East Africa energy talks in Kampala this week

February 5, 2018 in Business, Companies, Energy, Finance, Infrastructure, Investment by Editor

February 5—EnergyNet, London-based consultants, conference conveners and researchers, are organising the East Africa Energy and Infrastructure Summit which takes place between February 6 and 8 February 2018 in Kampala.

The agenda includes East Africa as a major player in the gas industry; regional cooperation in terms of energy interconnections; project financing for the East African power, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Participants will also focus on bonds loans and guarantees; gas and energy infrastructure development in East Africa together with updates on major energy projects and partnerships. East Africa has abundant energy sources comprising of peat, methane, geothermal, oil and gas, and hydro, not to mention solar and wind, but finding the financing to unlock the potential remains the biggest challenge.

According to EnergyNet, the talks will bring together the governments from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, leading utility and regulatory companies from across the region as well as international financiers, donor organisations, power developers to focus on what is needed to unlock investment in energy and infrastructure for regional growth and development.

The talks are being tied in with the Second Off-the-Grid Summit, the meeting’s agenda will provide networking opportunities and open discussions exploring practical solutions geared at increasing investor appetite in East Africa.

According to one World Bank report, the continent is ripe for energy innovation. Some $27 billion annually goes into buying kerosene, battery torches, candles and other light/energy sources due to absence of electricity. Increasingly, initiatives to provide off-grid solar power are providing home solar solutions, which provide a better service at a more affordable cost and encouraging increased private sector involvement. Notable is the tie-up between solar energy dealers and mobile network companies.

Recent studies in Tanzania have shown that about half the rural population may be more cost-effectively served by decentralized options than by centralized grid expansion.

EnergyNet Limited organises a global portfolio of investment meetings focused specifically on the power & electricity sectors across Africa and Latin America. The company has been holding investment summits in East Africa for the last 20 years, building relationships with energy leaders from the public and private sectors.