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Nepal conference to highlight $20bn South Asian energy projects

ISLAMABAD: A major international trade conference will be held in Nepal to highlight the investment opportunities in the energy sector in South Asia and Pakistan will be among the countries attending it.

Titled "Energy South Asia," the conference will be held from March 6 to 8 in Kathmandu and will be co-sponsored by the United States Trade and Development Agency (TDA).

The conference will cover opportunities worth $20 billion in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

According to TDA, expanding trade opportunities for companies involved in energy and energy projects will be the focus of the US government-sponsored regional conference.

Energy South Asia will provide world companies with details on planned projects worth $20 billion in the areas of oil and gas, coal mining, power generation, hydroelectricity, refining, liquefied natural gas and petrochemicals in one of the world's largest markets.

Investors from the United States will discuss upcoming developments in the energy sector from a business perspective and provide information on more than 30 large-scale, public and private-sector projects currently on the drawing boards.

Experts say that energy supply has not kept pace with demand in South Asia, leaving an enormous market with extensive opportunities for investors.

The conference will also highlight energy efficiency projects and the prospects for increased cross-border energy cooperation, including pipelines and long-distance power transmission.

Sponsors of the conference say that Energy South Asia will enable investors to meet privately with project sponsors, as well as potential partner companies in the region.

The conference would be, according to them, an unprecedented opportunity to capture a larger share of the energy projects in South Asia.

Each participant will receive a comprehensive resource guide and CD-ROM outlining the projects presented, including critical economic information, export potential, time lines, equipment needs and key contacts.

The conference is open to US and South Asian companies and government agencies involved in energy, as well as those in energy-related engineering, construction and project development.

Expected to participate are US ambassadors and commercial officers from the region, and representatives from international lending institutions including the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Asian Development Bank.-Internews