Decarbonising energy-intensive industries was the focus of the Global Energy and Utilities Conference at Middle East Energy, concluded on 9 March, following three days of top-level discussion from policymakers, business leaders, and industry experts from the energy industry
The day three opening session decarbonising industries addressed the critical need for decarbonising energy-intensive industries to successfully meet carbon reduction programmes and net-zero targets, with the UAE alone, expected to require new investments of US$164bn in clean and renewable energy sources to achieve its carbon-neutral 2050 pledge.
Turki Al Shehri, CEO, ENGIE, said, ?I?m optimistic because if you look at the entire value in terms of public and private companies and regulations, they are all aligned towards the net-zero objective. I believe the objective is very achievable and could be achieved in advance with the way things are moving forward.?
Discussing the use of technology in the here and now and the opportunities to decarbonise already available to many, Salim Mousallam, executive director - decarbonisation strategy and partnerships, GE Gas Power EMEA, said, ?Today, 40% of CO2 emissions from around the world come from power generation so we cannot ignore that we have to do something. For power plants, there are multiple solutions to decarbonise and achieve net-zero.
?At GE, we?ve been burning hydrogen for about 30 years, so the technology is there; however, the only issue is when you look at the energy trilemma, you need sustainability, reliability and affordability, so until you have the right economy and the infrastructure to support hydrogen, which can take years, we have to look at both pre and post-combustion. Carbon capture is critical as it is something we can do today.
?I think if you look at the overall picture if we have the right policies and incentives, we already have the solutions so we can start decarbonising today rather than waiting for the perfect solution in ten to 15 years.?
Concluding the Intersolar Conference, energy storage and the rapid evolvement of technology took centre stage during the opening session. The discussion centred on how the market is shifting and adapting as power generation, distribution, and storage technologies open new possibilities.
The county?s success in energy was also outlined and attributed to strong government policies and involvement, investment in the value chain from both the private and public sectors and million-dollar investments into transmission. However, it was also highlighted that there are still ample opportunities for further investment and growth.
At the Summit, participants also discussed emerging trends in green buildings, building retrofits, efficient mobility, efficient water use and reuse, solar applications, energy from waste, and many other related topics.