Company Announcement - As Eskom has missed another deadline to bring its Medupi power station online, and its financial woes have led to fears over South Africa’s electricity supply in 2015, world energy leaders will congregate in Johannesburg in a month to discuss the continent’s energy future. The annual Africa Energy Indaba - the continent’s premier energy event - takes place on the 17-18 February 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre, drawing global energy leaders and energy ministers from at least ten African nations. The event, which will put South Africa’s energy crisis in a broader spotlight, could not be coming at a more important time.
“The Africa Energy Indaba is a forum where those with valuable resources of knowledge and experience from anywhere in the world can constructively engage with Africans who have the passion and the aspiration to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of fellow Africans,” says Brian Statham, steering committee chair of the Africa Energy Indaba. The high quality of delegates and officials attending this year’s event is opportune for South Africa. South Africa’s government officials and business leaders are being given an opportunity to deliberate and address issues with energy leaders with a new sense of urgency as they grapple with the challenges and spinoffs being caused by the nation’s power crisis. “Without energy, Africa’s economies cannot grow. Energy is needed for life, for education, for healthcare and for development. The window of opportunity for investment in Africa’s energy sectors is big at the moment, and current leaders must act decisively. The Africa Energy Indaba - the African event of the World Energy Council and the only energy event for Africans - is driven to ensure that these time-sensitive opportunities are maximised,” says Liz Hart, Managing Director of Siyenza, the organisers of the annual Africa Energy Indaba.
The cogs of the South African economy started turning again this week with most of the working class returning to employment for the year. Consumers, along with energy intensive electricity users like the mining and manufacturing industries have been urged to use electricity sparingly to help reduce demand. This puts the South African economy under further pressure for investment to unlock its vast natural resources, like gas reserves, that hold vast energy potential.
Companies and industries need to find alternative energy solutions that are cost-effective and reliable. The Africa Energy Indaba exhibition, running concurrently to the conference, offers those attending the platform to network with service providers, suppliers and energy experts and view products that could support their businesses and industries during times of load shedding.
The event also boasts a number of side events, including the invitation-only Indaba Energy Leader’s Dialogue, the Sustainable Energy for All Forum, an IPP/PPA conference, the first Women in Energy conference and an Energy Efficiency and Resilient Energy Infrastructure workshop.