The policy of the UK government is to work in partnership with African governments to support the continent’s transition to renewable energy. London believes that this process should be African-led and that British support should follow that African leadership. This was highlighted by UK Department for Business and Trade director of trade promotion for Africa Hannah Williams, in an exclusive interview with Engineering News Online at the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) exhibition. AEF is being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Government agency UK Export Finance had a £5-billion facility for the long-term financing of clean energy initiatives across Africa, she pointed out. UK Export Finance operated on a project-by-project basis, and as a partner, to secure funding for transformative projects seen as higher risk and less able to access commercial finance. This was, she cited, a “crucial pillar of the UK offer”.

“Here, at AEF, we – the UK government – are promoting British companies, with the aim of developing partnerships between them and African governments and companies, to undertake the transition to green energy,” she explained. “My particular role is to work with teams based in-country, across Africa, and with colleagues expert in renewable energy, and connect them with UK supply chains, to maximise opportunities.”

She highlighted that the UK was especially strong in green finance, engineering and consulting, and the provision of legal services. Regarding technology, British enterprises had great expertise in onshore, offshore and floating wind power, in solar power, in battery storage, hydrogen, and e-mobility, among others.

There were ten companies represented in the British national pavilion at AEF, but a number of other UK companies and agencies had their own stands at the exhibition, she noted. One of these was the UK’s development finance institution, British International Investment.

The strong British presence reflected the importance the country assigned to AEF and opportunities in energy in Africa. “For the UK Department of Business and Trade, AEF is very important,” she confirmed. “It’s the number one conference in Africa in the energy sector.”