By Precious John

Is natural gas or renewable energy the better option for navigating Africa through the energy transition? A growing population coupled with economic growth and industrialisation mean energy demand on the continent is forecast to grow rapidly in the coming years. With massive gas projects underway in countries including Egypt and Mozambique, and costs of key renewable technologies falling, policymakers are now faced with a range of options to secure Africa’s energy future.

Senior industry leaders, hand-chosen for the breadth and depth of their expertise on both sides of the argument, will be going head-to-head at AOW Virtual to debate these points and share their views on the energy transition, both in Africa and globally. The live audience will be invited to engage with the debaters directly using Q&A and polling technology.

Speakers taking to the stage are:

• Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy, US Department of Energy, Steven Winberg
• Special Economic Advisor to H.E. Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique, Omar Mithá
•  MD & CEO, Nigeria LNG, Tony Attah
• Chief Development Officer, International Development Finance Corporation Andrew M. Herscowitz
• LMD, Head of Southern Africa, EDF, Luc Koechlin
•  CEO, DNV GL, Liv Hovem
• Senior Representative, BP

What is AOW Virtual? Brought to you by Africa Oil Week (AOW), AOW Virtual (7-8 October 2020) is a free to attend online conference aimed at reigniting African oil, gas and energy. True to AOW’s roots, the conference will be packed full of strategic outlooks, debates, and a much-anticipated government bidding round. It will offer AOW’s global oil and gas audience a platform to discuss insights, challenges and opportunities post COVID-19.

100s of C-level executives from across the value chain are expected to attend, as well as government representatives from countries including Somalia, Namibia, South Africa and the USA. Plus, AOW Virtual is CPD certified, so attending sessions will count towards your continuing professional development. Register now for free (https://bit.ly/33hfpTf).