The African Energy Chamber (AEC) announced that Ryan Zinke, former U.S. secretary of interior under former-president Donald Trump, has confirmed his attendance and participation at African Energy Week (AEW) 2021, taking place in Cape Town from 9-12 November 2021
Zinke will lead a delegation of American businesses, independent producers, and financiers to Cape Town, capitalising on the expanding prospects present in emerging African markets, and introducing a wide network of stakeholders to African natural resource opportunities.
In his previous position, Zinke was responsible for all oil and gas licenses in the U.S., and was committed to natural resource expansion through the opening up of federal lands for oil, natural gas and mineral exploration and extraction. Zinke has maintained a strong position for the increased exploitation of fossil fuels. He will drive a discussion on how Africa can fully utilise its significant resource base, driven by productive U.S.-Africa partnerships, to initiate long-term socio-economic growth.
Meanwhile, Zinke continues to drive a discussion on the role of natural gas as a cleaner-burning fossil fuel. Unopposed to fossil fuel extraction, and yet acknowledging the carbon consequences, Zinke is advocating for the increased development of natural gas, explicating the value of the resource in addressing rising energy demand worldwide. In line with AEW 2021’s agenda regarding the role of natural gas in the energy transition, Zinke is expected to initiate a constructive dialogue on natural gas management, monetization and development, whilst introducing American financiers to African projects.
