EnergyNet will host the second Regional Energy Co-operation Summit in Cote d’Ivoire from 24-25 January 2018, discussing opportunities for cross-border power projects and potential gas investments across West Africa
The conference is expected to provide a strategic platform for project evolution and partnership development, said the company.
At the first summit in January 2017, Thierry Tanoh, minister of petroleum, energy and renewable energies in Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, said that the theme aims to address the need of African countries to have access to different energy sources, including renewable energies.
The 2018 summit will review outcomes from last year’s meeting, identifying next steps and bringing together ECOWAS decision-makers and global energy investors to advance regional partnerships and interconnection projects.
Valeria Aruffo, programme manager, commented, “Given the abundant reserves from many West African gas fields which will firstly be harnessed for power and domestic use, the summit will instigate the conversation surrounding the sub-region’s booming global gas market.”
“We’ll focus on export and import capacities, balancing domestic obligation and regional trade and of course the role of LNG in facilitating gas development in the sub-region,” Aruffo added.
With the theme of regional integration in West Africa, the ECOWAS energy ministers and government representatives, heads of utilities, regulators, power developers, technology providers, financiers and multilateral agencies from across West Africa are expected to attend the conference and discuss the potentials to unlock investments for the development of power projects.
Alongside partners Engie, Manitoba Hydro, Metka, Wartsila & Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), the summit is officially endorsed by Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), ANER, Energy Commission Ghana and the Electricity Company of Ghana.