How five modelling tools, one common framework, and a multi-scale approach are helping plan smarter mini-grids across Africa

A new peer-reviewed paper from the EMERGE project has just been published in Energy Engineering (Tech Science Press), an internationally recognised, peer-reviewed journal, marking an important milestone for the consortium’s research output: “A Comparative Assessment of the EMERGE Modelling Toolbox for Mini-Grid Planning in Developing Countries.”

The paper brings together contributors from across the EMERGE consortium:

• Tommaso Ferrucci — University of Pisa, Department of Energy, Systems, Land, and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), Italy (Corresponding Author)
• Francesco Roncallo — Engreen, Rome, Italy
• Marta Lupattelli — Engreen, Rome, Italy
• Nikola Matak — University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Croatia
• Smail Zouggar — Mohamed First University, Oujda, Morocco
• Hassan Zahboune — Mohamed First University, Oujda, Morocco
• Carolina Pastor De Paz — Fundación CARTIF, Valladolid, Spain
• Adrian Alarcon Becerra — Fundación CIRCE, Zaragoza, Spain
• Alexis Godefroy — Artelys, Paris, France

Together, the team took a close look at the five modelling tools developed within EMERGE — CEPIA, Hosting Capacity, Optimal Storage Placement, GREENADVISE, and PowSyBl-METRIX — and asked a practical question: when should each one be used, and why?

The key finding: these tools are not meant to compete with one another. They form a complementary ecosystem that links different planning scales:

• CEPIA looks at the big picture — national and sectoral energy scenarios out to 2050/2055.
• GREENADVISE zooms in on households and communities, running hourly simulations with a full 20-year financial layer (ROI, payback, CO₂ savings).
• Hosting Capacity and PowSyBl-METRIX focus on the grid itself, identifying how much renewable energy a network can absorb before hitting voltage or thermal limits.
• Optimal Storage Placement helps decide where and how big battery storage should be, balancing economic value against technical benefits like congestion relief.

The paper also shares real numbers from a test case on the Mozambique network: adding two batteries to a constrained grid cut renewable curtailment by 34.8% and redispatching costs by 60.6% compared to a no-battery scenario, a concrete illustration of how storage can unlock more clean energy on the ground.

Grounded in the realities of Morocco, Mozambique, Mali and Nigeria, the three EMERGE pilot regions, the paper argues that effective energy planning for Africa can’t rely on a single universal model. Instead, it needs the right tool for the right question: strategic pathways, household economics, grid limits, storage siting, or constrained dispatch.

Read the full article: doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.081159