Africa Energy Indaba launches Energy Leaders' Dialogues

The Energy Leaders' Dialogues will take place from the 18-20 February at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg in informal, off-the-record discussions. The high-level, invitation-only events will provide an intimate setting where energy champions can discuss pressing energy issues.

Topics to be covered include how to best address the "energy trilemma" (the three challenges of energy security, social equity and environmental impact mitigation), shale gas development in South Africa and South Africa's electricity crisis.

These Dialogues will be co-hosted by some energy luminaries from Africa and the world namely:

• Dr Christoph Frei, Secretary-General, World Energy Council
  
• Brian Dames, Chief Executive Officer, Eskom
  
• Jim Rogers, Retired Chairman and CEO, Duke Energy Corp
  
• Philippe Joubert, Executive Chairman, Global Electricity Initiative

The Indaba 2014 will host two IELD sessions and they are:

1. Shale gas outlook: the potential for South Africa

   18th February 2014

   In recent years, shale gas has been a fundamental issue for energy leaders. It has had a clear impact in the US and wide-ranging implications for regional gas prices, the sea-borne LNG trade, coal and electricity industries, as well as geopolitical dynamics. North America will become a gas exporter and this will affect conventional gas exporters both in terms of volume and price. In South Africa, the shale gas industry is in its infancy and looks to evolve the country's gas infrastructure in an optimal way to maximise economic benefit.

2. Global Electricity Initiative (GEI)

   19th February 2014

   The Global Electricity Initiative (GEI) was launched in 2011 at the COP-17 summit in Durban, South Africa. The initiative was well received and it was agreed to scale up the initiative and cover a larger group of electricity utilities around the world. The new phase was announced in 2012 at COP-18 in Doha, Qatar. The initiative is driven by three of the largest industry-based and sustainability networks in the world:

   • World Energy Council (WEC)
     
   • World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and

   • Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (GSEP)

   The objective of GEI is to identify record and showcase voluntary action that utilities are undertaking to mitigate and adapt to climate change, increase energy access and reduce their global environmental footprint.
   

Both sessions will be further highlighted and key outcomes delivered to audience attending the main Indaba conference on the afternoon of the 19th February, with plenary addresses by the luminaries who led the discussions.

For further information about the exclusive Indaba Energy Leaders' Dialogues, please contact Event Managing Director, Liz Hart on az.oc.abadniygrene@zil.