In a candid and insightful conversation, Mike Mangnall, Managing Director of PNE South Africa, sits down with Tony Tiyou, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Renewables in Africa, to unpack the shifting tides of renewable energy in South Africa, and what it means for the continent. From adapting to grid constraints and rebranding for global alignment, to unlocking opportunities in private PPAs, battery storage, and the Just Energy Transition, this interview offers a grounded yet forward-looking view into one of Africa’s most ambitious project developers. Expect strategic depth, on-the-ground realities, and bold ambitions for a cleaner, smarter energy future.

INTERVIEW

TT: What prompted the rebrand from WKN Windcurrent to PNE South Africa, and how does it position you for the next phase of growth?

MM: The rebrand was driven by a company-wide, strategic alignment with the global PNE Group brand, reflecting our evolution and long-term growth ambitions in the renewable energy sector. As part of the internationally recognized PNE AG, the rebrand allows us to fully leverage the group’s global expertise, resources, and reputation while reinforcing our commitment to the South African energy market. This transition positions us for the next phase of growth by enhancing our credibility with stakeholders, including investors, government entities and local communities.

TT: How does being part of the global PNE Group enhance your capabilities and competitiveness in the South African market?

MM: Being part of the global PNE Group significantly enhances our capabilities and competitiveness in the South African market by giving us access to decades of international project development experience, technical expertise, and financial strength. PNE Group’s global footprint and track record in developing, constructing, owning and operating renewable energy projects across multiple continents allows us to bring proven best practices, innovation, and operational excellence to the local South African context. Ultimately, it ensures we remain a trusted, resilient project development partner in South Africa’s energy transition.

TT: With South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) and evolving regulations, what key opportunities or trends are you most excited about right now?

MM: There are currently many exciting opportunities and trends in the market. One of the most transformative is the ongoing rise of the private power market. Corporate and industrial users are actively seeking long-term renewable energy supply to decarbonize their operations, reduce energy costs and secure supply, which has driven a surge in bilateral Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The recent emergence of electricity traders and aggregators, which is creating more flexible, multi-buyer, multi-seller procurement frameworks, is playing a vital role in further enabling this market. For project developers like PNE South Africa, this has opened up an even larger demand for our well-developed wind, solar and battery energy storage projects.

MM: Recent regulatory reforms have also made it easier for private generators to wheel power across the grid to end users, which enables decentralized, site-specific energy solutions and supports regional economic and industrial growth. Further to this, the country is moving toward a liberalised, competitive Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM), which will allow multiple generators and buyers to trade electricity freely via a centralized platform, which should further help facilitate a Just Energy Transition and further accelerate the addition of renewable energy to the South African electricity mix.

MM: We anticipate that Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will play an essential role in the future energy market, for grid stability, renewables dispatchability and other ancillary services, hence expanded government tenders and regulatory support for stand-alone and co-located BESS systems are expected. Lastly, the government’s renewed commitment to the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), with the announcement of Round 8 potentially expected in late-2025, continues to stimulate investor interest despite the current grid capacity constraints in large parts of the country.

TT: Grid constraints have slowed wind and solar development—how is PNE adapting its strategy in response?

MM: Grid constraints are undoubtedly the most significant challenge to scaling up wind energy in South Africa, particularly in high-resource provinces like the Eastern, Western, and Northern Cape. The same issue has more-recently also been negatively impacting the solar industry’s growth, with grid capacity in provinces like the Free State and North West being heavily congested. However, these challenges are also resulting in a more agile, forward-looking approach to project development—and at PNE South Africa, we are adapting our strategy accordingly. We are diversifying our project pipeline to proactively include sites across multiple provinces and grid corridors to spread the risks associated with development. Our project team and consultants engage early with Eskom and the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) to assess grid availability, navigate connection processes, and align with future infrastructure expansion plans. The introduction of Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs) as a long-term structural solution to grid bottlenecks is being closely monitored.

MM: Furthermore, the recent approval of the Congestion Curtailment Regime (CCR) marked a pivotal step forward as it will allow projects in constrained areas to connect to the grid under a managed curtailment framework. This unlocks previously stranded capacity and gives developers, like PNE South Africa, the opportunity to move forward with projects in these areas in the near future.

TT: Your pipeline exceeds 5 GW, including major solar and hydrogen projects—can you share what sets your approach apart in developing these assets?

MM: We’re proud of our growing pipeline of wind, solar PV, battery storage, and green hydrogen projects in various stages of development across South Africa. Beyond a development budget allowing for significant pipeline scale, what possibly differentiates us is our strategic approach, which combines global experience with local agility, long-term thinking, and commitment to quality and impact. Our sale projects are not just technically viable—they are financially robust, grid-aligned, and close to execution-ready. We focus on early-stage rigor in permitting, land use, grid studies, and stakeholder engagement to reduce risk and ensure bankability.

MM: As part of the PNE Group, a global renewable energy company with over 30 years of experience across Europe, the Americas, and Africa, we bring international best practices, technical depth, and financial acumen. At the same time, we’re a South African team, on the ground and deeply engaged with local stakeholders, partners, and regulators.

TT: The recent success with the Khauta PV projects and previous wind developments shows momentum—what’s next in your rollout?

MM: Yes, thank you, we are delighted that the PNE-developed Khauta 240MW South and 110MW West PV projects in the Free State, that we sold to NOA in 2024, recently achieved Financial Close and have commenced construction. Another smaller (60MW) PV project, also sold in 2024 and located in the Free State, is progressing well through the various milestones required for Financial Close. Similarly, a 140MW wind farm located in the Eastern Cape, is also now again progressing well following its sale to a well-known IPP in 2021. Furthermore, additional wind and solar project sales processes are currently underway.

TT: How do you ensure that global engineering expertise translates effectively to the South African context?

MM: As part of the international PNE Group, we have access to deep engineering, technical, and project execution expertise. But we are equally committed to ensuring that this knowledge is contextualized, relevant, and responsive to South African conditions. We maintain a South Africa-based development and engineering team that leads all local projects end-to-end. This team works in close collaboration with our global technical specialists, leveraging international know-how in areas like wind resource modelling, plant design, storage optimization, and green hydrogen systems, while ensuring local priorities, constraints, and regulatory frameworks are fully incorporated.

TT: What steps is PNE South Africa taking to align with Just Energy Transition principles—particularly job creation and local content?

MM: At PNE South Africa, while we are not usually the final project owners, we nevertheless believe the transition to clean energy must be inclusive, equitable, and locally empowering. As the “early-stage” developer of the projects, we aim to engage local stakeholders and communities from the earliest stages of project development, ensuring that they are informed and included. This lays the groundwork for the investors/buyers of our projects (IPPs, traders and aggregators) to deliver on much needed local job creation across the project’s value chain, within a well-coordinated local content strategy.

TT: Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave in South Africa’s renewable energy landscape?

MM: We want to leave a legacy for developing renewable energy projects that stand the test of time— technically sound, financially bankable, environmentally responsible, and socially inclusive. Working in close partnerships with our highly valued project investors, our focus is on consistently delivering well-diversified and robust projects for sale that provide long-term value to the ultimate asset owners, off-takers, economy, and the communities around them.

Interview

TT: Can you start by providing some context about your role at Eranove?

RO: I’m Ralph Olaye, Head of Business Development at Eranove. My role involves developing new projects and leveraging the expertise we have built within the group to expand our operations. We started with a strong presence in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal and have since expanded into Togo, Benin, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Madagascar. We are also exploring opportunities in other African markets.

TT: How many markets are you currently active in?

RO: We are operational in five markets and are developing projects in several others. Africa is our core focus. Eranove is a Pan-African industrial group, which is reflected in our mission: Projects in Africa, by Africa, for Africa.

TT: We’re here at SIREXE, the first edition of this event. What key message do you want to convey?

RO: SIREXE is unique in bringing together three interdependent sectors—energy production, extractive industries, and mining—allowing for a critical tripartite discussion. We produce electricity, often using extractive resources like gas, while mining companies are among the largest consumers of that energy.

To answer your question, Eranove operates over 1.5 GW of power on the continent, making us one of the largest private players in West Africa, particularly within the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA), where we are the leading operator.

Our core message is clear: We are a private group delivering public services through innovation. This innovation is not just technological but extends to financial strategies, workforce training, and operational processes. Private-sector involvement enhances efficiency and service reliability, often surpassing what traditional public utilities can offer. We’ve demonstrated this in Côte d’Ivoire, where our electricity prices remain competitive while maintaining high service reliability.

TT: Sustainable development is a major theme here. You’re integrating renewable energy like solar into your mix. How do you decide which projects to pursue?

RO: Sustainability for us is multi-dimensional. It’s about long-term partnerships with governments, ensuring quality service delivery, and minimizing environmental impact. We have focused heavily on hydropower, as it provides a stable base load. Unlike solar, which has become more accessible, hydropower projects require extensive feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and long-term financing—areas where we have significant expertise. While we haven’t yet incorporated solar farms, we acknowledge their growing role in Africa’s energy transition and collaborate with innovative players in that space.

TT: Let’s talk about Nigeria. It’s well known that private sector efficiency in resource allocation surpasses that of the public sector. However, Nigeria faces severe electricity challenges. What would it take for Nigeria to reach the level of electricity access seen in Côte d’Ivoire? Have you engaged with Nigerian officials on potential projects?

RO: Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are central to our approach. The private sector alone cannot succeed without the right regulatory and policy environment. Côte d’Ivoire provides a strong example where government vision, clear regulations, and an independent regulator create a thriving electricity market.

Nigeria is a complex yet promising market with over 200 million potential consumers. However, its grid infrastructure is less developed than Côte d’Ivoire’s, creating opportunities for mini-grids and decentralized energy solutions. The privatization efforts initiated in 2012-2013 were promising, but one critical missing element was tariff certainty. Private investors need assurances that tariffs will be adjusted to reflect actual costs, ensuring profitability. If governments don’t subsidize electricity appropriately or fail to enforce cost-reflective pricing, utilities struggle financially, leading to system failures.

TT: Given Nigeria’s ongoing reforms, particularly reducing electricity subsidies, would Eranove reconsider entering the Nigerian market?

RO: Absolutely. We are closely monitoring the second wave of reforms led by NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission). The push towards cost-reflective tariffs and regulatory improvements makes Nigeria more attractive. Many players, including Eranove, are eager to engage, but we need to see consistent implementation before making firm commitments.

TT: Thank you so much for your time. We appreciate your insights.

RO: My pleasure. Thank you.

By Jean Christophe, Managing Director of Siemens Energy Francophone West Africa

Interview

TT: Jean Christophe, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I think the last time we met was at the German African Energy Forum in Hamburg—what, two or three years ago?

JC: Yes, two or three years ago.

TT: It’s been some time! That was not in Abidjan, unfortunately. But now we’re here in Abidjan, which is even better, for SIREXE. This event brings together the petroleum, mining, and energy sectors, which are becoming central to the country’s economy. We’ve heard from the Vice President and the Minister that they want to make energy a second economic pillar. So, Zis Energy is here for SIREXE—what’s your message?

JC: We are here to showcase our products, solutions, and technologies. Our aim is to support Ivory Coast’s strategy of becoming an energy hub for the subregion. We are involved in all parts of the energy sector—from oil and gas to electricity production, transportation, and grid stability.

TT: You mentioned grid stability, which is critical for building a sustainable system. Often, we focus on generation, but if you can’t transport or distribute the electricity, there’s a problem. What does grid stability mean to you, and how do you help achieve it?

JC: Historically, Ivory Coast’s electricity production has been 70% gas-fired power plants and 30% hydropower plants. Now, they’re starting to integrate photovoltaic (PV) plants in the north—like the 30 MW Boundiali project, which is expected to expand.

The challenge is that most gas-fired plants are in the south, while new PV plants are in the north. Transporting electricity between these regions can create instability. We offer solutions like synchronous condensers and STATCOMs to stabilize the grid. We already have successful installations, such as a STATCOM in Ghana, and we hope to see similar projects in Ivory Coast in the coming years.

TT: With the influx of renewables, particularly solar, the grid will need to integrate these new power sources. Some countries limit renewable penetration to 30% to avoid grid disturbances. How are you preparing to manage this transition?

JC: We focus on grid stability rather than PV production. Our team at Siemens Energy is skilled in understanding technical specifications for these solutions and in providing them to power utilities.

The real challenge will be training local personnel at companies like Côte d’Ivoire Energies and CIE (the private grid operator). Currently, the grid is simple and stable because it relies on predictable gas and hydro sources.

However, with new PV plants and seasonal hydropower variability, grid management becomes more complex. Decisions like balancing power sources cannot rely on human judgment alone. Digitalization and automation—potentially with AI—will be essential. The skills to implement this are currently missing, not just in Ivory Coast but globally.

TT: I was speaking to the CEO recently, and they shared impressive statistics—only 8% distribution losses and 98% bill collection rates. That’s remarkable for any utility. How do you think Ivory Coast has achieved this, especially compared to other African markets?

JC: There are two main reasons. First, Ivory Coast reformed its electricity sector early, in the 1990s. They signed the first independent power producer (IPP) contracts and split the sector into production, transportation, and distribution.

The government subcontracted transportation and distribution to a private company, CIE, under a concession agreement with clear performance targets. If CIE doesn’t recover revenue, they aren’t paid. As a private company, they have the flexibility and incentive to perform efficiently.

For example, private companies can quickly procure equipment like meters without going through lengthy public tender processes. This flexibility allows them to respond faster to technical failures and reduce distribution losses.

TT: That makes perfect sense. Many utilities across the continent struggle with inefficiencies and bankability. It seems a controlled liberalization—where private companies take responsibility under clear performance targets—could be a solution.

JC: Exactly. With proper agreements and targets, private companies can ensure efficiency while delivering value to the public.

TT: Do you have any final thoughts on SIREXE or Ivory Coast’s energy sector?

JC: This event highlights the tremendous potential for Ivory Coast to become an energy hub in West Africa. I hope this progress extends to neighboring countries, helping build stronger energy sectors across the region.

TT: Excellent. Thank you very much, Jean Christophe. And I hope we won’t wait as long to meet again!

JC: No, no—you’re invited back to Abidjan anytime!

Interview

TT: I’d like to understand how you are tackling the energy transition, encouraging your members to decarbonize, and what role events like SIREXE play in this process.

JC: Sure. My name is Jean Diplo, and I am the current President of the Chamber of Mines of Côte d’Ivoire, which represents the country’s mining sector.

The GPMCI was created about 15 years ago as the voice of the industry, covering everything from upstream exploration to downstream activities, including mining and related services. Today, we have nearly 80 members, representing major mining companies and related service providers across the country.

Our members are engaged in a range of activities, primarily focused on precious metals like gold, but we are also seeing emerging opportunities in manganese, nickel, graphite, and chrome.

TT: What is the Chamber’s role in advancing the industry, and how do you interact with the government?

JC: Our main role is to defend the interests of our members and collaborate with the government to develop a conducive legal framework for the mining industry. We are fortunate to have an excellent dialogue with the government, which has been one of the key reasons for our success over the last decade.

For example, in 2014, we worked with the government to implement a mining code that was internationally praised for its attractiveness. This legal foundation enabled significant mining discoveries and project commissions in Côte d’Ivoire.

We are now collaborating on revising this mining code to adapt to current industry trends and challenges.

TT: Today, you signed a new agreement. Can you tell us more about its significance?

JC: Yes, today we launched a private fund aimed at developing local content within the mining sector. This is essentially a private equity or trust fund that workers in the industry will contribute to, supported by the mining companies.

The fund’s purpose is to finance projects from within the mining value chain that directly benefit the workers. For example, if a worker has an idea for a maintenance, catering, or agro-business project related to mining but faces challenges securing traditional bank loans, this fund will provide easy access to financing.

TT: How does the Chamber tackle the energy transition and encourage members to decarbonize operations?

JC: This is a critical question because sustainability is now a global priority. Mining companies in Côte d’Ivoire are fully aligned with international efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Many companies have already started incorporating solar energy to address the power insufficiencies in the country. For instance:

• Roxgold and Lafigue are building solar farms.
• My own company, Bonique Global Mine Allied, is also planning to transition to solar power.

We are focusing on energy efficiency across all operations, including automation, optimized fleet management, and better instrumentation. Additionally, companies are taking action to offset emissions. For example, my company is developing a private forest to capture carbon and preserve endangered species.

TT: That’s impressive. What types of projects will the new fund finance?

JC: The fund will prioritize projects within the mining value chain, such as:

1. Maintenance services for mining operations.
2. Catering services to support mining workers.
3. Agro-business initiatives to diversify local economies.
4. Processing and manufacturing plants, like local limestone grinding facilities to support mining processes.

We’ve already built a portfolio of potential projects, and the fund will be governed by an advisory board to evaluate and approve them.

TT: Do you have a target for this fund?

JC: Yes. Over the next three years, the fund aims to reach 45 billion CFA. Looking further ahead, by 2034, we are targeting 1.45 billion CFA—approximately $200 million USD.

This projection assumes contributions from half of the industry’s current workforce, which is about 12,000 people. However, the mining workforce is growing rapidly, so we expect to exceed these targets.

TT: This conference focuses heavily on sustainable development. How are your members ensuring sustainability across their operations?

JC: Sustainability involves three key elements:

1. Workforce Development: Investing heavily in skills training and capacity building to ensure a sustainable talent pipeline.
2. Financing Tools: Providing innovative financing mechanisms—like the fund we discussed—to empower local businesses and workers.
3. Community and Environmental Integration: Ensuring that mining operations positively impact local communities and the environment.

For example, we focus on green initiatives, such as efficient water and energy management, while also addressing emissions through sustainable practices. This is part of our commitment to operating responsibly.

TT: Thank you for your insights. It’s clear that Côte d’Ivoire’s mining sector is not just growing but also embracing sustainability. Do you have any final words?

JC: Thank you. Côte d’Ivoire has immense potential to become a regional hub for the mining and energy industries in West Africa. I hope the success we’re achieving here can serve as an example for other countries in the region.

TT: Excellent. Thank you very much, and congratulations on today’s achievements.

JC: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.

INTERVIEW

TT: Thank you very much, sir. CIE has been a main player in the electricity environment for over 25 years. What does this success mean for you, and how do you tap into these opportunities for the country?

AB: We believe that what has been achieved in Ivory Coast over the last 30 years is impressive, and we’ve tried to play our part in this journey. It’s a great platform to share what has been accomplished with other players in the market. At the same time, we want to hear from others because there are areas where we need to improve. It’s good to have an African platform where we can exchange ideas with other operators, suppliers, and governments to learn and improve.

TT: The future of the electricity market—how do you see it evolving, especially regarding technologies like smart meters and AI? Could you explain the vision for embracing digital innovation?

AB: I’d rather use the word present than future. As of now, we already have several million digital meters installed. For example, 75% of our clients are using prepaid digital meters, and about 10% are on distance metering, which doesn’t require sending staff on the ground.

We are generating billions of data points actively used by our engineers and data scientists. We are already leveraging AI for fraud detection. With digital meters, we can identify usage patterns to detect irregularities and improve performance.

Looking ahead, we’re focusing on adding more sensors to the network to monitor and better manage it, enabling us to plan for growth efficiently. We are actively working on this and coaching some of our staff with international partners.

TT: On sustainability—you’ve integrated solar power into your energy mix and developed microgrids. What are your plans for solar power, and what challenges do you foresee?

AB: In Ivory Coast, we operate the network and advise the government on strategy. The target is to reach 45% renewable energy by 2030. Currently, we’re slightly above 30%. This growth will be a mix of solar and hydro, as Ivory Coast has significant hydro potential.

Solar does present technical challenges. The more solar you integrate; the more balancing and network management are required. However, we’re aggressively working toward this goal.

TT: How are you addressing energy accessibility within the country?

AB: There are two main issues. First, extending the physical network to cities, and second, enabling people to connect to it. Ivory Coast’s government launched the ProElectricity program, and today, 95% of cities with populations over 500 have access to electricity. By next year, this work will be almost complete.

The next step is connecting individuals. Through the Electricity for All program, the connection cost has been reduced from $200 to just $2, with the remaining cost spread over 5–10 years. This program has been a massive success, enabling almost half of Ivory Coast’s population to access electricity.

TT: The growth has been impressive. Can you share some numbers and explain what makes Ivory Coast’s model successful compared to other African countries?

AB: In 2011, 2,000 cities were connected to the grid. Today, we’re close to 8,000—going from 25% access to almost 95% in just 13 years.

On connections, we used to add 100,000 clients per year. This year, we added 500,000 new clients, and next year, we aim for 650,000. To meet this demand, we’re expanding capacity while maintaining a focus on green energy.

What’s made this possible is a combination of clear government vision, specialized programs, and involvement of private players like us. For example, our distribution losses are only 8%, compared to the global best of 3–4%, and our collection rate is 98%. This efficiency ensures the system works sustainably.

TT: Do you have a wheeling policy in place, as seen in markets like South Africa?

AB: Yes, the law allows for excess power produced at a facility to be bought back by the government. Pricing and technical conditions are still being established. Additionally, taxes on renewable capacity installations have been eliminated, encouraging more production.

TT: Many African utilities struggle with high losses and inefficiencies. How are you supporting your counterparts in other countries?

AB: As a private player, we’re open to collaborations. For example, we’re currently working with Benin’s government to improve their utility’s performance. Our team of 10 people is helping them transform operations and achieve better results. We’re happy to share our expertise where needed.

TT: Thank you very much.

AB: Thank you.

Quick Summary

On the back of #YES! – Youth Energy Day organized by EnergyNet Ltd, Oluoch Were was lucky enough to talk to Makena Ireri, Director, Demand, Jobs, and Livelihoods at Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

We talked about:

• Empowering Africa’s Youth
• Skills for Tomorrow
• Green Energy as a Viable Career Path
• Africa’s Renewable Energy Progress
• More

Do check the full interview on YouTube.

INTERVIEW

OW: Welcome Makena. Could you kindly introduce yourself?

MI: Yeah, sure. I’m Makena Ireri. I’m a director at GEAPP for a function called Demand Jobs and Livelihoods.

OW: Perfect. In a nutshell, what does your role entail?

MI: Yeah, I mean, it’s three seemingly unrelated words, but I think if you’re in the energy sector, they start to make sense. And what my function does is think about what happens after you supply the electricity. So you have a connection, a pole, electrons coming out of it. But in order for those electrons, that electricity to be useful, to impact people’s lives, to change the kind of incomes that they can have or to give jobs, you need to do something extra. So that’s what my team does. We focus on what needs to happen after electricity has been delivered to convert it into a meaningful impact for people. And that impact can be in terms of jobs, in terms of increasing their livelihoods, but also generally, for example, climate resilience and other ways that electricity is useful for development.

OW: That’s interesting because there are a lot of discussions currently going on globally with regard to energy and its impact on the end user is. As you’ve mentioned, it may be in the form of employment to the youth, or in the form of access to the end user, either in an off-grid rural area or even in an urban setup. So Makena, in terms of empowering Africa’s youth, what’s your take in terms of strategies or initiatives whereby when we are looking at helping empower Africa’s youth within the energy sector?

MI: I guess when you talk about empower, I think about giving people the choices and opportunities to make their lives better. So, that’s how I think about empowering, and I think about the youth in the energy sector right now in Africa, there’s a couple of things that are necessary and that people are working on. So the first one is skills development and training. Unfortunately, not always our education system is up to par with the changes that are happening around the world. Digitization, all this kind of new, I guess, technology that’s coming in. We need to keep our youth current and up to date. And so I think strategies around skilling or re-skilling and vocational training are really helpful, and there are a couple of organizations doing this in the energy space. Secondly, I think giving youth a chance to show what they can do. I think that is really empowering and that is supporting their innovations and ideas, because as we know, a lot of youths in Africa are very entrepreneurial, they have great ideas, and they can help solve some of the problems that are affecting the energy space. But we need to also give them the space, the resources, and the funding to be able to convert those ideas into action. And again, for example at GEAPP, in India, we’ve run the Entice program, which helps to bring youths to solve some of the problems that are, I guess, affecting the energy space, and that program is something that we’re really looking at as potentially transferable to Africa. So initiatives like those are really helpful. And then finally, work placement. I think having your first job is exciting. There are many entry-level jobs in the energy sector, and once you’re re-skilled or skilled or even straight out of university, in some cases, there are a lot of jobs. But the problem is matching the person to the job and vice versa. And so, for example, at GEAPP, we’re working with Shortlist to match young women in jobs into the energy sector, and that’s working out really well because we are seeing these women stay in these jobs for more than six months. We track them for up to six months and we’re seeing the positive life impacts that that has. Just getting that first meaningful professional job. So I think these are some of the ways we can really empower young people.

OW: Amazing! Talking of empowering Africa’s youth, you’ve also mentioned the skills that they need for them to be able to venture into the energy space in a way that will enable them to have an impact as individuals. You’ve also talked about mentorship in empowering the youth to pursue their careers in energy. What challenges do you think young individuals commonly face?

MI: I think one of the challenges is access to information. Yes, we’re living in a digital era and everyone feels like information is just in the palm of their hands. But I can think that if you’re a young person who’s not living in a capital city, let’s say, who doesn’t have access to a smartphone or the Internet, how are you going to know about the kind of skills that you need or any programs that are available to you? So I think empowering youth with access to information is important. I think that’s a real challenge, especially the more rural you go. I think the other challenge is funding. You know, access to resources to be able to do the things you need to do to grow in your career or to even start. So sometimes in other countries, we see things like grants being given for young people to travel and participate in activities, in conferences, for example, in Energy Net. And that really opens up people’s perspective. But that financial challenge even to make that journey can be a problem. Here we are also trying to solve some of these problems with some of our initiatives. In terms of youths growing in their career, I think another challenge is flexibility. We’ve kind of a little bit told young people that, you know, you go to school to be an engineer, when you leave work, you look for an engineering job. But that’s not the reality of how the world works nowadays. Things are very interdisciplinary. So we need to also empower youths to feel like they have options. You don’t have to stick to a specific career path. A lot of your skills are transferable. It’s just that maybe someone needs to show you how they’re transferable to the energy sector. So I think that’s something we also need to unpack and kind of support you to realize that there’s more out there than the thing you went to school for.

OW: Sure! This one actually takes me to what you’ve just mentioned in terms of gaining skills and being competent. Here I’m talking about skills for tomorrow. What are these essential skills and competencies needed for the future in the energy industry in Africa with regard to the youth?

MI: I think the future of energy in Africa is going to be very digital. So anything you can do to upscale yourself in understanding the new digital tools, AI, the Internet of Things, being able to program, I think that’s going to be really helpful. The other thing is, and I think I said this maybe too much, is to be flexible, to be able to learn how to learn. It seems like, you know, a bit of an odd thing. But the thing is that it’s always changing and it’s changing really quickly. We’ve seen the energy sector in Africa change dramatically in even 10 years. So you need to know how to learn and how to keep up with the changes. And that’s self-motivation, being able to find the information you need to move to the next step, being able to connect with people and build your networks. I think those things are really, really important. So I’d say technically, the more digital you go, the better. But on the soft skills, you need to network and you need to learn how to learn.

OW: Yes, because we are actually living in a digital world whereby on a daily basis, we’ve got emerging technologies, and I believe as we move forward, this will also help reshape the skills that are needed within the sector. And on the same note, how can educational or higher institutions of learning also plug into this, you know, this idea of digitalization apart from just an individual whereby I may at the end of the day, spare one or two hours for me to be able to basically learn a new skill. What about institutions?

MI: Yeah, I think they have a great role to play because that’s how most people can access any kind of learning through an institution. I think institutions in Kenya need to find ways to partner with institutions who are at the cutting edge of some of the skills that we want our own youth to have, right? So, for example, I know a lot of Western universities are starting to think about setting campuses in different parts of Africa, in different countries. But I guess we don’t need them to come to us. We can also make that connection. We have something to trade here, which is our knowledge and our content of our own continent, and then they bring their digital skills and together there’s this interesting match to be made there. So I think looking for opportunities to partner could bring really great skills into institutions that can be transferred to students and not just with other educational institutions, but also with private sector companies because they know what they want and they are looking forward and projecting into the future about what kind of skills they’ll need. So partnering with them, for example, to run fellowships, internships, and placements. I think you have much bigger bargaining powers, and institutions going to arrange something with a big company to always give opportunities to X number of students every six months, than for each individual to come, every individual by themselves. So I think they should look into these kinds of partnerships that bring extra skills and extra opportunities for students.

OW: Looking at green energy as a viable career path, what exactly do you think in terms of the green energy space evolving? Because, you know, it’s mentioned that over the last couple of years, especially looking at the African perspective, it’s an area that has really evolved. In terms of careers for the youths, what do you think in terms of growth and in terms of creating that space for these youths to be able to be absorbed?

MI: Yes, you’re right. The space has grown, and I mentioned before. When we talk about green energy, sometimes we put ourselves in a box, and I just want to expand that thinking there a little bit. So we think about it as renewables that go into the grid. We also think about it as off-grid energy, right? Think solar power in rural settings where they don’t have access to the grid, and all that is, I mean, it’s a huge sector and it has huge potential. If you read some of the latest estimates from the IEA, they’re talking about millions of jobs in Africa alone in the next seven years to 2030 when they project to 2030. So as a place you want to look for a job as a young person, I think there’s enormous potential. Now, what specific career paths? Of course, there’s the technical career paths. I think those are obvious and people talk about them a lot around engineering, technicians, right? All the way from technicians who install solar, but even the products that are using the electricity, right? Talk about irrigation or processing, all this kind of machinery. So there’s already that. I think another space that would be really interesting is entrepreneurship. I think the energy sector is going to need service providers for all sorts of things. As the sector grows,  I guess, how do you call it? Not sort of bifurcates. It specializes, right? So over time, they are going to need people who do very, very specific things, right? And those people can be entrepreneurs who come up with solutions. So let’s say a lot of energy, new energy is provided in a place like in a rural area like Turkana. Who then delivers, for example, the appliances that are going to be used there? We’re not going to expect an international company to come, we can solve that problem ourselves. Somebody can set up a business to deliver appliances to Turkana. So I think there’s many opportunities to drive your own business as a young person and a lot of funding against that. We’ve already talked about digitization, which I think is super interesting. But I think there’s also careers that are associated with energy, right? If you’re a lawyer, there’s a lot of contracts to be negotiated, signed agreements, all these things. You know, we were talking before about power purchase agreements. You can skew your practice to the energy sector. If you, in many careers, you can find transferable skills. So I think it has enormous potential. I think you don’t have to be technical to get involved. And I think people should really think about entrepreneurship and building the businesses that are going to service the energy sector in the future.

OW: And I actually like the angle or the perspective that you’re taking, whereby it’s not only a path whereby I’m looking at who should I follow in terms of building my career path, in terms of maybe gaining employment or getting employment. But I can as well build my own path in terms of being an entrepreneur. And you’ve also mentioned something quite interesting whereby I may as well come up with something, it might be totally maybe somewhere in rural area. I may as well come up with something which at the end of the day may have an impact to my, you know, to my society or my community. And this comes in when I’m thinking as an entrepreneur. It’s not only a matter of me building my career by expecting someone to employ me, but there are also opportunities whereby I can as well create my own path and come up with something. Looking at the same area in terms of advice, what advice would you give to a young professional who’s just venturing into the sector or someone who’s considering venturing into the green energy space? And they also have, as you mentioned, the traditional background in this field. What advice would you give such a person?

MI: Yeah, I mean, I think first of all, you have to decide the track you want to take. I mean, we’ve talked about self-employment and then we’re talking about employment here. So you decide which one, and for each of those two tracks, there are different paths you can follow. So if you want to go and become an entrepreneur, I think one of the things is you have to have an idea. You have to have something, right? Something that is worth someone investing a little bit of money to turn it into a real thing, a prototype, let’s say. And there institutions like the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, there are a lot of research and development grants that are available that people can search for. I think my search would start with connections in LinkedIn because people always put a lot of funds or whatever is available, like innovation or hackathon-type challenges that you can start with. So if you’re an entrepreneur, I’d say look for those. Look for that first seed money that is basically free money in the form of a grant of some sort to turn your idea into something. And that’s kind of like the seed that then grows you to the various steps. If you’re looking to come in as a professional, you’re looking for employment, I think there are always the traditional ways of looking for employment. I’m going to recruit as a specialist in the energy sector, like I mentioned, Shortlist, you know, making connections and networking. But I think there’s also maybe something practical there about not pigeonholing yourself. So you don’t have to always start with a job that sounds like a… Because sometimes I meet people and they’re like, oh, but I only want an associate role. But I’ve seen people grow from like even a six-month fellowship to a real career in the sector. So I think be open, be open to that first entry point. It can look almost anyhow because what matters is when you’re in, what you do and how you grow and now you’re in the network. So I think be open to that and be flexible.

OW: OK, cool. Thank you for that, Makena. Now, on a wider perspective, it’s actually being said that Africa is the next big thing when it comes to renewables when it comes to energy as a whole. Could you provide an overview of the current state of renewable energy adoption and development in Africa? Just a rough overview. What’s your take on it?

MI: Yeah, I guess I’m not going to quote you any numbers off my head because they’re likely to be wrong, given how things move as well. I guess where are we in Africa in the state of renewable energy? Where we are is that we’re showing a lot of promise. Now, promise is not real activity on the ground, and those things are separated by funding. So there’s a huge funding gap. The amount of energy that is required for everyone on this continent to live, you know, a good life, right? You know, we call it the modern energy minimum to live a good modern life where you have access to sufficient energy for all your daily needs and maybe to even make some income. It’s high, you know, and there’s a lot of us and there’s not enough money. Our countries have borrowed to a point where there isn’t really much left in the debt ceiling, and so that’s that’s a little bit of a crisis. But that doesn’t mean that there is no potential. What we’re seeing is that other different kinds of money is starting to come into the sector. For example, money that’s focused more on climate resilience or climate adaptation. So it doesn’t have the label of energy, but we know energy is crucial. For example, for providing irrigation that helps us factor in the climate or helps us be resilient to climate. So these interesting kinds of new money coming into the sector that has a different label, but really could still support the energy sector. And that’s exciting. There’s money coming from different other sources than are traditional donor base. So that’s also exciting. I think the other thing we’re seeing in the energy sector is that the push to off-grid energy is real and growing. You know, the off-grid energy sector for the last 10 years has been steadily growing. And now it’s a real thing. Big companies are investing in off-grid energy, in mini-grids, in solar home systems, things that used to not be counted as real investments. Everybody used to want to go on the grid. So that’s exciting, and that’s showing that there’s a lot of promise beyond just like the traditional energy supply that we used to have. We’re facing a transmission and distribution problem. I think that’s clear when we see brownouts and when we see what’s happening in South Africa with the load shedding. So upgrading our transmission lines is critical. Again, there’s different kinds of funding that are coming out from that, especially from the EU, which is which is interesting, and what else? What else is like top of mind? I think these are really the things we have a big energy gap. A lot of people, maybe globally, maybe half a million, half a billion, sorry, people don’t have access to energy. And that’s, you know, given that we need to meet SDG 7 by 2030. It’s looking like it’s going to be difficult. Right now, when I look at the path we are on, no, not really. Unless we do something really dramatic in the next couple of years. I mean, it’s only seven years away. But I think what we can do is get us on a trajectory that at least gets us close. But the universal access by 2030 is looking really difficult. Yeah, it’s looking really difficult.

OW: OK, thank you very much. I’m happy you touched on the notable renewable energy innovations that we as Africa will be in a better position if we are able to adopt, especially when you touched on irrigation because at the end of the day, we also need to be in a position to feed ourselves and being able to adopt not only productive use of energy in terms of irrigation but also being able to have an impact in terms of having funds for the end users to be able to, you know, have access to such equipment on the renewable energy side of it, clean energy side of it. It’s quite important. Aside from that, I’m also happy that you were able to touch on the obstacles that we as a continent have been facing, and the main challenge has been on the funding, whereby I may not have the exact statistics, but in terms of the amount of money that is being pumped into Africa as a continent, if you compare it with the rest of the world, it’s barely 20 percent in terms of whatever share we are having. And we also need to be innovative enough, as you mentioned, we need to be able to position ourselves in a manner that we’ll be able to secure these funds, because at the end of the day, when we are looking at climate change mitigation, Africa is being seen as one of the key areas whereby some of these things need to be fully enforced. So I’m happy you talking about that, and aside from that, there are quite a number of key areas that you’ve been able to shed some light on, all the way from how do we empower Africa’s youth to be able to properly venture into the energy space, what set of skills would be important for them to be able to properly position themselves within the sector, and also green energy as a viable career path, because there are a number of individuals or even youths outside there, and they’ve always looked at the energy sector as something, you know, this is only meant for a particular set of people, but there are quite a number of key areas that, different people with different background may as well venture into within the energy space. Thank you very much for that. Aside from that, I’m glad you also talked on the viability of the green energy careers, whereby there’s future, there’s hope, there’s quite a number of things that people may as well get themselves involved in. And yeah, thank you very much for your time and for the insights that you’ve shared with us. Together with the Energy Net, we’d also like to thank them for, you know, making the Yes All The World Youth Energy Day a reality. I believe there are quite a number of significant things that we’ll be able to do together, not only as partners, but also as GEAPP. So thank you very much, Makena, and I really appreciate your time.

MI: Thanks.

OW: OK, welcome.

Do check the full interview on YouTube.

QUICK SUMMARY

In this interview at the Africa Energy Forum (aef), Tony talks to John Kelly, President of Rolls Royce Middle East and Africa, about the company’s commitment to sustainable power solutions in Africa. Here is what to expect:

• Expansion in the region
• Meeting Africa’s needs
• Sustainable fuels

Listen HERE.

INTERVIEW

TT: Hi everybody. We are here at aef. It is very busy, with lots of people. We are talking today to a very iconic company. With me is John Kelly, the President of Rolls Royce Middle East and Africa. John, please do us justice and properly introduce yourself.

JK: Thank you Tony. Rolls Royce as you said is an iconic brand with lots of history. Over one hundred years ago the company was founded by Charles Rolls Henry Royce and the focus was to provide the best engines. It started with automotive, applied it to aviation. In 1970, the company did split, so it does not do cars today. You have to talk to BWW for the cars. We have however continued to drive forwards excellent engines for aviation, land and marine. Recently, we also brought onboard another iconic company across the African market known as NTU which provides power systems solutions and because we are here in Nairobi at the Energy Forum (aef), we are very much focused on our power systems capabilities and what they provide today in terms of critical power for the continent but most importantly how they can drive us forward towards the drive to net zero which is important alongside economic development.

TT:  AEF is celebrating its 25th anniversary and it is the 1st time it is coming to continental Africa. Before it was Mauritius, what does this tell you and why is it important to have it in Africa for you?

JK: Being in Africa for us is super important. We have a long history in Africa, over 100 years working in aviation with the continents airlines. We have been in Africa for a long time. Alongside is phenomenal growth and phenomenal growth opportunities. We recognise being here, understanding Africa, understanding its requirements and tailoring our solutions is really important. On of our key announcements is that we are launching our East African Headquarters based here in Nairobi. This is really important as it recognizes the importance of this region and its growth. The demographics speak for themselves. Six and a half percent growth in the next four to five years, population of 170 million and around 170 million per annum GDP. That offers a fantastic growth opportunity, and we are really privileged to provide the power solutions to enable that growth and enable it in a more carbon environmentally friendly way.

TT: That is big news that you are announcing here. Why Nairobi? Why Kenya?

JK: Again, the demographics speak for themselves. It is strategically important. One of the things that is impressive for Kenya is that they are already running 80% on renewables. That is phenomenal. It is hence a great environment to harness that capability, to harness the focus on sustainable energy and then continue to provide that growth. The market we supply our power supply units, the likes of Rail, we have recently collaborated with Kenya Rail to provide brand new power generation sets for their locomotives and for things in the region such as aviation. In East Africa and Southern Africa there are huge opportunities in things like mining of critical minerals, but we want to do that sustainably. What we do not want is to provide the critical minerals needed to help in decarbonization while creating extra carbon while we produce it, and we want to do it ethically. We are confident that our products are ethically environmentally friendly and ethically friendly.

TT: You have mentioned sustainability a few times here. So visibly, it is really important for a company, and I know you have been pushing in the area of sustainable fuel. Can you elaborate on that a little bit please?

JK: Absolutely. Sustainable fuel is one of our key topics for the forum. There are a lot of our products today like diesel generators, gas generators and similar for our aviation products, they do rely on fuel. Traditionally they have been fossil fuels like kerosene and diesel. The best way today to decarbonize those products is to run them on sustainable fuels. Some really good examples are that we have done the research, invested and done the testing on our engines to know that they are safe and reliable to run a hundred percent on sustainable fuel. For example. You can run a diesel power generator on what’s called hydro treated vegetable oil (HVL) which can be produced locally, and it is a viable alternative to traditional fuel. Not only does it run the engine efficiently but there are also additional benefits which enhance the performance of the engine. We have done the same thing with our aviation products. When you fly with the world’s most efficient engine, you can also run them on sustainable aviation fuel which offers a non-fossil fuel-based alternative. I have mentioned a few of those current sources, the likes of biomass, derived fuel, waste fuel, HVL. They are very good alternatives and very viable today. We definitely advocate their use. They come with some challenges, particularly the scale, availability and also price. We do not stop the conversation there. We are also very passionate and advocating for synthetic fuels or e-fuels, you may know them as power to liquid. The relevance to Kenya and East Africa is that it is a perfect environment to produce e-fuels. I say that because we have got abundant supply of raw materials, water for hydrogen, supplies of carbon dioxide and also supplies of renewable energy. You need a strong power source that is not a carbon generating power source. The renewables are here. We think this is a very viable environment for those synthetically derived fuels and we think it is an opportunity for Kenya as it can provide the root to fuel independence and sovereignty. Fundamentally, you can use sustainable fuels in our products today and we can all generate environmental benefits.

TT: Thank you so much for that. I can see your passion for the green agenda. As a top leader, what do you think about the nuclear way?

JK: Alongside many technologies, this is not one single technological solution. We need to open the pathways to many solutions. One of them is nuclear opportunities. To be clear, we are not talking in the traditional sense of a huge nuclear power station with lots of investment and lots of concrete required from carbon. Our Rolls Royce product is a small modular reactor. This is not brand-new technology; this is proven safe technology that we have had operating in our business for over 40 years and we now see that this is a perfect time to bring it to market within the next decade and it is complimentary to all the other sustainable fuels. It provides a significant non-carbon source of power. When we think of huge economic development, we are going to see the likes of Kenya and the continent come with a huge power demand in health care, universities, data centers, which we rely on for economic development. I do not think we get there without adding a new capability. The good thing with nuclear fuel is that it is non carbon, there is a small amount of nuclear product produced at the end which can be easily managed and treated. To answer your question directly, it is a viable compliment alongside other solutions.

TT: Two last questions for you. Do you have a special message for the youth of Africa because currently we also have the YES Summit here?

JK: We are passionate about STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those skill sets in the youth today are pivotal to pioneer these technologies, innovate and to produce ever increasing solutions. We provide STEM awareness sessions. Our staff like to connect with youths and schools to pass on their knowledge but fundamentally to inspire the youth, give them the knowledge and skills set and access to technology that they can then innovate themselves. We have seen fantastic examples of youngsters taking STEM awareness and quickly coming up with their own solutions. They have come up with solar panels that can move with those technologies. I would direct those interested in Rolls Royce, STEM and all the things we have talked about today to visit our website: www. Rolls-royce.com, it will have all the information in there whether it is career interests or future aspirations in Rolls Royce, which is the best place to go.

TT: My last question for you. I want to finish with the big news. The opening of the office. When is it and are we invited?

JK: We will be opening our East African headquarters representative office here in Nairobi in the next coming weeks. We have a location and as soon as we are up and running and fit for purpose you absolutely have an invite. We would be glad to host you.

TT: Thank you very much John and I wish you a great time for the rest of the conference.

JK: Thank you.

Go to Podacst.

On the back to AEF22, we were lucky enough to talk to one the partners of Hunton Andrews Kurth, Jason Parker.