Propak West Africa returns in Lagos, Nigeria. (Image source: Propak)

The organisers of Propak West Africa, the largest packaging, food processing, plastics, labelling and print exhibition in the region, have officially announced the opening of visitor registration for its return in September

Last year, the 10^th edition of Propak celebrated a record attendance of both exhibitors and visitors at the Landmark Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. In a bid to reunite the manufacturing industry for another year, Propak West Africa will return to Lagos from 10-12 September 2024 and will expand into a fourth hall at the centre as more than 5,500 visitors and 250 companies are expected to take part.

Speciality Pulp and Paper Ltd have taken the Platinum Sponsor position for the 2024 exhibition, with their leading products taking centre stage. Other Nigerian market companies including Alef Recycling, C. Woerman Nigeria Ltd, Betaglass Ltd, JMG Ltd, Krones West Africa, Sacvin Nigeria, SBA Nigeria, Tetra Pak West Africa and Vista International have all confirmed their stands at the exhibition already.

Many new international companies have confirmed their stands at the premier exhibition for the sector with AISA Automation, Carbokene, Coperion, Goma Engineering, MLT Pack Services, Neofyton, Phoenix Industries, Reifenhauser Blown Film, Sacmi Beverage, Snetor Chimie, Tricon Dry Chemicals and Vinmar International ready to meet the West African audience in Lagos.

Alongside the exhibition, this year the organisers have confirmed the return of the KPMG-led conference programme on the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing, as well as a series of talks in regards to packaging, hosted by the Africa Packaging Organisation and World Packaging Organisation. Visitors will also get the opportunity to witness companies presenting their latest innovative solutions at the Product Innovation Stage.

Lutz-Jesco will be showcasing its Memdos Smart solution at Water Africa 2024. (Image source: Lutz-Jesco)

Water Africa 2024, running from 26-28 June at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana, will provide a platform to connect with stakeholders and regional players to promote effective and efficient technologies, equipment and services around water and sanitation across the African continent

As such, the conference is expected to attract wide range of technology providers who are seeking to promote their modern solutions in this field. Included in the range of companies preparing to showcase in Ghana is Lutz-Jesco, a company focused on the deliver of pump, water treatment and disinfection technologies.

At the conference, the company will be displaying its B3 mobile drum pump and its Memdos Smart dosing pump for wastewater treatment plants and waterworks.

“2.2 billion people worldwide currently have no access to clean and safe drinking water. Around half a billion of them live in Africa. These people live under the constant danger or catching life-threatening diseases, which in the worst case can develop into epidemics,” remarked Heinz Lutz, CEO of Lutz Holding. “In view of these alarming figures, it is clear that the international community must act to provide universal access to clean drinking water.”

Memdos Smart

As a stepper motor dosing pump that helps to effect the improvement of water quality in small wastewater treatment plants and waterworks, Memdos Smart performs a number of functions including the introduction of flocculants into the water. These agents serve to combine impurities and suspended matter into larger particles which are easier to separate.

“Precise dosing is crucial for high quality water treatment,” remarked Steffen Roth, head of development at Lutz-Jesco GmbH. “To this end, we have fitted the Memdos Smart with a microprocessor-controlled stepper motor.”

Unlike standard motors, the motor of the diaphragm pump can be run asynchronously. It works at higher speed during priming so that it draws in the liquid more quickly with stronger negative pressure, whilst working at a lower speed during controlled and even discharge. The stepper motor allows almost constant supply steam which enables gentle, low-pulsation and precise dosing of chemicals for water treatment in small wastewater treatment plants and waterworks. Lutz-Jesco has also highlighted its intuitive operation that is akin to that of a smartphone.

Battery-powered drum pump

For remote areas with poor infrastructure, the B3 Battery will also be on display at the Lutz-Jesco stand at Water Africa 2024. The battery-powered drum pump combines mobility and energy independence for water and wastewater management. Fitted with a brushless 320 watt DC motor, it offers a delivery capacity of up to 180 litres per minute and a delivery head of 11.8 metres of water column.

"With the new B3 Battery, we have succeeded for the first time in making the performance of a battery-operated drum pump comparable to that of cable-connected models", says Michael Raabe, head of sales at Lutz Jesco GmbH.

One battery charge is enough to empty a 200-litre drum 14 times – in around 15 minutes. At a lower speed, a 1000-litre IBC container can be pumped out 5.8 times in 51 minutes. The pumping station is available in different versions to convey as many chemicals as possible for water treatment.

President William Ruto at the Africa Energy Forum in Nairobi, June 2023. (Image source: EnergyNet Ltd)

More than 33 ministers and 100 high-level public sector officials from across Africa will travel to Spain for the 26th edition of the Africa Energy Forum (aef), from 25-28 June, at the Fira de Montjuïc, Barcelona

With Spain’s commitment of US$2.3bn in funding to South Africa and its recently announced support for green hydrogen projects in Mauritania, the country joins France, Germany, Italy, the EU and the UK as European nations step up their commitment to clean energy development in the African continent.

But is the private sector ready for the investment opportunities that could potentially double those commitments?

Renewable energy capacity in Africa has almost doubled in the last decade, but it’s not enough. A recent study from Climate Analytics indicates that Africa needs US$100bn a year in climate finance – five times current investment levels – to meet the renewable energy goals agreed at COP28. As investors from nearly 90 countries around the world prepare to arrive in Barcelona for aef24, Simon Gosling, EnergyNet, said, "The private sector has already demonstrated its willingness to commit billions to projects, but projects still aren’t moving fast enough."

"It’s the industrialised nations that will be most affected if Africa cannot significantly increase its electrification rates and unlock the investment landscape that is inhibiting proven private sector players."

"World food security, access to minerals, textiles, and industrial growth are critical to future economic growth, health, and sustainability. With Africa forecast to be home to a quarter of the world’s population under 25 years by 2050, red tape must be reduced, and projects must start happening at scale and pace."

This year’s theme, ‘Energy Systems for the Future – Balancing Africa’s Needs with Global Goals’ is set to tackle these barriers head on.

Public and private sector stakeholders will spend almost a full half-day together, behind closed doors, discussing the challenges both sides are facing. All attending ministers and vice-presidents, as well as heads of utilities (national and municipal), regulatory bodies, DFIs, and private investors, will be in the room.
The new Corporate Leadership Roundtable will also give private sector developers and investors a platform to debate the opportunities and challenges they face in moving projects forward, sparking vital discussions before they meet with Ministers and utilities to establish an improved path for Africa’s energy sector.

This innovative format will create the most high-level sessions ever held at the Africa Energy Forum, where business leaders can spend exclusive, quality time with public sector counterparts.

Key topics on the agenda across the four days include the potential of hydrogen on the continent; grid management; energy storage and distribution; the future roles of gas and mining; advancing renewable energy projects, distributed power, and commercial and industrial (C&I) projects to accelerate universal access; navigating power markets; and Africa’s broader energy transition.

Among the nearly 2,500 delegates attending, an unprecedented number of ministers from across Africa will be in attendance, including ministers from Nigeria, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Togo, Gabon, Central African Republic and Zambia.

As global stakeholders in energy, including the World Bank, Engie, Power Africa, and TotalEnergies, return to aef for 2024, they will be joined by new, significant partners such as Pele Green Energy and Juwi Renewable Energy, as the forum continues to expand its reach and influence year on year.

The stage is set.

For more information, visit the official Africa Energy Forum website: https://www.africa-energy-forum.com/

GE Vernova will be showcasing its range of innovative solutions at Enlit Africa. (Image source: GE Vernova)

Enlit Africa, a critical business event gathering the entire value chain across the energy and water sectors, has begun in Cape Town, South Africa, with doors remaining open for three-day event at the Cape Town International Convention Center

Under the tagline of “We power your interactions”, the structured event is dedicated to opening up conversations, creating opportunities and shaping the future of the African continent. As a self-styled catalyst for growth and progress, it offers the opportunities for attendees to connect with industry leaders and explore transformative solutions.

GE Vernova gets involved at Enlit

A range of top-level energy companies have been eagerly awaiting the start of the conference, including GE Vernova which has encouraged attendees to visit its exhibition at booth C22 in Hall 3.

The company has indicated that visitors will be able to explore and interact with innovations spanning across the power generation, transmission and distribution sectors.

“Energy enables growth and progress – which is why investing in reliable and affordable power is as critical as advancing lower carbon power to support health, connectivity, safety, security, and improved quality of life,” commented Kenneth Oyakhire, MD & CEO of services in sub-Saharan Africa for Gas Power at GE Vernova. “At GE Vernova, we believe that the strategic deployment of renewables and gas power together can help accelerate the continent’s energy transition efforts, enabling substantive reductions in emissions quickly and at scale, while continuing to advance the technologies for low or near-zero carbon power generation.

“We also recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Multiple technologies and fuel sources will be needed, together with investments in transmission and distribution systems, as well as software solutions, with local conditions dictating what works best. The public, private, and not-for-profit sectors must work together, with governments taking the lead to structure transparent and predictable market mechanisms and policies, incentivise reductions in power sector carbon intensity, allow life-cycle economics to drive investment decisions, and encourage research on new technologies and business models.”