President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to grace the fifth edition of the International Renewable Energy Conference and Expo 2024, which kicks off in Victoria Falls on Tuesday.
The conference, which is running under the theme Building a Sustainable Energy Future, ends on Thursday and is expected to attract experts from around the world.
Mnangagwa is expected to give the keynote address at the annual conference organised by The Standard, one of three publications under private media house Alpha Media Holdings (AMH).
AMH are also publishers of NewsDay, Southern Eye and Zimbabwe Independent as well as owners of tele-radio station Heart&Soul.
Mnangagwa is the patron of the conference as renewable energy remains one of his government’s key areas in achieving an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
The Conference and Expo will bring together industry leaders, experts, innovators, and enthusiasts to explore the latest developments, share insights, and shape the future for renewable energy.
The three-day event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and an expo showcasing cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the renewable energy space.
Some of the delegates expected at the event include Energy and Power Development minister Edgar Moyo, who will be flanked by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Gloria Magombo.
Other presenters include Nyamazela Net Metering managing director Matsotso J Vuso, the ambassador of Canada to Zimbabwe Adler Aristilde and the ambassador of the European Union to Zimbabwe, Jobst von Kirchmann.
SouthPole Consulting founder Tendai Musasa, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority Electricity senior engineer Man'arai Ndovorwi, and Techold Engineering - Technology & Waste to Energy managing director Kevin Mutete are also on the speakers’ list.
Other panelists include African Transmission Corporation director Victor Utedzi and carbon markets corporate lawyer Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo.
The event will cover discussion topics which include financing, climate change, hydropower, wind, solar photovoltaic, hydrogen, biogas, e-mobility, geothermal, net metering, solar thermal, battery storage, energy efficiency, and technologies in renewable energy.
It will also highlight gaps and opportunities that African countries can benefit from and propel Africa to a Net Zero World.
The main objectives of the event are to review the COP28 resolutions and map an implementation plan.
This will be done on the premise of bringing together investors, independent power producers, technology experts, manufacturers, policymakers, and climate change champions, among other stakeholders.
The goal will be to get these individuals to share knowledge and frameworks for key projects being held across the continent on renewable energy projects to map implementation programmes for African countries to discuss climate change effects and mitigation measures.