Africa's premier energy event returns to Cape Town for a week of networking, deal making, and industry-advancing dialogue.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / ACCESSWIRE / January 25, 2022 / Cape Town, South Africa has once again been selected as the host of the highly anticipated African Energy Week (AEW), taking place on the 18^th - 21^st of October 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. AEW 2022 will once again bring Africa's energy leaders and global stakeholders together for a week of intense dialogue on the African energy sector.

The conference and its organizers remain fully committed to the continent, its people, and its potential, with 5000+ attendees, 175+ international speakers and 21+ Ministers from all over Africa and the world coming to Cape Town. During this year's edition, delegates and speakers can expect a strong line-up of panel discussions, investor forums, networking functions, and deal signing ceremonies covering the entire African energy sector and value chain. Extending on narratives expressed at the 2021 edition of the conference, AEW 2022 remains wholly focused on making energy poverty history by 2030. With over 600 million people still without access to electricity, the continent requires immediate action if it is to realize its socioeconomic development objectives.

In pursuit of an electrified economy, AEW 2022 will introduce critical topics that cover the entire energy value chain. Regarding the upstream sector, there will be a focus on exploration, licensing rounds, and remaining competition for investment in 2022 and beyond. With emerging frontier markets such as Somalia, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda and Côte d'Ivoire gaining increased attention from regional and international players, AEW 2022 will emphasize the potential and current opportunities across Africa's emerging and mature upstream markets. On the midstream front, AEW 2022 will offer critical insight into new and existing projects - such as the $6 billion African Renaissance Pipeline Project and the proposed 1,800km Tanzania-Uganda Natural Gas Pipeline Project - introducing lucrative opportunities to investors. Finally, with the scaling up of refinery construction underway across the continent, the conference is committed to increasing investment and enhancing production across key African markets. By discussing the challenges and opportunities present across the downstream sector, African stakeholders will collaboratively discuss the future of the African energy industry.

"In 2021, they said it could not be done in Cape Town and we all must go to Dubai. With massive support from the City of Cape Town, the government of South Africa IOC's and NOC's and alternative energy companies, we demonstrated that Africa is ready and capable to hold a continent-wide energy event in Africa and we held the largest event on the continent. Even in the midst of the pandemic, AEW took place, ushering in a new era of safe, accessible, and industry-focused events. This year will be huge for the African energy industry. We expect a range of investments to be made and developments to take off that will drive the continent's economic advancement," stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

"During this year's edition of AEW, an emphasis will be placed on finance, natural gas, electrification, hydrogen, upstream and a just transition as we believe these sectors have a specific role to play in Africa. By developing our gas resources, Africa can meet the growing demand for energy while reducing emissions. From AEW 2022, we will be going to COP27 to meet with global leaders and discuss African energy - from Cape to Cairo," Ayuk notes.

Meanwhile, with energy representing a catalyst for sustainable economic progress, AEW 2022 aims to drive the continent into a new era of enhanced industry growth by providing the best platform for deals to be signed and relationships formed that will improve investment and development. As the continent continues to deal with reduced funding for hydrocarbon projects, AEW 2022 will offer new insights into how Africa's oil and gas projects can raise capital in a post-COVID-19, energy transition context. Accordingly, panel discussions and investor forums will place a focus on finance, enabling environments, and the role that African Energy Banks will play in financing the future of the industry. By introducing African stakeholders to innovative capital raising, AEW 2022 is committed to the growth of African oil and gas.

Regarding gas, Africa is not only rich with resources but opportunities. Markets such as Nigeria, Mozambique, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, and Ghana have significant untapped resources. Already, there has been an influx in investment and development within the gas sector, and yet a range of opportunities remain, particularly within the gas-to-power and Liquefied Natural Gas space. AEW 2022, therefore, has placed a strong emphasis on the role that gas will play in electrifying Africa, driving socio-economic growth and industrialization for years to come. By introducing project profiles, highlighting key discoveries, and emphasizing how gas will drive a just transition in Africa, AEW 2022 has placed gas at the center of its program agenda.

What's more, the recent move by the European Union to label certain gas projects as green is likely to usher in a new wave of investment in Africa and AEW 2022 will be the place where deals in this area will be made. Africa is in the midst of an energy transition whereby significant levels of investment are required if the continent is to realize its environmental targets. The development of resources such as gas, hydrogen and renewables will ensure Africa adheres to global climate mitigation targets while at the same time driving economic growth.

With a focus on green energy, AEW 2022 will hold the transformative African Green Energy Summit - a platform for an inclusive discussion on Africa's green energy sector. During the Summit, speakers will highlight key opportunities across Africa's renewable energy space, providing insight into potential markets such as the Congo, Mozambique, the Gambia, Kenya, Angola, and Libya, all rich with renewable resources. Additionally, the Summit will emphasize the role that hydrogen will play in Africa by detailing high potential markets and projects such as Hive Hydrogen's green ammonia plant in South Africa and the $9.4 billion green hydrogen project in Namibia.

AEW 2022 is the AEC's annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2022 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments. For sales related enquiries please contact sales@AEW2021.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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SOURCE: African Energy Chamber