Ashraf AboArafe
4 December 2020 – The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) hosted the first ever UK-Africa Renewable Energy Ministerial Symposium to deepen UK-Africa collaboration in the renewable energy sector. Bringing together British and African leaders it created a platform to exchange best practices, align objectives, and explore bilateral opportunities in the renewable energy industry.
The virtual symposium brought together six African energy ministers along with the UK Minister for Exports Graham Stuart MP. Over 300 participants attended the event across Africa, with attendees hailing from regulatory bodies, key private sector players and UK companies, with the intent of collaborating and exploring bilateral opportunities in this field.
Alastair Long, Her Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa delivered an opening speech for the event, which included three panel discussions and two presentations. Minister Graham Stuart MP moderated the Ministerial panel, which addressed opportunities, and challenges for renewables in Africa. African officials on the panel included:
· HE. Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Egypt
· Abdessalam Mohamed Salih, Minister of Energy, Mauritania
· Mr. Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mining and Environment, Morocco
· HE. Ernesto Elias Max Tonela, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Mozambique
· HE. Dr. Engr. Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Ethiopia
· Hon. Engr. Simon D’Ujanga, Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda
The event included two other panels. The first discussed UK capabilities chaired by Alastair Long, Her Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa and included Globeleq, Aggreko, Winch Energy, Rolls Royce, Mott McDonald, Ryse Energy, Energy Storage Africa, Malaby Biogas and Konexa. The second panel was on financing renewable energy opportunities and projects, and featured panellists from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), UK Export Finance (UKEF), Standard Bank, and CDC Group.
Emma Wade-Smith, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa said: “I am proud that the UK Government is hosting this symposium, which highlights the UK is working hand in hand with African leaders in the renewable energy space. Our discussions were fruitful and enlightening, and helped us illustrate how African nations can harness UK finance, investment, technology and grant opportunities to further their goals. This is in line with the UK’s hosting of COP26 next year, for which we are committed to increase our climate ambitions and to galvanise and inspire climate action across the world.’’
Dr. Shaker highlighted during the symposium the great challenges previously faced by Egypt in providing energy to the local market. He indicated that Egypt was able, in a setting of political stability, to take a number of reform measures and policies in the energy sector to ensure supply, sustainability and rational management. The most important result of these policies in the electricity and renewable energy sector was the eradication of recurring power cuts, and achieving a safe surplus of electrical power. The minister explained that a number of measures were taken to encourage the participation of the private sector in new and renewable energy projects, asEgypt enjoys an abundance of these resources, which mainly include wind and solar energy. Dr. Shaker expressed his gratitude for participating in this symposium and hoped that it would be successful in achieving its goals. He welcomed the cooperation with British companies in renewable energy projects, especially wind and solar energy, participating in desalination projects using renewable energy, and producing electricity from waste, all achieved through cooperation with the relevant bodies.
