For the 16th #EnelFocusOn
we came to Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia.
For the very first time we came into the amazing African continent.
Our conversation was focused on
how to accelerate
access to clean energy
for the whole African Continent.
[Music, energic]
While in Europe we are discussing
how to accelerate the energy transition,
here in Africa the renewables are really playing
a much more crucial role.
[Music, energic]
This is a population that is growing very fast.
That, obviously, presents various challenges.
You know, there is a lot of young people,
the median age in Africa is 19.
All those people have high aspirations, high expectations.
You know, very soon 50% of Africans will be living in cities.
It’s where economies have the best chances
of increasing people’s standards of living
without sort of a huge impact on the environment.
And so, I think governments need to spend
more time thinking about that.
Economic growth for Africa will pretty much depend
by the evolvement of the electricity sector.
Today the availability of new technologies,
like renewable sources,
will allow Africa to leapfrog from conventional sources
directly through renewable sources
that are much easier, faster and cheaper
to implement than conventional fossil fuels.
We need, one, an energy Master plan:
countries need to have some sense of direction,
where they want to go, what their energy mix is.
Secondly, you need a good regulatory environment
You need a regulation authority that has a market-reflective,
cost-reflective pricing, and finally
you need predictability to ensure that the government
can repay its bill.
So, you need a good and efficient utility that works well.
[Music, energic]
It is for the good of everybody and the whole world
that Africa has access to energy and grow economically.
It’s energy for Africa to be connected
to the world both economically
socially but also in terms of information and energy.
[Music, energic]
One of the biggest challenges we have today
is the fact that people are still living in the dark.
And so, when we have energy,
and we have energy in renewable form,
it means that we are now going to open up
the entire continent to having access to everything.
[Music, energic]
Our program for Africa is very ambitious.
We are already the number one private operator
in renewable energies in Africa.
Initiatives like renewAfrica in which
Enel Green Power is
working together
with other important players in the sector,
which is intended to be the European programme
for fostering development in Africa.
If renewAfrica will become a reality
we will consider 20 many more countries,
basically all the countries
that will embrace this new programme.
[Music, energic]
The next #EnelFocusOn is going to be
in New York City in September.
We are going to discuss about enabling a green future:
the power of electricity.
[Music, energic]