Formerly known as African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Enlit Africa 2023 returns showcasing the latest technology and services on offer in the power and energy sector
Slated for 16 to 18 May at the CTICC in Cape Town under the theme: The multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral energy transition Enlit Africa includes a live conference, exhibition, roundtables, co-located events and exclusive one-on-one interviews with leaders in the energy sector.
Last year, Enlit Africa focused on Africa’s just energy transition, and how the $8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) intended to contribute to the early retirement of coal plants, build cleaner energy sources and support the transition of coal-dependent regions.
This year, the lens adjusts to Just Energy Transition Investment and South Africa’s JET Investment Plan, which sets out the investment roadmap for transitioning South Africa — the world’s 12th biggest carbon emitter — to an energy transition that attracts investment, creates new industries and jobs and achieves energy security and climate resilience.
Understanding this plan gives context to the multi-sectoral elements that make up the overall roadmap to a low carbon future.
The Investment Plan indicates that South Africa will require approximately R1.5 trillion over the next five years to enable a just transition and achieve the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
“We are excited to explore the various elements of Just Energy Transition investments, not only in South Africa, but across the continent as a whole.
“Understand where the money is coming from, and how it will be invested will give us a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities the transition will bring. Because each country’s transition will be unique, this is an opportunity to be innovative in the way we plan Africa’s future,” said Claire Volkwyn, Head of Content for Enlit Africa.
Meanwhile, additional topics of discussions include the practical energy transition, energy access and affordability, implementation of storage, and a number of practically focused, technical presentations.
The energy transition is more than just a transition to cleaner energy – it is a journey to a completely new energy landscape in which generation, transmission and distribution networks evolve and adapt to bi-directional electricity flows, distributed energy, intermittent renewable energy and new grid technologies. However, this transition is not just about embracing the new — it is about understanding the role that more traditional infrastructure will play in the future and considering the role a multitude of technologies are going to play.
At the beginning of 2021, African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa rebranded as Enlit Africa, transitioning to embrace the new dynamic and welcome the step change in Africa’s power and energy industry.
