Sunday, April 9, at the MAXXI Museum in Rome, Enel Foundation, RES4Africae Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) will organize an event entitled “Africa 2030: Empowering the continent through innovation, green tech solutions and capacity building”, promoted by the Ministry of Economic Development in the G7 Energy.
The conference, which will be concluded by a speech by the Minister of Economic Development, dr. Carlo Calenda, aim to discuss and exchange views on policies, ideas, technology solutions and possible regulatory pathways for a continent rich in resources, but still characterized by limited access to energy.
Just think that in sub-Saharan Africa about 600 million people still live without electricity and that, according to an International Energy Agency study, the demand for energy in the continent by 2030, will double. Strengthening sustainable energy supply and energy from renewable sources, and is the key to creating opportunities of work, consolidating the growth of local economies in rural areas and thus contribute also to enhance energy security.
The conference will see the participation of institutional representatives invited to the G7 Energy, representatives from African countries, NGOs, multilateral organizations, business and universitary system. Among the many issues on the agenda, the creation of “bottom-up” for strategies and dynamics of the development of new business models and innovative local start-up, the study of de-risking financial mechanisms and collaboration between public and private stakeholders.
“Africa is very important for our expansion in renewable energy” said Francesco Venturini, Head of Renewable Energy Division of Enel, Enel Green Power and Enel Foundation Board member. “It is a continent rich in resources, with high rates of economic growth, but where the population has still very limited access to energy. In this context, Minigrid that use batteries and renewables can be a solution to play a catalytic role in the development. Africa is becoming a great technological experimentation laboratory and will give a fundamental contribution to the future of this industry”.
The event, organized on the sidelines of the G7 Energy, will be the occasion to inaugurate three other initiatives, which will be open to the public for free tours April 11 to 15 at the Corner D MAXXI museum:
– The photo exhibition of Riccardo Venturi photojournalist and Lorenzo Colantoni, journalist and filmmaker, curated by Ilaria Prili and realized by the Akronos Association. The exhibition will see the past and future of Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, chosen as an emblem and symbol of deliverance and rehabilitation of an entire continent;
– Some innovative show-cases including a real mini-grid: A generation system of electricity from renewable sources for food to actually isolated or not connected to the electricity grid, such as small islands, rural areas and emergency areas.
– The practical workshop conducted by Liter of Light, NGO founded in 2011 that aims to spread into the world of eco-friendly lighting system, forming populations in rural areas and developing a circular economy around renewable energy. It currently operates in 26 countries and has more than 500,000 lights giàinstallato, benefiting an estimated 2 million people.
