AEF 2024

Invitation Only

French / English Translation

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in its future?

Invitation Only

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in it’s future?

Invitation Only

French / English Translation

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in it’s future?

Invitation Only

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in it’s future?

Invitation Only

French / English Translation

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in it’s future?

The aim of this session is to build upon some of the initial ideas brought up in the first roundtables in a cross-collaborative platform.

Invitation Only

• How are we increasing the scale and pace of projects and investment?
• How can decarbonisation policies increase the participation of private sector in energy intensive industries?
• Are the global climate goals inhibiting Africa’s ability to invest in it’s future?

Bringing to life the project development process, by presenting one case, that of the Kipeto wind project, and the complex challenges the project had to face eventually to succeed.

The Kipeto wind project has been up and running for around 2 years now, but we’re looking back on the development process, and, in particular, the issues relating to the nearby colony of Ruppell’s vultures that almost derailed it.

French / English Translation

• What next steps need to be taken as an industry to meet the growing energy demands of the continent?
• What do the energy systems of the future for Africa encompass?
• Where are the key areas of collaboration that we can work towards in the next year and beyond?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

Tackling Grid Challenges to Improve Energy Systems

• New solutions to optimise existing grids for current and future energy needs
• What will incentivise the private sector to invest in the grid?
• Where can technology play a role?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

Industry Debate: The African Gas Conundrum: Is it a Transitional Enabler or Not?

Is gas a strategic and transitional solution to addressing energy challenges across the continent, or should we be more aggressive about the shift to renewables to answer energy needs?

Watt's Up Africa: Electrifying the Continent - Hosted by: 

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

A dynamic panel session that explores the vibrant landscape of Africa’s energy sector. As the world is looking at the continent’s natural resources as a pillar of the energy revolution.

• Exploration of Africa’s Energy Landscape: how Africa’s natural resources are becoming central to the global energy revolution
• Examining the cutting-edge strategies and technological advancements that are enabling Africa to capitalize on its energy resources effectively
• Analyzing the potential hurdles and prospects within Africa's energy sector, including infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics
• The critical roles of investment and policymaking in shaping the socio-economic impacts of an electrified Africa

A mix of Boardroom style discussions and technical presentations where all participants are invited to get involved.

Where are we Seeing the Biggest Technology Investments to Help the Future of the Sector

• What are the key areas of technology investments n solar, wind and other renewable energy sources?
• How are smart technologies reshaping energy distribution and demand response management?
• What roles are and will AI play in enabling more efficient operations?

The Rise of Energy Storage: Navigating Challenges, Market Dynamics, Financing and Regulatory Landscapes

Presented By:

Investing in Kenya

French / English Translation

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

Is Bolstering Transmission the Key to Releasing Capital for Generation?

• How do we increase investment in transmission infrastructure?
• What are the successful models we are seeing at country and cross-border levels?
• What do the developments in battery storage systems look like in the transmission space?
• Examine the existing power pool initiatives and market structures to enhance power trade

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

Advancing African Gas Projects

• What is the current outlook for gas?
• What timelines do we need to be working towards to keep up with current demand?
• How have tenders in the natural gas and LNG space evolved?
• How have live projects been affected since the discussions around gas at COP28 and what further changes do we expect on the horizon?

Effective Use of Credit Enhancement Instruments to Enable Project

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

Hosted by: 

Part 1: Successful Case Studies

• Songa Energy’s 1.65 MW Hydro Project in Burundi
• AMEA Power’s Ituka West Nile Uganda Limited

Part 2: Existing Gaps, Innovation, and Product Development

• What’s required in the market
• Are multilaterals, the private sector and philanthropy coordinating enough?
• What actual steps can be taken to improve this?

Demand Driven Opportunities: Finding New Classes of Off-takers in the Tech Sector for Future Growth

A mix of Boardroom style discussions and technical presentations where all participants are invited to get involved

• Is there a tangible market for Bitcoin mining on the grid?
• Servicing data centres and digital infrastructure
• The sector’s role in the AI Boom

Policy, Partnerships and Prospects in South Africa’s Energy Landscape

French / English Translation

Net Zero Power: Innovative & Scalable Energy Solutions for Industry

Presented By: 

Sponsored by:

Tunisia’s Energy Transition: Growing Investment Opportunities

French / English Translation

Advancements in Battery Storage: How Big is the Opportunity for Africa?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• What is the current state of storage?
• What are some of the lessons learned from current projects along the procurement process, funding and technical designs?
• How do we deal with the challenges surrounding critical minerals mining and resource availability?
• Should batteries be procured with generation or separately?

Keeping Gas Bankable for Africa

Boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• How do you ensure the bankability of gas projects as the global North pushes for limitations on fossil fuels?
• What local sources of financing exist to take advantage of?
• What do projects need to include to be considered energy transition projects?
• How has the European CBAM affected bankability?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Making Independent Power Transmitters Work: Latest Development in Private Transmission Models Hosted by: Power Africa

Hosted by:

• Utilities struggle to invest in new transmission projects, necessary to unlock gigawatts of generation
• Private Transmission has struggled to gain traction in sub-Saharan Africa in part because of the perceived financial risks associated with African utilities
• Power Africa seeks to unlock private investment in transmission
• What are the latest developments in private transmission?

Leveraging New Technologies to Lower Emissions and Promote Balance Across Energy Resources

• What innovation in the mining and gas space are helping fossil fuels lower their emissions?
• How can scenario modelling play in the design of long-term pathways for the energy transition and lowering carbon emissions?
• Harnessing new and innovative tech-enabled models for human capital that make the future of work a reality and accelerate a sustainable energy landscape

Investing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Hydroelectricity for Sustainable Development & Economic Growth in Africa

French / English Translation

Fireside Chat: Learnings from a Global Energy Portfolio: Which Technologies Will Best Support Africa’s Energy Transition & How Will They be Deployed

Presented by: 

Gabon’s Energy Challenges and Investment Opportunities

French / English Translation

CASE STUDY: The Growth of e-mobility and Impact on the Power Sector

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• How do we develop the robust charging infrastructure needed?
• How is the rise of e-mobility affecting energy system planning?
• Developments in battery storage for e-mobility
• How big is the opportunity for investors?
• Collaboration between sectors: energy, automotive and tech

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Building Cohesive Gas Value Chains and Developing Infrastructure

• How can we reach industrial development utilising Africa’s resources while being mindful of the climate change conversation?
• How do we unlock the onshore components of gas?
• How much do we need gas to feature in the energy mix to accelerate renewable energy penetration?

A New Mechanism for Mitigating Currency Risk to support Africa's Transition

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Hosted By: 

• Establishing a strong case for rethinking how clean energy projects are financed on the continent
• Engaging stakeholders on the need to create a financial mechanism that allows African countries to mitigate currency risk in energy infrastructure financing
• Showcasing AfDB’s preliminary analysis of a Basket of potential commodities and structuring options for the new mechanism
• Raising awareness on the ongoing efforts of select countries to secure greater economic benefits by leveraging their mineral wealth

Empowering African Mining - Energy Cost Saving with Renewables and Battery Storage Solutions for Mining Companies

Hosted By: 

What Factors are Behind the Boom in India's Solar Module Manufacturing Sector?

Hosted By: Waaree Energies

Breakfast Roundtable: Effective Tendering for Renewable Energy IPP Development

• The reasons for the mixed performance of tenders over the past 5 years
• The factors underpinning successful RE tenders in Africa.
• The key design decisions needed to ensure tendering success.
• Situations in which tenders might not be the ideal option.

Renewable Projects Update

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• How have some of the biggest renewables projects progressed since their announcements across solar, wind and hydro?
• What are the biggest opportunities for partnerships?
• How has CBAM affected projects and what have been the wider implications of it?
• How do we ensure we are keeping communities at the forefront?

Energy Off-takers: Meeting the Growing Green Energy Needs of the Mining Sector

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• Balancing energy security with net-zero goals and decarbonization
• What is a “Just Energy Transition” for mining?
• What elements of supply chain can both energy and mining collaborate on as both industries manage the green transition of their operations?
• How do we ensure we are benefitting local communities across mining projects?

By Invitation Only

Meeting Room 53

Regional Collaboration to Streamline Energy Integration, Access & Transition Across the Continent

• What do initiatives like the Lobito Corridor represent for energy integration and transition and how can RECs support such initiatives?
• How can RECs influence governments to open markets?
• How can cross-border transactions be streamlined for cheaper electricity?
• What risks are associated with cross-border energy projects and what are the enabling conditions for DFIs?

Hydrogen Gaining Traction: What’s Tangible in 2024?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• What are the current dynamics between supply and demand and the balance between domestic use and export?
• What incentives and support mechanism are in place by governments to grow the sector?
• Navigating regulatory framework and permitting
• Case studies to share lessons from early adopters and developers

Power Trip: The Case for Private Sector in Distribution

Hosted by: 

• Electricity distribution and effective utility management is a core driver of a viable power sector. The World Bank is supporting utility reform across the continent to attract private sector investment in distribution
• Africa has had a checkered history on the outcome various forms of privatization, whether Management Contract, Concession or full privatization
• The discussion will focus on the right approach for specific country context, utility turnaround and best practices; as well as actively seek perspectives from govt. stakeholders, investors, utilities, DFI’s and development partners on implementing a successful private sector approach

Fostering Sustainable Energy Infrastructure in Africa – “A Catalyst for Africa’s Economic Advancement.”

French / English Translation

Roadmap for Energy Sector Growth in Tanzania

Progressing Solar Projects on the Continent to Meet Rising Demand

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• How have some of the projects discussed in 2023 progressed?
• Which new projects are launching for the year ahead?
• What are the hurdles we are seeing across projects?
• How are companies tackling intermittency issues?
• What are the procurement structures we are seeing develop?

Critical Minerals Mining for the Global Energy Transition

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• The impact of the critical minerals market on the cost of the energy transition
• How are we building a resilient and sustainable energy supply chain?
• What is the role of African nations in the global supply chain and implications of its involvement?
• What partnerships are we seeing emerge to get projects underway?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Solution Innovation is Changing Africa's Investment Landscape: Linking Capital and Mitigating Risk for Optimal Project Returns

Hosted by: 

• Innovation in linking capital providers with project developers
• Addressing actual vs perceived investment risk in Africa
• Optimising investment returns through better recognising project risk mitigation solutions
• How risk capital can unlock investments in Africa at scale

Boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Making Hydrogen Bankable: Investment Conditions & Offtake Agreements

• Who are the off-takers and what are the current challenges with agreements?
• How can risks be fairly shared and overcome?
•  How do we reach competitive pricing for green ammonia vs grey?
• The role of development banks & private capital to get projects over the line to FID

Risk Mitigation for Investments in Zimbabwe

Closing the Green Energy Finance Gap

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• Accelerating development through more efficient green financing
• Making green energy financing more attractive and commercial.
• Financing tools to speed up equity investments.
• Types of funding available to keep prices low.
• The role of blended financing with upcoming projects.

Energy Aggregators: Powering Sustainable Mining Operations

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• The growing role of aggregators in the mining sector
• How can we work to decarbonise the sector instead of individual mines?
• Dissecting the latest projects and deals on the continent
• Wind and solar energy projects for mining applications

Power Security & Energy Transition - The critical roles of Utilities, Power Pools, Governments & DFIs

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Hosted by: 

• Establishing a mutual understanding of, and strategies for Africa’s global energy transition. Specifically, concerning power security, access, industrialization, and regional integration
• Supporting Africa in its ‘new’ role as a key strategic partner and solution provider in achieving global net zero objectives

• Discussing and identifying financing mechanisms and partnerships that are adaptive to the rapidly changing macroeconomic, financial, and geopolitical landscape

Creating Booming Hydrogen Economies: Current Workable Models & Value Creation

Boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• Comparing different national hydrogen strategies, industrial & infrastructural development plans
• How can local demand be created?
• How to build and integrated model, partnering & de-risking the entire chain
• What are the available financing tools?

Emerging Mechanisms for Accelerating the Energy Transition

• How can the development of the carbon credits market aid in accelerating the energy transition and generating capital for project development?
• How can legal innovations, such as contract standardization, reduce negotiation timelines?
• How can procurement innovations, such as competitive tenders, help to increase deal flow on the continent?
• What policies are we seeing come into place to promote investments?
• How can sequencing of activities facilitate accelerating the energy transition?

Overcoming Investment Challenges in Mining

• How are current infrastructure limitations affecting investment in mining projects?
• What are the critical energy investments needed to fully realise the minerals opportunity?
• What investment initiatives are we seeing take-off such as the Lobito Corridor?
• Are local banks better suited to navigate investment projects and manage risks?

Regional Grids: Addressing the Challenges & Creating Opportunities for Better Energy Access in Africa

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Hosted by: 

• Developing an innovative PPP model for interconnecting multi-country energy networks that strengthen power grids through renewable energies
• Trading: cross-border capacity, day-ahead, longer contract & volume trading. Current and future status
• How can interconnecting multi-country energy networks contribute to improved transport infrastructure & enhance regional connectivity
• Funding the future: What financing works for interconnected African grids?

African Hydrogen in the Global Arena: Establishing Trade Corridors

Boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• Leveraging infrastructures, transport options & storage technologies
• What are the hurdles to overcome to make molecules flow?
• What does the regional and international hydrogen trade map look like?
• Partnership and project announcement updates

Progressing Projects in a High-Cost Environment

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved.

• Is there scope to bring down the costs of projects?
• How do we move away from purely sovereign PPAs to improve investment risks?
• How do we navigate challenges currently impeding project efforts like rising interest rates, inflation and depreciation of currencies?
• What is the outlook for corporate PPAs including models and metrics?
• Striking a balance in the pace of the green transition

Are Mini Grids and Metro Grids the Most Feasible Solution for Accelerating Universal Access?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• Examples of successful business models
• Key current challenges for developers in achieving profitability and scale
• What projects are we seeing developing on the continent?
• Financing solutions: unlocking local capital and overcoming the gap in commercial financing
• Government policies and regulatory frameworks

The Africa Energy Technical Assistance Program (AESTAP): Mobilizing Technical Assistance for Africa’s Energy Sector

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Hosted by:

• Showcase AESTAP's support to the African countries, the regional organizations and to Africa's energy sector
• Mobilize additional donor support for AESTAP, besides from SEFA and others already involved
• Highlight success stories and scope for replication and scaling-up

Attracting and Retaining Private Investment in the Sector for Continued Growth

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

• How are IPPs and private capital vehicles filling the gap left by the absence of government guarantees?
• What is closing in the current expensive market?
• What learnings can we take from areas of the sector that have been more successful in attracting private capital?
• What financing tools are available?

Capitalising on the Growth of C&I

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

•Where are we seeing C&I take off and why?
•What are the business models we’re seeing, and where has there been the most success?
•How far can C&I be standardised?
•Are there opportunities to sell on power supplied and how is regulation evolving to support the opportunities provided by C&I?

Collaborative boardroom style discussions where all participants are invited to get involved

Financing & De-risking Investment in African Clean Energy Infrastructure

Supported by: Solar Power Europe, Global Wind Energy Council

Supported by: 

• Exploration of the state of energy infrastructure in Africa and how investments in this area can be de-risked
• Overview of the existing global clean energy infrastructure financing landscape
• Discussion on improving access to finance
• Discussion on further developing global clean energy infrastructure finance architecture to adequately address risk