Dar es Salaam will host a stellar line up of participants active in Africa’s off grid energy space, to discuss opportunities for project partnerships at the Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid conference which takes off tomorrow.
The conference comes to Dar es Salaam following a high interest in off grid ventures and technologies at this year’s Africa Energy Forum in London, as well as in-depth study of over 100 local community commissioners from across Kenya and Tanzania.
According to EnergyNet’s Managing Director, Simon Gosling, small scale renewable investors are already penetrating these markets in a far more dynamic and profitable way than ever before.
Involvement of companies such as Solar Turtle, PowerHive, Off- Grid Energy, Genesis Energy, M-Kopa, ShakeYourPower, Airon, Off Grid Electric and Zoetic Global is growing daily.
“It is our responsibility to provide a platform that hastens the pace that these technologies can get to market.” he said in a statement.
The decision to host the key meeting in Tanzania has partly been supported by World Bank's recent approval of 209 million US dollar to finance implementation of a Rural Electrification Expansion Programme, he said.
Officially supported by UN OHRILL (United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States), the 1st Africa Energy Forum- Off the Grid is expected to bring over 200 investors, facilitators, off-grid developers.
Key participants would include pan-African rural electrification agencies, electricity regulators, philanthropic business foundations, banks, regulatory bodies, multilateral organisations and off grid businesses, he said adding they would discuss topical issues concerning rolling out off-grid projects across sub- Saharan Africa.
Among confirmed companies are General Electric, Frontier Investment Management, Standard Bank, Aecom, Africa Grant Advisors, BBOXX, Copperbelt Energy Corporation, and Virgin Unite.
Others are Shell Foundation, Rural Electrification Agency, Uganda, Azuri Technologies, Africa Finance Corporation, DFID, EDFIMC, Fluidic Energy, Off-Grid Electric, M-KOPA, Power Hive, Rex Energy, SIDI, Tetra Tech, Tanzania Invest, World Bank, he said.
Such a pyramid approach to fast track community relationship- building will mean no longer just talking about getting the energy to market, but actively meeting the people with the ability to galvanise communities around your product.
According to Benjamin Hay, the Strategy & Investment Director at Virgin Unite, “with the sustainable development goals hoping to deliver affordable, reliable and clean energy for all by 2030, the Off the Grid provides a wonderful platform to build partnerships with individuals and organisations who want to help achieve this ambition.”
Daily News
No comments:
Post a Comment