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Zambia’s Minister of Energy, Hon. Eng. Peter Chibwe Kampala, has revealed that he is set to headline the 4th edition of the Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC2022).
NIEC2022 is set to be held from the 20th to the 21st of April 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia. The two-day meeting place for the energy industry will be held under the patronage of the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy led by Hon. Minister Tom Alweendo. This year’s edition of the conference brings multidimensional and thought-provoking conversations with industry players under the theme, “The energy mix: positioning for industrialization, investment and growth”.
“I wish to announce that I will be speaking in my capacity as the Minister of Energy from the Republic of Zambia at the 4th edition of the Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC2022), which will be held from the 20th to the 21st of April 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia,” revealed Kampala through a press statement.
The minister is optimistic that the conference will catalyze crucial conversations that will shape the future of energy in Zambia and the rest of the continent
“Aptly themed ‘The Energy Mix: Positioning for Investment, Industrialisation and Growth’, this Conference will convene energy stakeholders with investors and international partners. It will also bring together various perspectives from across the energy value chain to serve as a catalyst for crucial conversations shaping the future of energy in Namibia and the rest of the continent,” he said.
“You will recall that in February this year, I revealed that our government was monitoring events around the discovery of oil in Namibia. This followed the announcement that the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), the Namibian state-owned oil company, and its partners Shell Namibia Upstream B.V and Qatar Energy, had made a discovery of light oil in both primary and secondary targets in the Graff-1 deep-water exploration well in the Orange Basin, which is 270km offshore Namibia from the town of Oranjemund. Further, this past week, Zambia’s ZESCO Limited signed a 10-year power supply agreement worth US$500 million with the Namibian Power Supply Company (NAMPOWER) for the supply of 80 megawatts of power to Namibia. The 80MW is in addition to the 100 MW being already exported after the first agreement was signed in 2020,” said the minister.
Kampala also revealed that the New Dawn Government is also looking at synergies with other economies in the region. He said the country has successfully lobbied their Angolan counterparts to re-open the opportunity for Zambia to own a stake in the Lobito Refinery project, which will have a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day.
On 14th April 2022, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga signed an agreement in Luanda, Angola, to actualise this partnership. Kampala believes this opportunity will guarantee Zambia consistent access to the supply of petroleum on a preferential basis.
“These diplomatic engagements and diversified partnerships in the energy sector – especially within the region – will lead to a high degree of redundancy and cheaper energy, which will ensure stability in our economy in the medium to long term,” said the minister.
The pan-African tone of the conference will be set by the opening ministerial panel of the conference comprising energy ministers from across the continent, who will discuss the continent’s ambitions to harness the energy mix to benefit Africa’s industrialization as well as to create an enabling environment to attract sustainable investment.
The panel will also include Hon. Tom Alweendo – Minister: Ministry of Mines & Energy, Republic of Namibia; Hon. Kornelia Shilunga– Deputy Minister of Mines & Energy, Republic of Namibia; H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima – Ministry of Mines & Hydrocarbons, Republic of Equatorial Guinea; H.E Bruno Jean Richard Itoua – Minister of Hydrocarbons Republic of Congo; H.E Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva – Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Republic of Nigeria; and Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim – Secretary-General, African Petroleum Producers Organization.
It is par for the course that panels discussing investment opportunities in Namibia and across the continent will be in play following the recent oil and gas discoveries off the Namibian coast by Shell, TotalEnergies and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia’s (Namcor) coupled with the country’s drive to become a renewable energy hub through its flagship green hydrogen project.
These panels will comprise international experts, thought leaders and sector influencers.
participating companies, international investors, service companies and various international delegations will share updates on exploration activities, renewable energy and regional gas, as well as other ongoing projects. The spotlight will also be shone on new projects, infrastructure developments and upcoming investment opportunities.
The conference will also tackle the issues of financing the energy sector, solutions to create in-country value through local content, as well as strategies to transform resources into wealth and development, with high profile industry experts.
“This fourth edition of the conference brings Namibia and the continent’s energy ambitions full circle. More and more significant energy discoveries are taking place on African soil. This conference is a timely and opportune platform for the continent’s energy sector influencers, professionals, thought leaders, investors and industry experts to unpack and navigate the energy sector’s regulatory, investment, economic, ESG landscape, and have frank conversations on attaining sustainability for the benefit of the broader society,” says conference convenor, Ndapwilapo Selma Shimutwikeni from RichAfrica Consultancy.
As the global agenda focuses on leveraging the energy mix, the diverse perspectives that will be shared at the conference are crucial to the ongoing conversations and commitments required to drive industry growth and development, promote Namibia and the continent as investment destinations of choice, and shaping the future of energy locally and regionally.
The two-day NIEC is organised by RichAfrica Consultancy with the support of the Africa Energy Chamber and will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Mines and Energy led by Honourable Minister Tom Alweendo.
