Solar is Bankable: so what does the Future of Energy hold

The 'Future of Energy' conference - hosted in Amsterdam on 11 & 12 April 2022 - will unite over 500 decision-makers from the global renewable energy value chain to discuss and shape the future of energy generation and consumption in emerging economies. Solarplaza and FMO will host the event, building upon their successful collaboration in the three preceding 'Making Solar Bankable' conferences.

In 2016, event organizer Solarplaza and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO joined forces to organize the inaugural edition of 'Making Solar Bankable', focusing on emerging markets. True to the title, these events explored ways to instrumentalize capital, scale up solar development, and accelerate the energy transition in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. By the third edition in 2020, one thing had become crystal clear: solar is bankable across the globe. There is an abundance of capital available to drive renewable energy development. The key challenge, however, is to connect reliable partners and viable projects to the capital at hand.

Solar energy will play a crucial role in the energy strategies of the future but will have to be enhanced by adjacent technologies and societal developments in order to guarantee widespread and equitable energy access. The restart of the event as the 'Future of Energy' conference means that the scope of the event will stretch beyond solar development, and will venture into the domains of energy storage, distributed energy, hybrid wind applications, and green hydrogen. It also means the focus will move beyond the energy generation phase, and will touch upon challenges related to energy transmission and distribution, which - especially in emerging markets - provide their own sets of infrastructure-related challenges. A small grasp of the confirmed program includes sessions like 'International Market Outlook' with Elizabeth Press (IRENA); 'The Promise of Green Hydrogen' with Thierry Lepercq (Soladvent); and 'The Innovation Process' with Jonathan Furr (INSEAD).

The 'Future of Energy' will unite a mix of 500+ representatives from top developers, financial institutions and investors, service providers, and asset owners for two days packed with world-class keynotes, in-depth panel discussions, and bountiful networking opportunities. Anyone active in renewable energy project development and management in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe will be sure to walk away with key market insights and strategic understanding of the future of energy; the relevant business connections to empower their business; and the crucial inspiration to get to work!