The Association brought together leading experts from developing countries to discuss new energy solutions that would best meet the interests of Africa.
Taking part in the event were:
Abel Didier Tella (Côte d’Ivoire), CEO of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA);
Dmitri Bessarabov (South Africa), Director of HySA Infrastructure Center of Competence under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa;
Ismaël Adam Essackjee (Mauritius), Ag Manager at the Central Electricity Board of Mauritius;
Cynthia Angweya-Muhati (Kenya), CEO of the Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA);
Muhammad Khalil Elahee (Mauritius), Department Head at the University of Mauritius;
Zi-Qiang Zhu (UK), Professor at the University of Sheffield, laureate of the Global Energy Prize 2024;
Swinage Chikwedze (Zimbabwe), member of the board of Sustenergy Pvt;
Mahasha Rampedi (South Africa), editor-in-chief and international correspondent at the African Times;
Rae Kwon Chung (South Korea), Nobel Prize laureate, Chairman of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee (online);
Kaushik Rajashekara (USA), Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Houston (online).
“The share of sub-Saharan Africans who have access to electricity rose from 26% in 2000 to 52% in 2022. The twofold increase was caused by the development of the integrated power grid, as well as the launch of new generating capacities. In the last ten years alone, the installed capacity of renewable energy facilities in Africa has almost doubled (from 33 GW in 2015 to 62 GW in 2023). Angola has become a major producer of hydropower; Kenya is now one of the world leaders in geothermal energy; and Ethiopia has brought on stream the Hydase HPP, the most powerful hydroelectric power plant in Africa, and has significantly expanded its use of biomass. Finally, Egypt is going to become the region’s second nuclear energy producer,” Abel Didier Tella said.
“The conference is an essential platform that highlights the contribution of developing countries to shaping the global energy landscape. By sharing experiences and ideas, we can find solutions that will make clean energy truly accessible,” Kaushik Rajashekara, laureate of the Global Energy Prize 2022 who received his award at the first Regional to Global conference in Uruguay, said in a video message.
“Efforts for the electrification of Africa are being made at a time when the cost of wind and solar energy has dropped considerably. Today, more and more opportunities emerge for the use of electric transport, at least in African cities. Moreover, the past decades have seen a rapid rise in the efficiency of electrical appliances, including air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. In this regard, the reliability of the region’s power supply can be achieved rather quickly. To that end, significant government support is required, including in the development of electric transport and charging infrastructure,” Zi-Qiang Zhu stressed.
The conference also featured an exhibition of paintings by Vasily Polenov, organized with the participation of the Vasily Polenov Fine Arts Museum and National Park.
Through this, the event emphasized both the importance of international cooperation and the affinity between science and art.
