IRENA provides regional training workshops on best practices in energy transition planning and grid integration of variable renewables using energy modelling tools. Regional training workshops on long-term energy transition planning have been provided in different African sub-regions and on power sector planning with variable renewables in South America.

In Africa, training was based on IRENA’s System Planning Test (SPLAT) models that are regularly updated for the five regional power pools in Africa. SPLAT models can be readily used by regions and individual countries for energy planning, allowing policy makers to assess least-cost investment options considering policy goals, trade, affordability and CO₂ targets, or to plan trans-boundary transmission lines. The training benchmarked results for power sector development from the respective regional power pool reports.

This regional training serves to familiarise countries with the importance, best practices and tools of energy planning. Regional training can often motivate requests from individual participant countries for bilateral support in energy master plan development.

The following regional training events in energy planning have been provided by IRENA.

Regional training workshops on energy transition planning in Africa:

• IRENA/SANEDI workshop: Renewable energy planning for the Southern African Power Pool.
• IRENA-ECREEE workshop: Renewable energy planning for the West African Power Pool.
• IRENA-UNECA workshop: An introductory session on Power Sector Planning Model for East African Countries (SPLAT-E model).

IRENA-ECREEE Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme with West Africa:

• IRENA-ECREEE Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme: Training 1
• IRENA-ECREEE Energy Planning Capacity-Building Programme: Training 2

Regional workshop on power sector planning with variable renewables in South America:

• IRENA workshop - Exchanging best practices to incorporate variable renewable energy into long-term energy/power sector planning in South America.