Despite comprising tall metal structures, complicated sub-stations, and kilometers of wire, transmission lines are so familiar that they often blend into the landscape and don’t capture our attention.

But have you ever thought about what goes into constructing these lines, and why they are so critical for power delivery in Africa?

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world but has woefully inadequate transmission infrastructure. A reliable power transmission network is fundamental in bridging sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity demand and supply gap, domestically and across borders.

Transmission lines carry power to a substation; from there, distribution lines feed the electricity into homes and businesses. Transmission infrastructure is also essential for the transition towards less carbon-intensive energy systems by transporting large-scale wind and solar energy from renewable energy power plants — often located in remote areas far from the consumer — to homes, businesses, and industries.