We encourage nations to diversify energy mix to include cleaner energy, Says, S A Mazrouei

Ministers and experts come together to outline plans for sustainable and reliable future at the 24th World Energy Congress. Mr. Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE’s Minister of Energy and Industry, and Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE’s Minister of State and Chief Executive Officer, ADNOC, welcome attendees and delegates on the first day of the prestigious event.

The 24th World Energy Congress 2019 was inaugurated on Monday at Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE. High-level discussions dealing with the entire spectrum of energy production, diversification and supply got underway as experts, ministers and delegates from around the globe gathered in Abu Dhabi for the opening day of the 24th World Energy Congress.

Taking place for the first time in the Middle East, the World Energy Congress attracted more than 15,000 attendees, including 4,000 delegates and 70 government ministers, who came together at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) for the latest triennial flagship event in the energy industry. Focusing on the daily theme of 'New visions of energy for prosperity', day one of the four-day Congress provided the first opportunity for attendees to address key issues such as the role nuclear, hydrogen gas and other non-conventional sources of energy will play in the transitioning energy eco-system.

UAE Minister of Energy and Industry Outlines plans to boost renewable energy use

Welcoming respected energy experts, pioneers and decision-makers during the inauguration ceremony, Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE's Minister of Energy and Industry, outlined the UAE's ambitious goal of achieving a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future by committing to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint by 2050.

Mr. Suhail Al Mazrouei said, "The UAE has delivered the first long-term energy strategy in the region that includes a huge contribution from cleaner forms of energy. Our UAE Energy Strategy is calling for 50% of energy from renewables and nuclear. We will continue our efforts as a reliable supplier of hydrocarbons to the world, but our leaders want us to do this in a way that protects the environment, in a way where we together with our national oil company and the rest of our stakeholders reduce our carbon footprint by 70% by the year 2050,".

HE Suhail Al Mazrouei @HESuhail: "There needs to be a balance between fossil and non-fossil technologies. Smart systems, behaviour change, diversification will all help UAE reduce CO2 emissions by 70%"#Energy4Prosperity#WEC2019#WEC24 pic.twitter.com/EEn79aNHfJ

— World Energy Council (@WECouncil) September 9, 2019

The Keynote Address

The ceremony also saw Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE's Minister of State and Chief Executive Officer, ADNOC, deliver a keynote speech that addressed the need for massive investment in all forms of energy. The industry needs to continue its commitment to oil and gas infrastructure to meet the expected increase in global demand from new industries as a result of changes to the economic and business landscape.

Dr Sultan said: "Society is being transformed by the unprecedented pace of innovation. Emerging economic powers are shaping a new geopolitical order and traditional concepts of commerce are being challenged by new business models. Yet there is one invariable. New operating models, no matter how they evolve or transform will always require energy. To meet this demand we will need an inclusive response that integrates and optimizes a fully diversified energy mix,". He further said, "In the UAE our leadership has created an eco-system that supports all forms of energy from oil and gas to renewables and nuclear. The Barakah nuclear power plant will soon produce thousands of megawatts of clean power and we are home to two of the world's largest solar power plants,".

HE Suhail Al Mazrouei @HESuhail: "There needs to be a balance between fossil and non-fossil technologies. Smart systems, behaviour change, diversification will all help UAE reduce CO2 emissions by 70%"#Energy4Prosperity#WEC2019#WEC24 pic.twitter.com/EEn79aNHfJ

— World Energy Council (@WECouncil) September 9, 2019

Dr Sultan added that for decades to come the world will still rely on oil and gas as the majority source of energy and the UAE has set ambitious targets to remain a reliable supplier to the world's energy markets. "About US$11 trillion of investment in oil and gas is needed to keep up with the current projected demand. At ADNOC we are on track to achieve production capacity goals of four million barrels a day by 2020 and five million by 2030. In parallel, by tapping into gas caps, undeveloped reservoirs and unconventional resources, we are unlocking vast reserves of natural gas," emphasized Sultan.

Saudi Arabia Interview

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's new Minister of Energy, outlined the KSA's relationship with OPEC and its plans to develop renewable and nuclear energy solutions as part of a diversified energy mix to meet demand in the future.

Speaking in his first interview in his role as Minister, he said, "Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy will do everything to ensure we are efficient when it comes to oil, electricity, renewable energy and gas. We are so proud of what we have done so far and we will keep working hard to bring solutions. We want to be more environmentally-friendly and want to make the necessary changes to production,".

Sharing ideas to deal with current and future issues

Forming an integral part of the 24th World Energy Congress' interactive programme are the daily plenary, parallel and special sessions with delegates and industry leaders sharing their expertise on significant issues impacting the industry.

Among the key sessions of Day 1 was 'The energy consumer 4.0'. In the presence of His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Dr Michael Webber, Chief Science and Technology Officer of ENGIE, the pair explained how energy providers will need to adapt to a new decentralised, decarbonised and digital world to successfully fully engage the energy consumer 4.0.

Mr. Awaidha Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy also took part in the special session - 'New visions of energy: Succeeding in a context of disruption', which saw an insightful discussion with other panel members on overcoming the challenges of the energy transition. Congress also showed how nations in the MENA region are embracing the opportunity of gas production to benefit their economies during the 'New regional perspectives' plenary session. What the future holds for international oil companies was discussed in the second special session –Beyond Petroleum 2.0'. Changing perspectives towards nuclear in the energy transition was discussed in 'A new dawn for nuclear' – one of the 14 plenary sessions that took place on Monday.

Looking ahead to day two

The 24th World Energy Congress will resume on Tuesday (September 10) with another packed programme. Discussing the theme of 'Business as (un)usual: Opportunity for change', the second day will feature more parallel sessions and five keynote address sessions. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Mr. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, and Dan Brouillette, USA's Deputy Secretary for Department of Energy are among the high-profile delegates taking to the stage.

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(Siddheshwar Shukla and Neeraj Singh Mehta, Team Devdiscourse from Abu Dhabi)