African Utility Week to Focus on Getting Investors Excited About Power Projects on the Continent
Summary
At this stage, Norway and the UK have committed funding to the programme.” He says this will provide a strong incentive for private developers to bring projects to market: “It will also encourage commercial banks to enter the sector.GET FiT is one small way in which donors and DFIs can support reform-minded governments in the region to leverage private capital for investment.” More expert topics and speakers in the Investment & Finance track at Africa Utility Week include: · Potential for generation, transmission and distribution in Ethiopia Minister Womdimu Tekle, Minister of State, Water and Energy, Ethiopia · Regulatory frameworks governing tariff determination across Africa Joseph Kapika, Researcher: Management Programme in Infrastructure Reform & Regulation, University of Cape Town, South Africa · Cost reflective tariffs: Balancing commercial and socio-economic imperatives Dr Sam Amadi, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigeria · BRICS Development Bank Dr Sam Muradzikwa, Chief Economist, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe · Innovative funding can change the face of your project Carlo Van Wageningen, Chairman, Lake Turkana · Chinas funding relationship with Africa Senior representative, China-Africa Development Fund, China · The EU/Universal Access Fund Kjell Larsson, Energy Advisor, European Commission, Belgium · Funding power projects with local finance: Rwandas 15MW peat project Charles Nyirahuku, Manager: Peat, Methane & Petroleum, EWSA, Rwanda African Utility Week dates and location: Exhibition & Conference: 14-15 May 2013 Pre-conference Workshops: 13 May 2013 Site Visits: 16 May 2013 Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town, South Africa, February 23, 2013 --( PR.com )-- The new GET FiT investment mechanism which brings private and public investors together, the proposed BRICS Bank and China’s funding relationship with Africa are some of the updates featured during the Investment & Finance track of the upcoming African Utility Week conference and expo from 14-15 May in Cape Town.The event brings together more than 5000 power professionals across the entire ecosystem for the African water and power sectors.“The power sector has to fight for its share of investment, private or public, like any other sector out there”, says Claire Volkwyn, African Utility Week’s programme director, “and while we sometimes need to be a little creative or innovative in how the funding of deals is put together, in terms of guarantee mechanisms etc., the African power sector remains a massive opportunity for financiers.”Dr Jan Martin Witte, Senior Project Manager at KfW Development Bank in Germany, is one of the high-level speakers on the programme and will inform delegates about the new GET FiT renewable energy funding mechanism by which the private sector is incentivised to get involved.Addressing the financial challengesHe says the GET FiT mechanism was designed to help finance ready-to-build small scale renewable energy projects in Uganda and address the financial challenges, particularly the comparatively low REFiT tariff schedule and the recent liquidity crisis at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company which has undermined investor confidence.Dr Witte explains how GET FiT will address these issues: “At the request of the government of Uganda, the World Bank is to cover the political and commercial risk through a modified version of its Partial Risk Guarantee product.At this stage, Norway and the UK have committed funding to the programme.”He says this will provide a strong incentive for private developers to bring projects to market: “It will also encourage commercial banks to enter the sector.GET FiT is one small way in which donors and DFIs can support reform-minded governments in the region to leverage private capital for investment.”More expert topics and speakers in the Investment & Finance track at Africa Utility Week include:· Potential for generation, transmission and distribution in EthiopiaMinister Womdimu Tekle, Minister of State, Water and Energy, Ethiopia· Regulatory frameworks governing tariff determination across AfricaJoseph Kapika, Researcher: Management Programme in Infrastructure Reform & Regulation, University of Cape Town, South Africa· Cost reflective tariffs: Balancing commercial and socio-economic imperativesDr Sam Amadi, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigeria· BRICS Development BankDr Sam Muradzikwa, Chief Economist, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe· Innovative funding can change the face of your projectCarlo Van Wageningen, Chairman, Lake Turkana· Chinas funding relationship with AfricaSenior representative, China-Africa Development Fund, China· The EU/Universal Access FundKjell Larsson, Energy Advisor, European Commission, Belgium· Funding power projects with local finance: Rwandas 15MW peat projectCharles Nyirahuku, Manager: Peat, Methane & Petroleum, EWSA, RwandaAfrican Utility Week dates and location:Exhibition & Conference: 14-15 May 2013Pre-conference Workshops: 13 May 2013Site Visits: 16 May 2013Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa Contact Information African Utility Week Annemarie Roodbol +27 21 700 3558 http://www.african-utility-week.com Click here to view the list of recent Press Releases from African Utility Week Promote Your Business Press Release Pricing Email this page to a friend