Petroleum Africa
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Friday, February 17, 2023
The African Refiners and Distributors Association President states action needed to balance competing challenges of Africa’s downstream energy transition, security and scarce financing.
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The Russia-Ukraine crisis has Europe competing for the products currently being imported to Africa says Marieme Ndoye Decreane, President of ARDA, the African Refiners and Distributors Association, and also Managing Director of the SAR refinery in Dakar, Senegal. “We cannot prevaricate if we are going to meet our short-term energy security objectives, banish fuel poverty, and achieve our COP targets. Action is needed now,” she has declared.
Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of ARDA, is equally very clear on the major competing challenges to the African Downstream sector as it struggles to balance its near-term cleaner fuel needs with the longer-term energy transition initiatives.
He says “Africa thought we had a major challenge ahead with seeking a just energy transition for our continent within the COP process. But as our plans were being developed, the Ukraine war prioritized short-term security of petroleum product supplies for African countries.
“These competing challenges are not only difficult to reconcile in terms of their objectives but also, critically, in competing for the same pool of financing.
“With banks under increasing pressure from ESG activists to limit investments in fossil fuel projects -even as steps are being taken towards achieving a cleaner world while removing energy poverty -there is a major risk that Africa will experience significant shortages of the cleaner energy required to enable the continent’s transition to a low-carbon economy.”
In advance of the conference, Mme Ndoye Decreane has also highlighted the conflicting fortunes of the African downstream sector:
“In Senegal, we are investing in our refinery, backed by our country’s President, and in Nigeria the gigantic Dangote refinery is nearing completion backed by private financing. Nigeria is also rehabilitating their NNPC refineries, and other countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, Uganda and Cameroun have ongoing projects. However, in Zambia and in South Africa, refineries have announced closure.
“At the same time, investment in improving infrastructure and logistic efficiency, critical to our continent’s economic progress has stalled, as have cleaner fuel and vehicles initiatives.”
At the conference, sessions will discuss pan-African challenges and opportunities:
Individual speakers will cover:
ARDA WEEK 2023 will be held, in person, from March 13-17, 2023 at the Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
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