"The developments in energy storage will make a massive difference to the efforts to achieve net zero in carbon emissions over the next period,” says Jo Dean, board member and spokesperson for the South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA). “We represent the interests of cutting-edge technology companies, which will collectively change the landscape of renewable energy and distributed generation in South Africa.”

SAESA and Enlit Africa have announced a unique partnership to launch Africa’s first platform for Integrated Storage and Alternative Power Solutions that will look at both renewable and energy storage solutions in a holistic manner, offering real world solutions. This will be showcased at the next live, in-person Enlit Africa conference and exhibition in Cape Town from 7–9 June 2022.

“SAESA has been a valuable industry partner over the years,” says Claire Volkwyn, Enlit Africa’s head of content, “and we are excited to take this relationship to the next level with this partnership by hosting a platform for this very specialised and vital sector in the energy landscape, especially in the context of a rapidly changing power and energy landscape and an increasingly urgent push for new solutions for the growing energy gap.”

The platform showcasing Integrated Storage and Alternative Power Solutions will take a technology-agnostic approach for real-world solutions aimed at the private sector, municipalities and energy-intensive power users looking for practical, implementable, and financially viable alternatives. Says Volkwyn: “energy storage is the catalyst for new power generation technologies to mature, and this platform will unpack some of the mystery and technical complexities.”

Additionally, there is a need to set up new regulations and standards to build confidence in this sector and reduce project risk. The platform will host global experts within the private sector, government, and institutional organisations to unpack the practical standards and regulatory suggestions for the industry to adopt.

In the run-up to the live Enlit Africa event in Cape Town in June next year, regular technical and educational content will be hosted on their digital platform Enlit Africa-Connect and ESI-Africa, creating a year-round engagement platform for this sector.

Power & Energy Elites
Formerly known around the continent as African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Enlit Africa has been connecting the utility industry on the continent for more than two decades. Last month’s digital edition was a precursor in the lead-up to the hybrid event in Cape Town in June next year.

Enlit Africa’s successful transition to digital
The fast-growing attendee numbers and feedback from participants and partners fully support the remarkable and successful transition that the organisers of the event have made from in-person events to providing a digital forum for the industry to connect via live, online events on the Enlit Africa-Connect platform.

The four digital events that have been hosted in the past 20 months have attracted more than 10 000 registered attendees, representing more than 70 countries and featuring 50 speakers.

All the previous Enlit Africa sessions remain available for free on demand on the event platform. For access, register on the Enlit Africa-Connect platform by clicking here.

Industry support
Eskom, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the City of Cape Town have been official hosting partners of the event for many years and 2021 has been no exception.

Enlit Africa event is organised by The Vuka Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by The Vuka Group include Africa Mining Forum, DRC Mining Week, Nigeria Mining Week, Smarter Mobility Africa, ECOM and CEM Africa.