Despite the economic downturn brought about by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa’s leading investment platform for the energy sector, Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com), hosted a successful lineup of large-scale energy events across the continent in 2021, whereby $2.5 billion worth of deals were signed by event delegates. Against this backdrop, and with an exciting 2022 event lineup, ECP is poised to exceed this impressive figure, ushering in a new era of investment and development across Africa’s energy sector.

A Successful 2021

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across the continent paving the way for Africa’s event industry to kick off after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ECP served as an events organizer pioneer in 2021, organizing five large-scale energy events in five different countries across Africa as well as a successful conference that was held in Houston, Texas. With over 5,000 event attendees and an online audience of over 100,000, ECP’s world-class, investment-focused 2021 events were considered pivotal, providing a platform for regional and international stakeholders to connect with African energy leaders.

ECP kicked off its event calendar year with the fourth edition of South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP), representing the company’s first post-COVID-19 event. During the conference, presentations and Ministerial keynote addresses made a strong case for investment in the east African nation, providing insight into sector-specific investment opportunities including solar, oil and gas exploration and infrastructure. Meanwhile, ECP also held two investment-centered events in Angola and Senegal. Firstly, an exclusive invite-only event in Angola, which connected the country’s public and private sector elite for a gala dinner and two-day conference, represented the official meeting place for the country’s oil industry and set the stage for sizable deals and partnerships for 2022. Following this event, ECP hosted the first-ever MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power conference and exhibition, representing the entire region from Mauritania to Guinea. Through case study analyses, comprehensive presentations and exclusive networking events, the event detailed regional investment opportunities with the aim of kickstarting energy growth in the MSGBC region.

Meanwhile, in north Africa, ECP organized Libya’s first international energy event in over a decade. The Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2021 invited regional and international delegations to participate in the reopening of the Libyan economy, while providing a platform for industry-advancing deals to be signed. The most noteworthy of these includes the multiple agreements signed by French oil major, TotalEnergies, which included two agreements with Libya’s Government of National Unity and the General Electric Company of Libya (GECOL), for the development of 500 MW of solar photovoltaic power in the north African country. In April 2022, TotalEnergies and GECOL representatives met to discuss the next steps regarding project commencement.

What’s more, with the aim of introducing American companies to African opportunities, ECP organized the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum, promoting greater investment in African energy and advancing U.S.-Africa partnerships and cooperation. The event followed an online seminar and networking event organized by ECP in July 2021 which centered around exploring diverse investment and export opportunities across Africa.

Towards a Strong 2022 Event Calendar

In 2022, ECP’s event lineup will be no different, with the strong lineup of industry-advancing events expected to bring in millions of dollars’ worth of investment deals for Africa’s energy sector. This year, ECP will be organizing three large-scale events: SSOP (https://bit.ly/3LLB0YT) returns for its fifth edition in September (13-14) following MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2022 (1-2) (https://bit.ly/3vHCgXw), with Angola Oil & Gas 2022 (https://bit.ly/37jojWw) taking place from November 29 and 30 to December 1. As global economies undergo a dramatic shift and investment in African energy reopens, these events will be instrumental in securing the capital needed to drive Africa’s energy expansion. All three conferences have wide-spread government support, are sponsored by some of the world’s leading energy and finance companies, and have confirmed an array of energy experts, industry executives and global investors as speakers. This year’s events are even more concentrated around increasing investment in Africa and comprise the necessary panel discussions, engagement sessions and investor summits to do just that. In this regard, ECP is well positioned to meet its target of exceeding $2.5 billion in deals for 2022.