The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in South Africa has partnered with the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference to foster collaboration between Spanish and South African energy companies. The partnership builds on dual goals of driving investment and development in South Africa and will support greater participation by Spanish firms at this year’s edition of the conference – scheduled for September 29 to October 3.
As a non-profit entity whose main objective is the promotion of commercial, economic and industrial relations between Spain and South Africa, the Chamber of Commerce seeks to strengthen business prosperity and trade between the two nations. At the heart of this strategy is the energy industry, with the Chamber committing to exposing its members to emerging opportunities in both Spain and South Africa. At AEW: Invest in African Energies, the Chamber will play an instrumental part in strengthening energy relations and trade, supporting market entry by Spanish firms into South Africa.
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
The opportunities for heightened collaboration between Spain and South Africa are extensive. While Spain is a net-importer of oil and gas, Spanish oil and gas firms have seen great success abroad, highlighting the level of expertise the country has to offer. Spanish companies such as multinational energy and petrochemical firm Repsol already have a strong presence in Africa, offering significant expertise that could help unlock South Africa’s energy industry. The company has been active in Algeria since 1973, recently receiving approval to invest up to €731 million in oil and gas blocks in the country. The Chamber has also been active in Libya since the 1970s and is implementing an ambitious exploration agenda in the country. It plans to drill nine wells consecutively via two drilling rigs by November 2025, and aims to increase production to 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the country. As of December 2024, production stood at 300,000 bpd.
Meanwhile, for South Africa, which is only just starting to realize the full potential of its oil and gas market, Spanish partnerships could propel a hydrocarbon evolution. Despite being a frontier market, South Africa has proven oil and gas discoveries and significant upside potential. The Luiperd and Brulpadda discoveries, for example, are the largest discoveries of natural gas resources in South Africa to date. Situated in the Outeniqua Basin, operator Africa Oil Corp plans to conduct surveys within the Block 11B/12B area to determine a development plan. Additionally, South Africa’s Orange Basin – shared with Namibia where several high-impact finds have been made – offers strategic opportunities for billion-barrel finds. International companies have recently expanded their footprint in the basin, led by firms such as Eco Atlantic, TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy.
In the green energy sector, Spain is spearheading Europe’s energy transition through rapid developments in green hydrogen. According to the World Economic Forum, the country already accounts for 20% of green hydrogen projects announced in the European Union, with plans to create industrial clusters expected to bolster the bloc’s clean energy adoption. South Africa is also targeting ambitious green hydrogen projects. The government introduced a R300 billion investment pipeline in 2023, targeting between 6 and 13 million tons of green hydrogen and derivatives production per annum by 2050. Up to 19 projects were identified for accelerated development and global support will be key to bring these projects into fruition. In 2023, Spain committed $2.3 billion to help fund South Africa’s energy transition, but further support could unlock greater value from the country’s renewable energy industry.
“Global partnerships are fundamental for countries seeking to rapidly grow their oil, gas and renewable energy industries. Spain and South Africa have significant potential to expand their trade, energy and business ties, and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in South Africa works hard to achieve mutual development goals,” states Tomás Gerbasio, VP Commercial and Strategic Engagement, African Energy Chamber.
Africa Fact: Winwood Reade described his visit to the Ashanti Royal Palace of Kumasi in 1874: “We went to the king’s palace, which consists of many courtyards, each surrounded with alcoves and verandahs, and having two gates or doors, so that each yard was a thoroughfare . . . But the part of the palace fronting the street was a stone house, Moorish in its style . . . with a flat roof and a parapet, and suites of apartments on the first floor. It was built by Fanti masons many years ago. The rooms upstairs remind me of Wardour Street. Each was a perfect Old Curiosity Shop. Books in many languages, Bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture, Persian rugs, Kidderminster carpets, pictures and engravings, numberless chests and coffers. A sword bearing the inscription From Queen Victoria to the King of Ashantee. A copy of the Times, 17 October 1843. With these were many specimens of Moorish and Ashanti handicraft.”
white swan
A green match – The development towards a sustainable future is of high priority in South Africa, and many of the challenges facing South Africa are solvable with Danish technology that ensures sustainability. An example is the South African water sector, which Denmark has supported since the fall of Apartheid in 1994. Today, Danish water companies thrive in the South African market, as Denmark is global leader in water use and efficiency, and deliver solutions that save water and energy.