JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News)- THOUSANDS of professionals from around the globe will gather in Cape Town in May to address prevailing challenges in the power and water sectors.
The 6 000 engineers, stakeholders and solution providers will meet in the South African under the auspices of the 16th African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa conference and trade exhibition.
Evan Schiff, director of the event, said they were making sure the programme addressed the latest challenges.
“There’s no doubt that renewable energy as well as smart technology are changing the way power and water utilities operate and deal with their customers. The industry is constantly challenged and presented with new opportunities and it is therefore vital for power and water professionals to share knowledge and collaborate on a regional basis,” said Schiff.
The event will feature 250 exhibitors, 250 speakers, a six stream strategic conference, free-to-attend technical conference on the expo floor, three high-profile keynote sessions, technical site visits and the coveted industry awards gala dinner.
Evan said organisers were very proud of our African Utility Week Advisory Board, which comprises senior decision makers from utilities, large power users, independent power producers (IPPs), consultants and contractors from across the continent.
These have been hailed for taking an active role in making sure the programme addressed the latest challenges, developments and opportunities in the power and water sectors: ranging from generation, metering, clean energy, finance, reliability, water supply or energy efficiency.
“We will once again showcase many success stories in clean energy; look at bankable power projects and energy storage will be discussed as a possible game changer for energy independence. We also have a strong focus on water for 2016, including the water-energy nexus, water efficiency and wastewater management,” said Schiff.
The 16th African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa is scheduled from May 17-19.
Eskom is again the host utility for the event while the Department of Energy is the host ministry.
Other event partners are the South African Independent Power Producers Association and the South African Electrotechnical Export Council.
Leading global suppliers of technology and services to the sector have already signed up as high-profile partners at African Utility Week, including Accenture, Edison Power Group, KPMG, Landis+Gyr, Rubbytad and Shell, who are all platinum sponsors.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the United Kingdom.
– CAJ News
