AIX: Gas (23 June 2021) – Mauritania’s new vision for energy

Moustapha Bechir, ‎Director General of Hydrocarbons at the ‎Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines has recently confirmed he will be discussing Mauritania’s new vision for energy (including gas-to-power, renewables and hydrogen) as well as give a brief overview of latest gas developments at the Africa Investment Exchange (AIX) Gas meeting held online and in London on 23 June.

09h00 to 10h15 (GMT) – African gas outlook
After the most recent AIX:Gas hybrid meeting African Energy argued strongly that natural gas’s many benefits and the continent’s wider economic profile meant “a sense of perspective is needed to ensure COP26 doesn’t serve to throttle some of the more promising pathways to development for Africa” (view article).
In this session, the ‘transitional fuel’ argument is revisited.
  • Can developers continue with business as usual?
  • Prospects for carbon capture & storage and hydrogen
  • Are major western IOCs driving themselves out of the market?
  • Strategies for financing gas projects in cash-strapped economies
10h15 to 11h00 (GMT) Networking break
11h00 to 12h15 (GMT) –  Gas market roundtables
A series of roundtables focusing on key markets will be held at RSA House and online.
  • FSRUs in West Africa
  • Nigeria
  • South Africa & Mozambique
  • Tanzania
12h15 to 13h15 (GMT) Lunch
13h15 to 14h30 (GMT) – Managing grid operations
A look at the challenges that Africa faces to decarbonise its electricity grids, strategies for strengthening the power network and the future of utilities.
  • Overcoming renewable energy intermittencies
  • Investing in flexible solutions
  • Battery storage solutions: what’s the latest?
  • Survival guide for utilities managing REIPPs
  • How might the grid evolve over the next 25 years?
14h30 to 15h00 (GMT) Networking break
15h00 to 16h00 (GMT) – Energy in transition: COP26 report-back
COP26 has brought leaders to Glasgow, but what has actually been decided?
  • We’ve seen the headlines – but what is the extent of new energy transition opportunities for the continent?
  • African Energy report-back: an exclusive report for AIX participants based on on-the-ground research, reporting and analysis from COP
  • Can Africa conceivably reach universal energy access by 2030 and net zero GHG by 2050?
  • The COP debate: Leadership, industry and independent/CSO views
16h00 to 17h00 (GMT) – Energy in transition: roundtables
Roundtable discussions will be held both in-person and virtually
  • Clean tech investments: Which technologies – offshore wind, carbon capture, hydrogen, off-grid, amongst others – can drive Africa’s energy transition?
  • Just energy transition: The discussion will focus on some of the challenges and opportunities caused by net zero goals.
  • Storage strategies: What are the models currently being deployed on the continent?

17h00 (GMT) – Evening reception at RSA House and virtual meetings

13h45 -  Conceptualising the industry's future shape

Chair: Jon Marks, Chairman, African Energy

With fossil fuel markets under ever greater pressure from shifting strategies and projects searching for increasingly elusive funding as stakeholders follow a climate change agenda more rigorously, AIX: Gas will examine the relevance of gas to African economies, their domestic markets and export potential.

  • Moustapha Bechir, ‎Director General of Hydrocarbons. Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Mauritania
  • Kwaku Boakye-Adjei, Commercial Consultant, Tema LNG Terminal Company
  • Olivier Mussat, Chief Investment Officer, Global Energy, IFC
  • Adrian Mucalov, Partner: Infrastructure, Actis
  • Francois Vuylsteke, Senior Developer, Wärtsilä

An overview of Africa’s gas market by African Energy (John Hamilton, Managing Director, CbI)

15h15 - Networking break

15h45 - Opportunities and challenges investing in south-eastern Africa

Chair: Steve Husbands, Head of Commercial, Oil & Gas Advisory, SLR

A regional focus with lessons for all stakeholders operating in and around the industry.

  • Nomfundo Maseti, Full-time, Regulator Member: Piped Gas Regulation, NERSA
  • Pedro Nguelume, Executive Board Member, EDM
  • Mitesh Pema, Investment Director, AIIM
  • John Smelcer, Business Development Director, Globeleq

16h30 - Networking break

16h45 – The western margins
A discussion of opportunities along the West coast, from Morocco to Nigeria.

  • Damilola Agbaje, Investment Director, AIIM
  • Steve Brann, Senior Investment Manager, Vitol
  • Akinwole Omoboriowo II, Chairman, Board of Directors, Genesis Energy
  • Alex Douglas, Managing Director Head of Business Development, West Africa, Globeleq
  • Okechukwu Mba, General Manager, Gas, Seplat
  • Duncan Wallace, Technical Director, Chariot Oil and Gas

Recently registered organisations participating either virtually or in-person include:

Actis, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), Azura Power, BNI – Banco Nacional de Investimento, Bracewell LLP, Chariot Oil & Gas Limited, Department for Energy, EDM – Electricidade de Moçambique, Eni, ExxonMobil, Globeleq, Genesis Energy Holding, Herbert Smith Freehills, IFC – International Finance Corporation, JGC Corporation, Latham & Watkins, Mauritanian British Business Council, Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines (Mauritania), National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), Nedbank, NOVO Energy, RMB, Savannah Energy, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Shell, Siemens Energy, SLR Consulting, Tema LNG Terminal, TotalEnergies, Vitol, Vopak, Wärtsilä

More details on AIX: Gas 2021