Cape Town from March 17-19, 2014

Key conference themes at POWER-GEN Africa 2014 will assess Africa's potential to deliver next-generation power based on renewable resources, as well as the urgent need to electrify rural areas.

Hydropower, solar and wind power, renewable energy grid integration and alternative generation technologies will be among the focus tracks at the upcoming POWER-GEN Africa 2014 conference – the premier event for the continent's energy stakeholders.

With the US Power Africa initiative committing US$7 billion to power initiatives across the continent over the next five years, renewed attention is focused on Africa's ability to significantly increase its power generation capacity to support development. The US initiative aims to support the addition of 10,000 MW of electricity generation capacity to the continent. Individual countries are rapidly investing in additional power generation infrastructures to meet their nation's goals of moving to industrial and knowledge societies.

Having lagged the world in ensuing affordable, reliable power for all, Africa now has the potential to leapfrog other parts of the world in terms of power generation. Benefiting from the experience of the developed world, the continent is in a position to move directly to power generation based on renewable resources, using advanced technologies to secure and optimise distribution, says PennWell, organisers of the upcoming POWER-GEN Africa 2014 and DistribuTECH Africa 2014 expo and conferences, to be staged in Cape Town from 17 -19 March next year.

The co-located events will present speakers able to assess Africa's potential to meet future power needs, the renewable resources available to support alternative power generation, and the technologies and strategies that will enable governments and utilities to deliver on the need to underpin modernised economies.

Among the tracks confirmed for the 2014 POWER-GEN Africa conference are:

*Africa's solar future
*Renewable energy – integration, policy and finance
*Harnessing Africa's hydropower potential
*A wind powered Africa
*Rural electrification and off-grid renewable energy
*Generators and steam turbines
*Policies and regulations
*Operation, maintenance and plant improvements

POWER-GEN Africa 2014 will bring together key stakeholders from across the continent to assess progress, explore the policies, strategies and resources available to improve capacity; as well as addressing the issues facing existing power plants.

At DistribuTECH Africa, governments, utilities and engineers will assess next generation distribution technologies and strategies in a number of focused tracks.

Among the focus areas are:

*DSM and energy efficiency
*Data intelligence
*System automation
*Substation automation
*Integrating decentralised generation
*Smart grids
*Smart grid cyber security
*Smart metering
*Rural electrification
*Policy and governance

PennWell notes that the programmes for POWER-GEN Africa 2014 and DistribuTECH Africa 2014 are designed to meet the key imperatives for utilities and policymakers across Africa today – generating significantly more affordable, reliable power, ensuring universal access and supporting national socio-economic development.

For further information visit www.powergenafrica.co.za, or www.distributechafrica.com