With data centres set to account for 20% of global energy use by 2050, is East Africa on the precipice of a global gold rush as it showcases a wealth of bankable businesses and unparalleled new energy potential?
In 2024, following EnergyNet’s Powering Africa Summit in Washington DC, USA, Mara Holdings signalled their intent to invest in East Africa by signing a major off-taker MOU with the government of Kenya, setting the tone for what will potentially change the game for the region and the commercial validity for many IPPs.
At the East Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (EA-ECS), taking place 29-30 January in Arusha, Tanzania, we are pleased to unite the Africa’s energy IPPs and EPCF stakeholders to explore the investment potential and innovations being created by strategically important companies, including Africa Data Centres and iXAfrica.
At the heart of this regional surge in investment activity sits the EAC Secretariat, who convene investors and policy makers alongside EnergyNet, focusing on “Resource Wealth. Energy Access. Investment Opportunities.”
Building on the success of last year, the summit will foster cooperation across East Africa, reflecting the East African Community’s (EAC) vision of deeper regional integration and the critical role of promoting industrialisation and cooperation among stakeholders.
• Success stories, including the Ethiopia-Kenya electricity highway, underscore the transformative potential of cross-border collaboration for economic and social development.
• Off-takers are boosting the need for energy generation and the summit will focus on both the mining industry and digital infrastructure.
Led by Ministers from across the EAC and large-scale energy users, over two days, the Arusha Summit will deep dive into opportunities for the private sector, advocating for a diversified energy mix to maintain grid stability to support major industrial growth, as well as C&I generation.
“Energy is a pillar for development and growth and is crucial for the functioning of the economies of the EAC Partner States. The East Africa Energy Cooperation Summit will serve as the ideal platform for advancing projects and bringing tangible changes in the industry,” said H.E. Honourable Andrea Malueth, Deputy Secretary General (Infrastructure, Productive, Social & Political Sectors), East African Community Secretariat.
EA-ECS will welcome prominent politicians and leaders from all countries of the EAC and its energy sector. They join the private sector business developers who are shaping the future of East Africa’s energy landscape, serving some 500 million people.
“Ten years from now, the EAC’s middle classes will have more job stability, more opportunities, and more disposable income than ever before. New railways, industries, ports, and tourism will position the region as the number one investment destination globally, taking the title back from both parts of Asia and Latin America,” said Elisa Palmioli, Producer, EnergyNet.
About EnergyNet:
FACILITATING ENERGY INVESTMENT IN FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES – EnergyNet has produced investment forums and executive dialogues for Africa and Latin America’s power sectors for the last 25 years – in Europe, the USA, Asia and across Africa and Latin America.
We work with governments and national utilities to facilitate investment summits where credible international investors can build relationships with public sector stakeholders to advance access to power.
Best known for the Africa Energy Forum, the longest-serving business development meeting place for senior-level decision makers in Africa’s power sector, other leading investment summits that provide strategic perspectives on the investment landscape and project preparation include the Tanzania Energy Cooperation Summit, East Africa Energy Cooperation Summit, West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit, H2 Africa, Offshore Technology Africa, Powering Africa Summit, Latin American Energy Forum and Latin American & Caribbean Gas Conference and Exhibition. YES! Youth Energy Summit and YES! Youth Energy Day are part of the portfolio, with a focus on creating a platform and network to boost the skills, connections and business readiness of a new generation of African energy leaders.
Having this focus on public and private sector partnerships provides us with a valuable lens through which we can offer independent perspectives and support the business development activities of companies from around the world operating in these fast-growing markets.
Headquarters: London, UK
For further information, please visit our website https://EnergyNet.co.UK/
