Cotonou will host the third edition of the West Africa Power and Energy Cooperation Conference and Exhibition (WAPECC) from 3rd – 5th December 2025. The event has become one of the region’s key platforms for dialogue on energy policy in West Africa. Organised under the authority of Benin’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Water, the conference will bring together government delegations, regional institutions and numerous industrial stakeholders, including a significant number from the mining sector, whose operations depend heavily on reliable energy infrastructure.
Representatives from ECOWAS, BOAD, ABREC, ECREEE and the West African Power Pool (WAPP) will join ministers, state secretaries, directors of national agencies and executives from public electricity and natural resources companies. This broad participation will allow for discussions on coordination challenges between states, the future of cross-border electricity networks and the energy solutions required to support industrial activity, particularly mining.
According to Benin’s Minister of Energy and Mines, this edition represents “an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, promote public private dialogue and advance innovative and sustainable solutions to meet the region’s growing energy needs.”
Energy, infrastructure and extraction: a strategic convergence for the region
The conference will also bring together private companies and financial partners involved in both energy and extractive projects. Mining companies, whose operations consume large amounts of energy for extraction, processing, pumping and drilling, are expected to pay close attention to discussions on improving electricity access, grid reliability and energy costs.
International donors, infrastructure focused funds and regional banks will outline their investment priorities for the coming years. Discussions will include grid modernisation, hybrid power plants, renewable energy deployment, micro grids for remote sites and storage solutions. These issues are crucial for mining operations, which are often located far from urban centres and face constraints linked to power continuity and cost.
Speakers will also address the transformations underway in the extractive industry itself, where efforts to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact have become increasingly important due to economic pressures and international sustainability standards.
Technology and innovation: solutions targeting mining operations
For the first time, WAPECC will introduce an innovation competition showcasing technological solutions for the energy sector. Startups, research centres and companies will present advances in fields such as solar systems, smart energy management, grid modernisation, industrial efficiency and electrification of remote areas.
Several of these innovations target the specific needs of mining operations, including off grid reliability, reduced diesel dependence and improved operational efficiency, areas of growing interest for mining firms facing rising energy costs.
The competition will offer new visibility to emerging regional solutions and foster connections between technology providers and investors. For mining companies seeking reliable, cost effective and scalable energy options, these innovations represent tangible avenues for improvement.
An edition highlighting the mining sector’s growing dependence on the energy transition
As energy demand continues to rise in West Africa, driven by industrialisation and extractive activity, WAPECC 2025 will offer a strategic moment to analyse the region’s shifting landscape. Debates on gas production, renewable integration, cross border infrastructure and financing mechanisms directly concern mining firms, whose performance increasingly depends on the availability, cost and sustainability of energy supply.
For three days, Cotonou will become a key meeting point for governments, technical institutions, economic actors, financial partners and decision makers from the mining sector, in a region where the future of extractive development is more closely tied than ever to progress in the energy transition.
