On 4-5 April 2017, over 200 experts and government representatives from Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda will gather in Nairobi to discuss the present and future of green energy in East Africa at the first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit (ARELS)
Under the patronage of Hon. Charles Keter, Cabinet Secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Energy & Petroleum, the Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit will bring together governments, the private sector, international development agencies, non-governmental organisations, and think tanks to share insights on the latest projects, policies industry trends, and opportunities in the region.
Michelle Davies and Lynne Wells from Eversheds Africa group are speakers at the upcoming ARELS event, and below is a brief extract from their shared insights on opportunities and challenges in the East African renewable energy sector.
"Growing energy demand an abundance of renewable energy resources, competitive costs and strong political commitment to the sector both locally and internationally, make East Africa a promising region for the development of renewable energy projects."
"The potential to transform and support development in East Africa comes first and foremost from decentralised and off grid opportunities: the reduction of renewable energy technology costs, more efficient O&M models and the expectation that storage technologies are likely to continue on their downward cost curve, boosting investments in the sector."
"Key for many countries will be to diversify their power mix: countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda have potential for a wide renewable energy deployment including for solar and where possible, wind projects."
The full transcript of Michelle Davies and Lynne Wells' insight can be viewed, as well as more details on the event can be found here.
