ADIPEC 2023 spotlights crucial role of partnerships, technology in energy transition

The sharp focus of the ADIPEC 2023 international energy exhibition and conference that just entered its final phase today has been on the critical aspects of fostering new partnerships and investments, commercialization, technological innovation and sustainability for clean energy transition. 

The event opened in Abu Dhabi early this week under the theme 'Decarbonizing. Faster. Together.' Bringing together stakeholders from across business, finance, technology, government, academia, and wider society, the ADIPEC demonstrated the importance of rallying diverse voices and industries to ensure an inclusive and effective decarbonization of the global energy system. 

A ministerial panel on the road to COP28 was also part of the day, where representatives from the Global South called for a change in the narrative around climate finance. Further, the inaugural Hydrogen Strategic Conference brought together energy leaders to chart a course for the commercial-viability and mainstream use of hydrogen.

After the ADIPEC Awards 2023 ceremony, the day two of the international event emphasized the importance of mobilizing capital and partnerships while balancing competing priorities in the pursuit of net-zero ambitions. The conference sessions focused on the importance of forging cross industry partnerships to mobilize finance and drive innovations and traction in policy, technology and capital in the pursuit of net-zero goals. 

Lucian Boldea, President and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials & Technologies, speaking at the conference, said, "When you look at the energy transition and decarbonisation, there haven't been any breakthroughs in the past year. The tools, the technology, and the willpower are there. Looking ahead, it's partnerships that are needed now to unlock the industry's potential."

Discussions focused on the importance of enabling commercially viable climate solutions and accelerating investment. Osama Mobarez, Secretary General, East Mediterranean Gas Forum emphasized the need to align security and energy ahead of COP28, "It is important we strike a balance between energy security and the energy transition. People see energy security as short term, and the energy transition as long term. I think both should be long term objectives."

With a crucial role of H2 to play in enabling a low-carbon future, achieving scale for hydrogen solutions is essential, opined Astrid Poupart-Lafarge, Global Segment President Energies and Chemicals, Schneider Electric. "This industry is an old and new industry that needs to reinvent itself. It is old because we re-invented a decades old process...but we need to mature into a new industry at an extremely fast pace", he said. 

On accelerating commercialization of sustainable fuels in driving decarbonization, the aspect of scale was identified as a key challenge. Phil Caldwell, CEO of Ceres Power, said, "The technology has come a long way - it still needs to be scaled and the doubts that exist now are about the pace of scale. I think that is where the industries in this room can help. The faster we adopt these technologies the quicker we can scale".

On the day three of ADIPEC 2023, the conference continued to plot the industry's energy transition and the role of technology in facilitating it. It registered crucial insights from key stakeholders addressing the importance of enabling innovation as a united ecosystem. 

A panel discussion on scaling up technology for an efficient and sustainable transition saw speakers sharing their insights into how technology is a key enabler in the energy transition, whether it be supporting industries, businesses or governments, to decarbonize, or how to find effective solutions to mitigate emissions and improve performance. 

With experts and innovators representing companies such as AspenTech, TechnipFMC, AVEVA, Wartsila, ADNOC, AWS and Crystol Energy, the discussion centered on the importance of fast-tracking technology adoption and facilitating wider deployment of sustainable innovations throughout the value chain.

"One of the things which makes me the most optimistic about the future is that we are seeing this groundswell of innovation across every vertical. Across areas such as energy efficiency and storage, we have incredible minds every day waking up and coming up with the next innovation. The pathway to net zero will rest on innovation", said Thomas Storch, Managing Director, Affinity Partners. 

Commenting on the potential of technology to transform the energy sector, Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wartsila said, "We are living in times where we can really set the stage for the future. Looking at many of the reputable companies here, we have the technology, or we will in a very short time. The big thing is the social transformation and the capital, which is not an easy thing. That's why we need to have these kinds of events to come together".