The mega event Africa Energy Forum (AEF) 2022 is going to be held in Brussels from 21-24 June. Organized under the theme ‘Africa for Africa’, the forum aims at the energy transition in the continent, a necessity in a context marked by climate change.
AEF 2022 is the 24th edition of the event and is organized by EnergyNet. The largest energy event for Africa will bring together key players in the energy sector on a common platform. This includes governments, utilities, developers, regulators, financial institutions, EPCs, and technological & professional service providers.
Yehia Zaki, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone General Authority (SCZone) is one of the speakers for this year’s forum. The organization is currently making huge progress in developing green hydrogen and its derivatives in the Gulf of Suez. Also, energy ministers from Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritania, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, are expected among the decision-makers in the forum.
The main discussion of the event will focus on current energy issues on the African continent, including its energy transition. This is a major problem for the countries like South Africa, where more than 80% of its electricity is generated from coal-driven thermal power plants. However, the country is moving on the path of the energy transition thanks to the implementation of a massive development program for renewable energies, REIPPP, as well as green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Global independent power producers such as Scatec, Lekela Power, Voltalia, Globeleq, etc., will be present in the forum among others. The developers will discuss with investors such as British Actis and InfraCo Africa, South African Absa, and other international financial institutions like the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), on large-scale renewable energy projects.
The hurdle of financing rural electrification is also expected to be one of the major discussion topics between development finance institutions and energy providers such as PowerGen Renewable Energy and Husk Power Systems. The event will also be an opportunity to prepare for AEF’s 25th which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2023.
