AEC To Support Achieving A Lower Carbon Footprint In Africa’s Downstream At ARDA Week

The African Energy Chamber, AEC, the voice of the African energy sector, is proud to announce its support and participation at the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) Week, under the theme ‘Achieving a Lower Carbon Footprint in the African Downstream,’ taking place in Cape Town on March 21-25, 2022.

The AEC will be present at ARDA Week to support Africa’s downstream stakeholders, government representatives, investors and technology companies in discussing the latest industry trends, challenges and solutions ahead of its own interactive exhibition and networking event, African Energy Week.

“ARDA members and its Executive Secretary Anibor Kragha have worked so hard to provide better, cleaner fuels that provide African consumers value. They continue to be the premier drivers when it comes to promoting policies that improve and protect industry competitiveness, strengthen Africa’s critical energy infrastructure like our dilapidating refineries, and ensure dependable and cleaner fuels are accessible to all Africans,” says NJ Ayuk, Chairman of the AEC.

The AEC will join high-level speakers and African energy leaders such as H.E Aissatou Sophie Gladima, Minister of Petroleum and Energies of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, GMD of Nigerian state-owned energy company NNPC Limited, and Mariam Kane-Garcia, MD and CEO of TotalEnergies South Africa, who will be speaking at ARDA week about how Africa can achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, while still leveraging its hydrocarbon wealth.

“ARDA members have invested billions of dollars to improve the environmental performance of clean fuels and fuel refineries. More is still needed and we join them in believing that it is time to fix Africa’s aging refineries. We can reduce refinery greenhouse gas emissions with clean fuels and technology and also improve our energy efficiency across Africa. The AEC will be promoting a just transition and making the case for investing in African oil and gas and the need for our own energy banks,” Ayuk notes.

ARDA Week will host panel discussions and presentations highlighting the latest trends and innovations within Africa’s oil and gas downstream sector, including carbon capture, storage and utilization, which presents a critical pathway to global decarbonization by capturing carbon dioxide from high-emitting sources and reusing or storing it in deep geologic formations. 

The event comes at a time when African hydrocarbon producers are prioritizing their post-COVID-19 recoveries and seeking to attract investment to boost oil and gas exploration, production and infrastructure development. Meanwhile, rising energy demand in European, Asian and American markets are also incentivizing African producers to monetize their domestic oil and gas resources in alignment with an increasingly capital restrictive environment and global energy transition policies.

“Collaborating with ARDA Week will enable the AEC to connect with African oil and gas industry players and learn some of the pressing challenges they are facing and how they are addressing them. The AEC will expand on these discussions at African Energy Week in October and will provide African-tailored solutions to energy transition challenges before we head to COP27 in Egypt to discuss with international stakeholders,” Ayuk concludes.