EVENT OVERVIEW
On 23rd March DMA was honoured to have hosted a landmark event in terms of the bilateral relationship between the two countries as they transition from heavy dependence on hydrocarbon economics to greener, renewable and clean growth futures. The event is available On Demand and on YouTube.
Billed as a key bilateral countdown to COP26, an extraordinarily strong line-up from Britain led by the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, UK Export Finance and the British Ambassador were joined by stellar line-up from Algeria which included the key parastatals or Sonatrach, Sonalgaz and APRUE, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Algeria’s Ambassador to the UK. Both governments were linked to this year’s summit by COP26’s Regional Ambassador and SYSTEMIQ. Three British businesses, Clarke Energy, Capterio and RNE provided a private sector perspective and completed a comprehensive review of energy transition in a full programme.
Two content-rich sessions married deep dive detail into Algeria’s transition agenda from public sector reform to private sector appetite not only converging with the overarching COP26 agenda but also focussing on both governments’ support of a full green industrial transformation.
In an event so full of content, a small selection of take aways were that:
- Sonatrach and Sonalgaz were committed to ensuring delivery of an ambitious greening agenda including the financing models for achieving that;
- The British Government’s UKEF recommitted to its £4bn risk appetite for Algeria, including £2bn ear-marked for clean growth projects;
- Algeria's favourable climate, strategic geography, digital entrepreneurs and political ambitions, combined with the UK's leadership in green finance, technology and knowledge, makes this an exciting partnership to push forward the transition;
- At a time where there have been huge changes in global energy markets, supporting the transition to renewable energy is not just future-proof, but a sensible business decision;
- That the economic case for a low-carbon economy has never been clearer as a massive £5trillion industry is already an unstoppable reality.
Many thanks to all our speakers and sponsors, including Clarke Energy and Capterio, and our media partner, Oxford Business Group.
EVENT PROGRAMME
14:00 – 14:05 – Opening Remarks
- HE Abderrahmane Benguerrah, Algerian Ambassador to the UK
14:05 –14:10 –Welcome and Introduction
- Lord Risby, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Algeria
14:10 – 14:25 – Keynotes:
- Janet Rogan, COP26 Regional Ambassador Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- Chabane Merouane, Chef du Cabinet, Ministry of Energy Transition and Renewable Energy
14:25 – 14:35 – Snapshot: The Global Energy Transition
- Jeremy Oppenheim, Founder and Senior Partner, SYSTEMIQ, and Programme Director of the Energy Transitions Commission
14:35 – 15:20 Session 1: Renewable Energy Transition on the Road to COP26
- Chair: Adil Kurt-Elli, Chief Executive, Aldersmead
- Ouidad Hamrour, Project Manager for the CEO, Sonelgaz
- Djallal Boucheneb, Head of Technical Feasability, New Resources Central Division, Sonatrach
- Haioun Slimane, Chairman and CEO of CEEG, Sonalgaz
- Mark Davis, Chief Executive, Capterio
- Carla Senatore, Senior Business Origination Officer, UK Export Finance
15:20– 15:55 Session 2: Renewable Energy Solutions and Investable Opportunities
- Chair: Katie McCoshan, Associate, DMA
- Mohamed Sami Agli, President, La Confédération Algérienne du Patronat Citoyen (CAPC)
- Dali Kamel, Director General, Agence National pour la Promotion et la Rationalisation de l’Utilisation de l’Energie (APRUE)
- Sahbi Amara, Africa Director, Clarke Energy
- Adel Baba-Aissa, Board Member, Renewable Energy Partner
15:55 – 16:00 – Closing Remarks
- HMA Sharon Wardle, British Ambassador to Algeria
