Africa Energy Indaba to catalyse transformation

7th February 2014

Africa Energy Indaba to catalyse transformation

CATALYSING TRANSFORMATION The Africa Energy Projects Roundtable forum at the 2014 Africa Energy Indaba will focus on energy projects that will provide the best return on investment

The importance of an energy event such as the Africa Energy Indaba cannot be underestimated, as it “brings together business, government and civil society leaders to collaborate and shape shared solutions to the continent’s energy future”, South African National Energy Association (Sanea) chairperson and Africa Energy Indaba steering committee chair Brian Statham states.

“Without energy, schools cannot function, hospitals cannot operate – there is no infrastructure or public services without the underlying energy services to support them. Without energy there is no economic activity to sustain lifeline services.”

The Africa Energy Indaba strategic partners, Sanea, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) Planning and Coordinating Agency and the event organiser, Siyenza, in August briefed ambassadors and their economic and trade representatives, who were interested in the opportunities the upcoming Africa Energy Indaba would hold for their country representatives in South Africa and across the broader continent.

The indaba is a forum for debating and exchanging solutions to Africa’s energy challenges and focuses on African power suppliers, alternative and renewable energies, oil and gas, the legal and regulatory framework, and investment opportunities in African energy projects.

The event will run from February 18 to 20 in Sandton, Johannesburg, and will include side events such as the Africa Energy Projects Roundtable, the Nuclear Forum, a Sustainable Energy 4 All (SE4ALL) workshop, a session focused on independent power producers (IPPs) and power purchase agreements (PPAs), and the Business Matchmaking Programme.

The Africa Energy Projects Roundtable will focus on African energy projects that will provide the best return on investment, while the SE4ALL workshop will be launched and profiled for the first time at the event. SE4ALL is an initiative launched by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon to bring key actors to the table to make sustainable energy a reality for all by 2030.

The event’s fifth Nuclear Forum will be held to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the nuclear industry and the opportunities of implementing nuclear power as an energy source in Africa.

The session on IPPs and PPAs will outline the key elements to sustainable IPPs and PPAs, financing IPP projects, and tariffs and their role in attracting IPPs. The organisers also place emphasis on the Business Matchmaking Programme, which affords delegates the opportunity to meet and engage with this year’s high-level speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and delegates at face-to-face private meetings.

“The vision of the Africa Energy Indaba is to catalyse transformation. The spirit of the event is for people to come together, share their knowledge and experience, and then, using this in various places and scenarios, help Africa develop. We see this as a process, not a one-off event that only happens in February,” Statham says.