Workshop on the Africa Energy Outlook

Background

Attendance is by invitation only. 

The World Energy Outlook (WEO), the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) flagship publication, presents authoritative energy market analysis and projections, including critical insights into trends in energy demand and supply and what they mean for energy security, environmental protection and economic development.

Five years after a special report in the WEO-2014 series, the IEA is updating and expanding its analysis of the energy outlook for Africa in its WEO-2019 report. Against a fast-changing backdrop of policy and technology development, this work will identify key issues and priorities to promote energy development across Africa. Access to reliable, modern, affordable and sustainable energy remains a crucial component of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and achievement of the continent’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This new WEO special report is a centrepiece of the IEA’s strengthened engagement with a range of African stakeholders. In recent years, South Africa and Morocco have become IEA Association countries, and the IEA also concluded in 2018, for the first time, a strategic partnership on energy with the African Union.

As part of this study, the IEA is organising a high-level workshop that will bring together leading policymakers, industry representatives, experts and other stakeholders to discuss the issues confronting African countries as they develop their energy sectors. IEA’s Executive Director, Dr Fatih Birol, will host and give the opening keynote speech.

Four workshop themes will be developed, with challenges related to gender and other forms of social inequality appearing as cross-cutting considerations across the discussion: 

Mapping Africa’s energy sector – What are the latest energy sector developments in key countries? What are the main success stories or industry best practices that we can all learn from? What have been the key infrastructure developments in Africa energy sector and how are they expected to evolve?

Achieving universal energy access for all by 2030 - Which policies, investments and infrastructure are required to meet access to electricity and clean cooking, and to achieve a reliable and affordable energy supply? Which new business models are speeding up access to energy? How large a role will renewables play in delivering both centralised and decentralised electrification solutions? What are the investments and sources of finance required to see this happening?

Unlocking energy for growth – How can energy development unleash productive economic activity and accelerate economic growth? How will urbanisation and emerging new cities drive energy needs? How can energy resources support a thriving industrial sector and a resilient agriculture sector?

Utilising energy resources – How can Africa best take advantage of its vast energy resource base, across a range of energy types, and how might different resources generate the energy services and the revenues that can support its development? How might Africa’s intra- and inter-regional energy trade develop, and what might be the implications for energy security?

The results of this workshop will provide essential input to the key findings and key messages of the WEO‑2019 Africa Energy Outlook Special Report and of the 2019 World Energy Outlook. The meeting will be informal in nature and held under the Chatham House rule. Each session will be introduced by invited experts and followed by a roundtable discussion. Attendance is by invitation only.