planning to develop power pool systems for the region.
View Meeting announcement & Workshop summary.