Praise for first POWER-GEN Africa

Thank you to all who participated in the inaugural POWER-GEN Africa and Renewable Energy World Africa event last week. Judging by the positive atmosphere at the show and from the feedback we have received, the conference & exhibition met or even exceeded attendees’ expectations. The quality and variety of conference presentations added considerably to the body of knowledge in the industry and the exhibition floor represented the very best in global power engineering technology and services.

The keynote speakers from the South African Ministry of Energy, Eskom and the Nigerian Presidential Task Force on Power articulated very well the challenge facing Africa in terms of expanding its power provision and the bold strategies that will address this. POWER-GEN Africa and Renewable Energy World Africa will continue to support this vital work by spreading knowledge, information and experience as well by bringing together industry experts to exchange views and establish partnerships.

Keep up with industry developments by subscribing to our Twitter feed, Facebook and Linked in accounts and look out for the Call for Papers inviting speaker presentations for the next conference.

The second POWER-GEN Africa and Renewable Energy World Africa takes place in Cape Town, 17-19 March 2014. I look forward to seeing you there.

Nigel Blackaby

Event Director

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Africa good for business says Geldof

“Africa is now a continent of extraordinary business and investment opportunity,” says Bob Geldof, one of Africa’s most astute and knowledgeable economic commentators. Geldof has transformed his approach to Africa from one of fund raising and campaigning for debt relief to promoting private enterprise.

“Private equity is one way to support the enterprise and dynamism of the people of the continent and help provide the jobs and skills that are needed,” said the rock start turned businessman on Monday.

With many African countries experiencing annual growth at 6 per cent or more, many international businesses are turning their attention to opportinites that the continent offers. The power industry will be the driving force behind much of this growth . Global power and automation group ABB said today that the continent could spend some $26.5 billion yearly on rehabilitating and expandiong its power infrastructure up until 2015 and that Africa’s power generation capacity could double by 2025.

ABB has announced it own growth startegu for Africa using engineering hubs in South Africa and Egypt. It plans to add 250 more people to its 4500 existing workforce in Africa.

Frost & Sullivan energy and power systems research analyst Gareth Blanckenberg described ABB’s announcement as “good news”, adding that it reflected the large opportunity present in infrastructure development, both within South Africa and across the continent.

He added that it could also set a precedent for other large international firms looking to do business in Africa. “South Africa is a favourable entry point for Africa, because of its well developed infrastructure and strong financial and legal institutions,” Blanckenberg said.

The opportunites for the electric power industry in Africa will be showcased at the POWER-GEN Africa conference & exhibition to be staged in Johannesburg 6-8 November 2012. The conference Advsiory Board will meet at the end of the month to plan the three-track conference and will be reviewing over 150 abstracts submitted by power industry firms and professionals.

 

Wärtsilä confirms Diamond Sponsorship at POWER-GEN Africa 2012

POWER-GEN Africa has confirmed the support of Wärtsilä as Diamond Sponsor for the upcoming 2012 Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 6-8 November 2012.

Wärtsilä joins Pratt & Whitney as sponsors of the inaugural POWER-GEN Africa, with further major organizations looking to come on board for this exciting new event.  As Diamond Sponsor, Wärtsilä will host the Opening Reception at POWER-GEN Africa 2012, to be held during the afternoon of 6 November 2012 with all delegates and attendees invited to attend. In addition, Wärtsilä will sponsor the Conference Proceedings and a VIP/Utility Partner Programme Lounge, with PennWell, as seen at other POWER-GEN events.

Wärtsilä is a leading supplier of power plants for the decentralized power generation market. Wärtsilä offers power plants for baseload, peaking and industrial self-generation purposes as well as for the oil and gas industry. The strengths of Wärtsilä power plants are their flexible design, high efficiency and low emission levels. Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasizing technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximizes the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.

POWER-GEN Africa provides a vital platform for companies like Wärtsilä who are interested in working with the local power industry in sub-Saharan African countries and those looking to invest in the sector

POWER-GEN Africa joins PennWell’s existing network of leading POWER-GEN events including POWER-GEN International, POWER-GEN Europe, POWER-GEN Asia, POWER-GEN Middle East and POWER-GEN India & Central Asia. This event will be owned and managed by PennWell, and supported by Power Engineering International (PEi), Renewable Energy World and Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production (COSPP) publications.

This important new industry forum will feature leading power industry professionals from around the world who will share their expertise and experiences to help define Africa’s energy sector of the future. POWER-GEN Africa is set to become the region’s premier conference dedicated to the power industry. It will also provide the perfect setting for industry leaders and decision-makers to network and keep abreast of the latest developments in the sub-Saharan region in the field of power and energy. The inaugural POWER-GEN Africa will provide comprehensive coverage of the power needs, resources, and issues facing the electricity generation industries across sub-Saharan Africa, by way of a three track conference.

The POWER-GEN Africa Call for Papers is currently open, with industry professionals invited to lodge their abstracts before the submittal deadline of 3 February 2012. For further information on conference topics and how to submit an abstract, please visit the POWER-GEN Africa website at www.powergenafrica.com.

Based on the reputation of the global POWER-GEN events, POWER-GEN Africa’s exhibition is expected to attract the world’s leading power equipment and service suppliers, who will line-up alongside local electricity generators and power engineering firms all demonstrating their latest technologies.

Global attention is being paid to Africa’s power requirements as the continent continues to experience rapid growth and development, driving the need for more widespread and reliable electricity. With reserve margins virtually non-existent in the sub-Saharan Africa region, leading to blackout and load shedding scenarios, the region faces the real prospect of inadequate energy infrastructure acting as a brake on current and future economic growth. In tackling these problems, the region also faces a great shortage in the area of trained engineering professionals.
 
POWER-GEN Africa is designed for those who work in the utility and private power sectors, engineering and commercial personnel from the equipment manufacturing and consulting fields. POWER-GEN Africa addresses professionals from energy intensive industries with responsibility for ensuring power supply, and officials and ministers from the national and regional political spheres who are tasked with energy policy. For further details, please visit www.powergenafrica.com

Pratt & Whitney sign up for POWER-GEN Africa 2012 sponsorship

POWER-GEN Africa has confirmed the support of US-based Pratt & Whitney as a sponsor for the upcoming 2012 Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 6‐8 November 2012.

Pratt & Whitney have confirmed their sponsorship for the inaugural POWER-GEN Africa, as further major organizations look to come on board for this exciting new event.

Pratt & Whitney provide critical solutions for emergency power requirements, baseload plants, cogeneration and combined cycle configurations, working with incumbent utilities, independent power producers or EPC contractors.

Please CLICK HERE for the full Press Release.