In early September, the African Energy Chamber concluded a one-week working visit to Beijing where it met with senior officials from the Chinese government, heads of state-owned energy companies and representatives from the business sector.

During meetings with top Chinese energy companies and financial institutions, the African Energy Chamber discussed the signing of agreements and contracts that will make energy work for Africa while providing Chinese investors with attractive and rewarding opportunities in the continent.

Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman of African Energy Chamber, remarked that China’s economic transformation in the last few decades was “nothing short of remarkable”.

“What this country has accomplished is an inspiration for Africa, where nations still need to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and provide them with sustained economic development for decades,” commented Mr Ayuk.

“China and Africa share very similar challenges, and the message China is sending us is that if they can do it, so can we.”

As LNG demand is growing by the day in China, Africa stands to play a role.

In 2018, China consumed 276.6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, an increase of 16.6 per cent over 2017. During meetings, the Chamber discussed with Chinese companies the need to invest in gas exploration and the need to also work on African initiatives like LNG2Africa.

The African Energy Chamber secured over US$1.4 billion in intentions to invest in Africa’s bankable projects in mining, oil & gas, power and renewables.

“The biggest encouragement for us is that beyond their investment appetite for Africa, Chinese companies are clear about their intention to invest in the promotion of local content and the building of local manufacturing capacities,” added Mr Ayuk.

In addition to upstream oil & gas and mining projects, key infrastructure financing opportunities in refinery and storage facilities were also discussed.

In light of strong Chinese interest for Africa, and following demands from its Chinese partners, the Chamber will be hosting the first China-Africa Energy Investment Forum in 2020 in Beijing.

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中国企业承诺向非洲卖座的能源项目投资14亿美元

9月初，非洲能源商会结束了为期一周的北京访问工作。能源商们与中国政府的高级官员、国有能源企业负责人和商界代表进行了会晤。

在与中国主要能源公司和金融机构的会谈中，非洲能源商会讨论了签署协议和合同的问题。这些协议和合同在为非洲提供能源服务的同时，也为在非洲大陆的中国投资者提供了吸引力和有回报的机会。

非洲能源商会(African Energy Chamber)的执行主席Nj Ayuk表示，中国在过去几十年的经济转型是“非常了不起”的。

Ayuk先生评论道:“这个国家所取得的成就是对非洲的一种鼓舞。非洲的各国仍需要帮助数亿人民摆脱贫困，并为他们在未来数十年提供可持续的经济发展。”

“中国和非洲面临着非常相似的挑战，中国向我们传递的信息是，如果他们能做到，我们也能做到。”

随着中国液化天然气（LNG）的需求日益增长，非洲也将在其中扮演一定角色。

2018年，中国天然气消费量为2766亿立方米，比2017年增长了16.6%。在会议期间，商会与中国企业讨论了投资天然气勘探的必要性，以及展开讨论了对非洲天然气2(LNG2Africa)等非洲项目上的必要性。

非洲能源商会获得了超过14亿美元的投资意向，用于投资非洲在采矿、石油和天然气、电力和可再生能源等方面的可盈利项目。

Ayuk 补充说道:“对于我们来说，最大的鼓舞是中国除了对非洲的投资感兴趣，中国企业还清楚地表明他们有意投资于推广本地内容和建设本地的制造能力。”

除了上游的石油，天然气和采矿项目外，会议中还讨论了炼油厂和储存设施的关键基础设施以及相关融资机会。

鉴于中国对非洲的浓厚兴趣以及根据中方合作伙伴的要求，中国商会将于2020年在北京主办首届中非能源投资论坛。

*Article published in the October-December 2019 issue of The Asia Miner