Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) MD Liz Hart says the value of attending the eighth yearly AEI is that industry stakeholders will meet the right people who can decide on energy transactions and implement them.

The AEI will run from February 16 to 17 at the Sandton Convention Centre, and she expects 500 delegates to attend the event.

“For an energy business this is a must, as it means businesses can grow and products and services can be sold and implemented,” Hart explains.

AEI will host 11 African Energy Ministers and many energy luminaries, thus providing access to key energy decision-makers in Africa. The event comprises several conferences and an exhibition to showcase energy products and services that can meet Africa’s energy demands.

Hart notes: “The event continues to grow every year in terms of the high-profile status of our attendees, including senior executives, CEOs, government officials and energy role- players who will shape Africa’s energy landscape in the next twenty years.”

Side events include the Africa Gas Forum, which takes place on February 15 to cater to and address the African gas market, which is expected to grow significantly over the next 20 years.

“There is great excitement around the large gas finds in Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania, which has sparked a gas boom on the east coast. The emergence of shale gas in South Africa’s Karoo and the commissioning of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of shale gas by the South African government have also drawn investor attention,” she recounts.

Developing these gas reserves for gas-to-power projects will require large amounts of capi- tal investment and long-term commitment from investors who are eagerly awaiting feedback to assess the opportunities in the sub-Saharan Africa gas space, Hart explains.

She adds that the forum also intends to acknowledge and inform the industry of the work done behind the scenes in preparation for the gas-to-power industry in South Africa.

The growth in the gas sector, in addition to other significant technological and legislative advancements, is the reason for the AEI introducing a third Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) Conference, which will take place on Febru- ary 17. During the conference, the requirements for successful IPPs and bankable PPAs, including current examples, will be discussed; insights on how to negotiate PPAs successfully will also be provided.

Additionally, the World Bank’s ‘Global Tracking Framework’ report launch and the Inter- national Finance Corporation’s third Energy Services Company Conference will also be held at the AEI. The former will report on the progress made in terms of renewable energy and energy efficiency, while the latter will advise on new developments in the energy services industry.

Further, AEI’s Business Matchmaking Programme (BMP) will continue to provide delegates, speakers and exhibitors with opportunities to set up individual meetings and network with attendees of their choice at the event to conduct private business meetings.

“This ensures that exhibitors can manage their return on investment and have quality prearranged meetings with other companies at their exhibition stand, in addition to networking with the visi- tors who stop by their stand,” says Hart, further stating that “many important business deals have been signed as a result of the BMP”.

She points out that the AEI is the World Energy Council’s African regional event and, as such, receives global recognition as the foremost event for energy professionals operating in Africa.