Participants attend an exhibition of the Africa Energy Indaba 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 5, 2024. The Africa Energy Indaba 2024 opened in Cape Town on Tuesday, aiming to drive the energy agenda across the globe and eradicate energy poverty on the African continent. (Photo by Fred Barker/Xinhua)
CAPE TOWN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Energy Indaba 2024 opened in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, Tuesday, aiming to drive the energy agenda across the globe and eradicate energy poverty on the African continent.
More than 4,000 participants attended the 16th edition of the Africa Energy Indaba, featuring the theme "African Energy Transitioning from Aspiration to Action - Delivering a Sustainable and Prosperous Future." Government ministers, investors, industry experts and energy users gathered here to discuss and pursue lasting solutions for energy transition.
The three-day event also featured at least 156 notable speakers and more than 200 exhibitors who introduced cutting-edge technologies and solutions that will drive the continent's renewable energy transition and foster change in the energy sector.
While delivering a keynote address, South Africa's Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said the plan is to achieve a just energy transition from high to low carbon emission on the African continent.
"We consistently expressed our desire to eradicate energy poverty not only in South Africa, but on the African continent, and to achieve a just energy transition from high to low carbon emission," Mantashe said.
He noted that among the challenges affecting a reliable energy supply in South Africa were limited grid capacity, the intermittent nature of renewable energy and the decline in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) due to aging infrastructure. EAF is the percentage of maximum energy generation that a plant is capable of supplying to the electrical grid, limited only by planned and unplanned outages.
"Hence, the South African government continues to invest efforts and resources to arrest the decline in the EAF and resolve the grid capacity challenges, while on the other hand, it continues to invest in baseload energy sources to guarantee access to affordable and reliable energy supply for the people of South Africa," said the minister.
"The reality of the matter is that climate change and energy security are two sides of the same coin," Mantashe said. "As we transition from high to low carbon emissions, we must ensure that we address energy poverty, ensure energy security and leave no one behind."
Africa Energy Indaba Managing Director Liz Hart emphasized that Africa needs to set its path in the energy transition.
"African countries ... still have a long way to go to catch up with the developed nations of the world," she said. "In this context, while Africa must join the global drive toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions, its own just transition towards a low-carbon economy must be done in a manner that recognizes and addresses the deep energy deficit across African economies."
The Africa Energy Indaba is Africa's premier energy conference and exhibition dedicated to driving energy investment, trade and innovation across the continent. Held annually, the event brings together industry leaders, policymakers, investors and stakeholders to discuss key issues, explore opportunities and shape Africa's energy future.
The term "Indaba" comes from the Zulu language, which means a meeting to discuss a serious topic. ■
South Africa's Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe (Rear) speaks at the Africa Energy Indaba 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 5, 2024. The Africa Energy Indaba 2024 opened in Cape Town on Tuesday, aiming to drive the energy agenda across the globe and eradicate energy poverty on the African continent. (Photo by Fred Barker/Xinhua)
Participants attend a forum at the Africa Energy Indaba 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 5, 2024. The Africa Energy Indaba 2024 opened in Cape Town on Tuesday, aiming to drive the energy agenda across the globe and eradicate energy poverty on the African continent. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)