2012 is shaping to be a decisive year for
commercialization of clean technology projects deployed throughout South Africa
and the African region.
Despite much jostling and positioning by
local and international players to become a preferred supplier of renewable
energy to ESKOM, a late change of terms reference, effectively resulted in reducing power purchase prices and
has caused many of the bidders to go back
to the drawing board.
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However this has resulted in a more efficient
process of elimination of sub optimal technologies which have been drawn ashore
to African coasts, as surplus from developed markets, which themselves are
seeking newer technologies and solutions.
It is already evident that certain projects may lack the flexibility to
incorporate newer technologies cost effectively, and thus assume greater price
efficiencies in generating electricity.
It would be challenging to predict the future regarding the greater
usage of alternative or renewable energies, catapulting them out of their
relative obscurity.
For this to happen the cost of technologies
would have to continue go down, and reliability up.
In a country and region where climatic conditions
can and will dictate the wealth of a nation and by extension the individual
level of disposable income much cognizance needs to be given to clean
technologies, that by virtue of their introduction can resolve or alleviate not only environmental
priorities, but also enhance economic well being of communities.
Striking the balance between environmental
and economic well being has a particular and profound meaning in the African
context. Delivering the provision of water, electricity to economically
marginal communities throughout the continent in efficient manner, coupled with
extending the continent’s drive to beneficiate its natural resources –
mining/mineral industry with reduced
impact on the environment is the ultimate objective.
Thus innovative technologies that can
answer for the said challenges would prove commercially rewarding for entrepreneurs
seeking their deployment in manufacturing sectors and region of human
habitation where need is the greatest.
The Viridis Africa clean technology
investment summit is an event is designed to bring about innovators, inventors,
technology partners, academia, project promoters, investors, and government
agencies to investigate, evaluate, and elucidate commercial opportunities
relating to clean technologies, being appropriate environmentally sustainable
and commercially sound, so they may address human and environmental needs not
as mutually exclusive objectives but rather complimenting each other.
The Viridis
Africa event will introduce amongst its distinguished list of speakers. Representatives
of leading investment and financial institutes
include Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the Industrial
Development Corporation (IDC), the National Empowerment Fund ( NEF), the
Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA), the Technology Innovation Agency ( TIA),
the US Trade and Development Agency and the World Bank as well as private equity
firms, such as Lerako Metier Sustainable Capital and Osmosis Investment
Management, venture capitalist and other project financiers, seeking
investments into clean technologies initiatives, the size and scope of which
would be widely ranging.
Inventors seeking to commercialize their
inventions via establishing a startup vehicle, consulting engineering companies,
project promoters, international /multinational consortia, all will find
fertile ground of interacting with the appropriate type of funder and or
partner most suitable for their initiative.
The organizers of this event are inviting
any party who has a project/initiative/technology solution within the ambit of
the clean tech sector to consider introducing it at the event. Business plan
submissions should be forwarded to suza@viridisafrica.com
For more info, visit www.viridisafrica.com
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