Image source and rights: Siemens Energy

I have just finished the third and final day of panel events offered by #SiemensEnergyME in their #EnergyWeek. I took the time to attend all of the panels, the debates, the complexities, and the significant differences as starting points in the #energytransition we are all undertaking was well brought home.

The panels were full of highly knowledgeable people, the hands-on ones that are dealing with the energy issues of today each day, and thinking through the ones for tomorrow. Siemens drew in Ministers, CEO’s, Senior Management, CFO’s, CTO’s and Director-Generals to offer insights and create the atmosphere for what I would call “creative tension” that good knowledge brings to a debate.

The third day was positioned on Sustainability with digitalization as key to the future of solving grid complexity and the growing challenges of renewable integration.

So three themes over three days, transformation, innovation, and sustainability- each was embedded in each day and panel actually.

Also, the second panel on day three took on the role of Hydrogen but got so caught up in this it missed the other part of ‘driving sector coupling’. In many ways, the extra time devoted to the Hydrogen economy aspects needed all the time.

The final session was a fireside chat facilitated by John Defterios with Christian Bruch, the CEO of Siemens Energy.

Great insights yet again on day three

See day ONE “Transforming the Middle East and Africa for the Energy Transition” and day TWO “Agility and Adaptability in any Energy Transition” in my reflections and observations

In all three sessions on day three, you gained some terrific insights and impressions of the sheer size of the Energy Transition being undertaken. It is enormous and as the world has set thirty years to make a huge dent in carbon emissions, it is of the utmost imperative to get going now on the changes needed today to give any “fighting chance” to deliver on the commitments made by each of the 190b plus countries that signed the Paris Agreement

Climate change is the driving force, the energy transformation is a principle mechanism to achieve this and clean energy needs to replace fossil fuel as the global solution.

Panel One- digitalization, grid complexity and integrating renewables

The 1st panel on Digitalization, Grid Complexity, and integrating Renewables highlighted the sheer differences. From the grasp of the challenges and issues by both HE Hala Zawati, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan to the planning and development of solutions from Beatrix Natter, the Executive Vice President, Transmissions at Siemens. The counterbalancing that went on here gave the other panelists the platform to demonstrate, illustrate, or clarify their practical issues and needs to drive their business needs.

Where to start and how to summarize the expertise within this panel is hard. I learned a lot, I gained a lot and appreciated all the dep experiences gained from the ‘hands-on’ grappling with the complexities and challenges each grid and infrastructure entity is currently grappling with.

The capacity of grids, the stability, how to integrate solutions, and the increasing new dynamics of the final consumer adding energy they are generating back into the grid. As the Minister of Jordan stated Jordan has 20, 000 consumer/producers, and they are presently not seeing them on their grid and this variable influx of energy input throws the balancing of the grid in knowing their demands or supply.

The integrating of all the viable energy of renewables and where the energy is coming from is becoming increasingly a problem to manage.

The appeal and growing recognition was that we need as managing these assets to bring digital solutions for all the grid or infrastructure to dynamically manage it and understand its volatility in real-time

The energy infrastructure in many countries is aging (badly) and with all the renewable or alternative energy sources available, the ‘toggling’ of keeping energy supply consistent and reliable but to begin to upgrade, even layer on new capacity is a huge problem. This is a worldwide one, well-articulated by the Jordan and Saudi Arabian examples.

Jordan has a remarkable 20% of renewables in its system, in some ways it is having to slow down to allow infrastructure and its management to catch up and understand the new energy dynamics.

The consumer expectancies in energy are on the rise. Energy bills are expected to reduce, electricity is the consumer’s right to be reliable, safe, and stable for all their needs.

To achieve this no one solution alone works, the complete (re)design of grids and the infrastructure needs to be undertaken. What enters in energy fuels, how it gets transmitted, and how and where it is received. For this, you need smarter grids.

There came a point of having very innovative design criteria and entered into the discussion was digitalization. The so-called emerging “Internet of Energy”. This evolution stands alongside the IoT and IIoT in impact, change, and value and it is at a very low point of understanding or delivering.

Beatrix Natter outlined very succinctly some of the opening steps before we can see any platform for the Internet of Energy.

Firstly we have to digitalize the product, enable them to produce real-time data, her physical to digital step only currently being undertaken this gives the first chance to understand the operating conditions of the machine or connecting point.

Then the second step is to build the same digital capability into substations to understand the edge of grids.

Thirdly to make connections beyond two points to begin to turn this into a dynamic data system. It is then the automation of energy flows and intelligence becomes the value of these (essential) investments from the digital investments required.

There was some push back, not on the realization of the time and cost this will take but on the sheer scale of all the needs to upgrade for the grids to become more flexible, adaptable, and resilient. This includes upgrading, layering on new grid solutions, building in storage,  designing for even greater variability and capacity in electricity supply  

The bottom line of the discussion was this is huge to undertake in such a transformation of the grid transmission and infrastructure. The sheer scale and investment cost while the need is to deliver lower energy bills and reliable supply to the consumer.

The conclusions of the panel were “are we jumping too short in our present views?” Are our expectations and needs, adjusting to the new world of renewables ambitious enough? Do we measure Capex or even Opex in the right way? What happens with the growing legacy of fossil fuels that seemingly can’t deliver energy into the system as cheaply. Also, the ways to move from highly centralized large energy management systems to decentralized digitally. Lastly the need to enhanced the system, gain efficiency, and greater control that will offer intelligence and smartness to manage energy in radically different ways.

I could go on and on from the value of this panel. Another time and posts to come!

The second panel was on Hydrogen as the future energy source.

The panel took some time to find its flow in exchanges. Having Saudi Aramco in such an effective advocate as Ahmad Al Khowalter, the CTO was counterbalanced by the German contingent of the Director-General in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy alongside Prof. Armin Schnettler, the EVP New Energy Business for Siemens Energy.

The debate was partly centered on the present one of Blue vs Green hydrogen. What is economically feasible and at scale already, blue hydrogen versus the promise of green hydrogen yet to some at commercial scale.

The debate was partly “seeing is believing” and the commitments of Germany’s government in Green Hydrogen support have kick-started Siemens Energy to be more bullish on raising green hydrogen expectations. versus the abundance of cost-efficient oil from Saudi Aramco in particular.

Saudi Aramco has already in place significantly blue hydrogen facilities at some scale and already piloting a 4o tonne of high-grade blue ammonia shipment. This is a compound consisting of three parts hydrogen and one part nitrogen, marking a successful demonstration of the supply network from Saudi Arabia to Japan. The Saudi-Japan blue ammonia supply network demonstrated the conversion of hydrocarbons to hydrogen and then to ammonia, as well as the capture of the associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

The camps of Green coming from the solution coming from PEM Electrolysers, being pushed hard as needed to be contracted to be realized and supported by the German Government in grants and investment subsidies, and Blue, based on fossil fuel and proposed by Saudi Aramco as the one already in place and potentially easier to ramp up today, as it is at scale and significantly can be quickly used in advancing Power-to-X.

For me, the need to prove Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) as a proven commercially solution, viable from broad adoption, is the test of validation of Blue Hydrogens’ right to be at the lasting clean energy table in years to come.

Saudi Aramco can lead the way from the perspective of cleaning up fossil fuels completely, to turn them green as harmful emissions are our global issue. Make fossil fuels truly green should be their big challenge. The reward for green hydrogen in systems and fuel delivery is the twin challenges of Electrolyzers and CCUS to deliver. Green energy is the fuel of the future in its many possible final forms and that needs to become the new fuel/ energy standard.

I think there were not two sides, just healthy knowledgeable exchanges on who represented what (green vs blue) but the recognition to ensure Hydrogen does actually happen and become the new energy fuel to replace fossil fuels both need to be in the equation. No one disagreed on this, the discussion was time for scaling and delivering clean hydrogen has to happen today.

There is a need for both blue and green but it is the positioning of which is the one to lead or lag?

A final aspect of this panel was the contributions of Badr Al-Olama, Executive Director Aerospace for Mubadla Investment Company. He delivered constantly the 30,000-foot perspectives among them with a reminder that the Millenials are impatient and that gave the combined voice of all panelists of their shared commitment of “let’s do it” He was striving to keep focusing on the bigger picture in his contributions, which I personally liked.

The final session was the fireside chat with the CEO of Siemens Energy.

We are in the throws of a decarbonizing world, the transformation agenda is specific by country or energy issue. The boundary conditions need changing to accelerate the environment to be climate aware and regulated.

Siemens positioning is presently more of the broad diverse provider of a wide range of energy solutions, they are committed to driving their part of the energy change needed. They are pitching themselves as the interim solution provider to allow the future to take further shape before their portfolio will be further calibrated

The need is for traded value immediately (I liked that) built on solid business use cases with the energy transition requiring market-driven mechanisms in policy and regulatory change. The view of the CEO also stressed the need for the (financial) market to drive change and deliver the funding for the decarbonized world we are all expecting and requiring.

My conclusions on the three days

Such a lot to process and synthesis, all gained in my the ability to be virtually connected. Having not to travel was a huge benefit for me.

Siemens put together a well thought through range of panelists around the three big topics of Transformation, Innovation, and Sustainability in manageable, bite-sized chunks of the Energy Transition.

From my side, just a big thank you to #SiemensEnergyME for hosting this. It is planned as a yearly feature, I can eagerly await from the quality of each of these sessions to knowing this is time well spent.

Thanks, Siemens Energy.

The post Complexity, Debate and Many Starting Points in the Energy Transition first appeared on Innovating the Energy Transition.

Image source and rights: Siemens Energy

So I have just finished up my second day at the Siemens Energy Middle East & Africa #EnergyWeek. A completely different day that took the second theme of innovation into a deeper dive around tackling the decarbonization of the hydrocarbon industry, followed by digitalizing the energy industry and a final panel about preparing societies for energy evolution

It was a mixed bag for me. Innovation is my core topic, and energy is my major focus area to apply innovation to, so this was a day of expectations and insights. I am sorry it is a little longer than I would have liked but here you go:

I heard that “innovation is in our DNA”, and no doubt it is, but one should always ask what type of innovation. Research related, technology-specific, or market-orientated. There are so many facets of innovation. I believe you need to be a little careful of making claims when the subject is so broad.

Panel one- decarbonizing the hydrocarbon industry

The panel did its job for me, in prompting many questions

The first panel discussed the hydrocarbon industry with a very specific focus on the oil and gas section, naturally as this is the Middle East. My impression is that recent shocks and the Corvid.19 crisis have certainly hit the Middle East especially hard. The panel finds its “collective feet” to respond and react and move from some tough days of retrenching in supply, ambitions and adjusting to a different flow of finances. It has, in many ways, seen the “writing on the wall” for some time with the charge of renewables and the different geographical markets shifting from the reliance on oil and gas.

I felt innovation should have been so much more “front and center” in the panel discussion. The reverting to extracting more efficiencies from an existing plant, continuing to tackle long-term problems of methane emissions, leakage, and flaring was present as issues but not foremost in mind to lead to significant initiatives in carbon capture and storage. The conclusion is CCUS is a promise, not proven to scale so we simply carry on. I believe the approach to make this CCUS is central to the Oil & Gas future in the Middle East as essential to invest in, in massive ways, and fully master.

Secondly, Gas is deemed by many as the bridge solution while the world continues to move to renewables or replace hydrocarbons with green molecules from Hydrogen. This “interim” solution is for twenty to thirty years or even more and in this time by making innovation central to solving CCUS in scale and commercial value is a challenge I would have thought the Middle East was wanting to significantly invest in this to achieve a leadership position. Perhaps it is working on this but it did not come across to me. I felt the Middle East is waiting for others to crack this CCUS in scale and commercial viability. What a lost innovating opportunity

There were many discussions on extending existing assets, and many of these seemed old assets, eeking out beyond their normal lifecycles. Is this the best route to go? We can attempt to make an old plant efficient, but why can’t new plants take their place? Designed with twenty to thirty years of use, the absolute state of the art. Make them climate-friendly in every way and taking innovative designs to make that happen. Adding oil or gas into a mixed environment with solar or wind and hydrogen to produce new green fuels needs accelerating. It is happening (project in Saudi Arabia), but it needs to be far more radical. More hybrid systems being commissioned.

Are oil and gas the enemy from a public perspective? That was raised on the panel, or as stated, is this actually emissions as our No 1 enemy? I thought that was a good point.

There was lots of talk about the coal to gas switch, and the growing coal growth still going in Asia. That is a growing concern I assume in the Middle East that it will be renewables that replace coal, not oil and gas and the markets continue to decline as Europe has signaled very specifically renewables is its future

There were discussions on the need to decarbonize brown assets, retrofits, waiting for a fair market where subsidies get removed (fair to whom as Oil and Gas have had a fair run on these in past years) Some floating of a World Carbon Bank was mentioned but will that ever transpire, the same as the carbon tax debate. They need global consensus and that is going to be hard.

I wish the panel had lifted itself out of its current position, it was a little depressing as this was the innovation focus day.

Oil and especially gas have a future for some time to come. If the Middle East players do not make some bold, innovative moves then they have lost the chance to be vibrant contributors to the energy transition, they will continue to move away, dilute and diversify and attempt to adjust to the new energy world but in diminished ways of shaping the energy future.

Do not get me wrong, I want a clean energy world but I simply felt the air of this panel as it debated was sometimes in the discussions a self-defeating, defensive mood. It seemed they were simply stuck on leveraging on the existing and extending all assets for maximum extraction. This approach may work for a shareholder short term but not competing in a very competitive world, where renewables are dominating at present. The Middle East needs to be collectively bolder.

Surely having a responsible oil and gas business that is determined to decarbonize fully, to provide fuels of the future that blend and mix the abundant resources that are available is the better way to go.

Oil and Gas need different perspectives, what I heard here was not taking that challenge on but hanging in as long as they can while adjusting to the WHOLE world moving away from Oil and Gas dependence. Increasingly we are seeing countries establishing their own renewables sources locally for growing energy independence. The reality and present mood seem acceptance of the fact that Oil and Gas are declining or is it still a little too early to tell as the world still depends on Oil & Gas for most essential industrial purposes?

I wanted to hear a very different innovation panel discussion not attempting to keep business as usual when it plainly cannot, but a collection of views for were Oil and Gas will be in 10 to 20 years and what will have changed in its current forms, from the Middle East perspective.

The second panel was Digitalizing the energy industry

The second panel was about “Digitalizing the energy industry”. The panel felt like it was a “probe and explore.” It got down into implementations and individual constraints and barriers. It did not lift up to where innovation can transform the energy industry.

In what I have read in my research and heard from others the Energy industry has been very slow to adopt digital. Digital has been around at Grid Controller, Fleet Director, or Power Plant Controller levels but not moving to the transformational level of managing the whole Energy System, that we are witnessing in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 where platforms, applications, and enormous resources are being poured into solutions.

There seems a lack of industry momentum to this, it is islands of initiatives. The people involved on the panel are at the evangelizing or spreading the digital world, working on building insider understanding, using the traditional user case approaches, slowing getting acceptance of the (valuable) part digital will play. Continuing in this “piece-meal” approach is the road to nowhere of any really different value potential.

They are seemingly are in trench warfare and that is understandable.

The value to the operations, the financial contributions are case-by-case, they reply on personal commitment and opportunity spotting. The journey to single sources of truth (data) is being broken down to allow islands of information to be changed into knowledgeable aspects that can add business value.

The analytical and predictive parts are well on their way but as there are limited platforms that “lift” industry standards, much of the data stays within the one company, not achieving that open value you can achieve in industry comparison.

The workforce perhaps within the Oil and Gas industry has been so physically orientated the shift to digital is seen as strange and alien.

What I did hear was an emerging pathway that will allow the digitalization of energy to take off and gain from scaling.

This was, in my words and interpretation, what I heard were thoughts on the beginning of a digital pathway:

1. Key is partnerships, sharing, exchanging, and bringing different skill sets to the same table

2. To get the current pilot phasing (pilot purgatory) shifting. Partly improper selection of projects, unclear end value, and lack of commitment beyond experiment and learning are holding the move to scale and commercialization

3. The energy transformation competitiveness is at a point where market volumes are declining, competitive edges are being sought. Can digital be a value enabler to make a difference? Operating in islands never brings the value that open data sharing can. It galvanizes real change

4. Scaling and deployment. The hard work on working on finding and justifying solutions based on digital applications can only go so far. The need is for a stack of (applicable) technologies and robust, dynamic, evolving platforms that oil and gas producers can tap into.

5 A real need for trust with the end-user so they begin to see how digital can augment their knowledge.

There was some mention of a digital twin idea and some work already taking place but it is not at any scale or appreciation on the same level as where the value of the Industrial Digital Twin has advanced through all its relevant parts. This prediction or innovative need was skipped over

I was expecting discussions on far more on Complex engineering tasks that can be mapped in detail through virtual simulation. How Artificial intelligence plays a key role in data management and domain expertise of Siemens AG to go beyond creating a virtual 3D model of an asset, where solutions in the future will be able to quickly incorporate all structural, electrical, mechanical, control, and instrumentation data efficiently.

Bringing sophisticated solutions is what I felt the panel was looking for, to take their initiatives onto a different level. A level that relies on the close collaboration between solution providers with the expertise in analytics, modeling, cloud computing, and AI, and operators who have in place systems so they can open up their assets to the data-gathering systems that are required for the necessary detail this digitalization world needs to bring new business value and operating models.

Clearly one day, the industry will exist in both the physical and virtual worlds, it is beginning, with the feedback boosting production, asset life, efficiency, capturing emission and energy loss points and, crucially build on safety.

I was expecting to hear more solutions about digital solutions as this was a Siemens based event but that may be a business yet to fully come from them also. It seems Siemens Energy is only beginning to focus in on this.

The final panel around “preparing societies for the energy revolution” was my highlight of the day.

The final panel was about preparing societies for energy evolutions. The panel identified the need for new skills for this new energy world. Siemens spoke about their adoption of “to Energise Society” but these are, again it seems early days.

The awareness and education of society to the energy changes will be felt nowhere more dramatically than in the Middle East. To move away from subsidies for society, low oil and gas prices, and adjust to different consumption challenges will be a challenge.

I did like the approaches that are being undertaken in both Saudi Arabia and to a more advanced level in the UAE. The notion of how we live and think, how we adapt, the understanding of diversification, and what it promises in new work and skills is a tough one to transition.

The panel talked through different initiatives. They spoke about embracing innovation, having a more agile revolution, gaining increased identification, and separation from reliance just on technology but on individual skills.

The UAE Minister, Her Excellency Minister of State for International Development, Reem Al Hashimy laid out some very clear enablers to take society through the changes occurring, not just in energy but across much of the changing world that is ahead. She spoke of Advocacy Platforms, developing localized thought leadership, providing memorable experiences to modify experiences, and inspire change as enablers.

Each panel members offer up different interesting points of view from Dr. Raja Al Gurg, Dana Al Juffall, Gina Verghi-Breuer, and HE Reem Al Hashimy, nicely moderated by Dr. Dalla Samra-Rohte gave me the best session of the day.

HE Reem Al Hashimy provided me the most memorable point “Agility and Adaptability” and that perhaps sums up the three panels and the struggles, stages they are all in, within the energy transition.

The energy transition in the Middle East, so heavily dependent on the Oil & Gas industry is yet to find its sustaining innovation ways. It has many but they need a greater catalyst and imperative to bring a lasting change. The UAE clearly shows the way but to make dramatic changes innovation needs dramatically lifting up in thinking through.

Innovation needs to be more radical and applied, less talked around, or applied in isolated islands. The Middle East from hearing from all involved does have the capability, providing it refocused in its own transformation on what it can offer the rest of the world and its own societies.

The post Agility and Adaptability in any Energy Transition first appeared on Innovating the Energy Transition.

Image source and rights: Siemens Energy

I am attending a virtual event held by Siemens Energy focusing on their Middle East and African region during their #EnergyWeek.

There are three days of focused panels discussing areas around Transformation, Innovation & Sustainability in Energy within these regions.

For me, it is highly valuable. I have had periods living in the Middle East and Africa, the experiences hold many of my important moments over a business career that eventually covered living and working across six continents.

Listening to those involved on these panels sharing their energy challenges, their concerns but above hearing of the progress they are making within their parts of the Energy Transition we are all undertaking was uplifting.

We all constantly are reminded of the “have’s and have nots”. When you are in a region of the world that is so diverse and full of conflicting issues it is hard to “square them” all in the same need but it is all our needs for clean, reliable energy is the common point of reference.

Some short opening stories from selected countries in Africa and the Middle East

When you listen to energy stories from Bènin, which ranks amongst the poorest countries to Nigeria, a country I have visited a few times as one of Africa’s two wealthiest economies but has overtaken India as home to the world’s greatest concentration of extreme poverty then you fully appreciate Energy is critical to each.

So many countries in this part of the world need to emerge from social pressures and deliver to young populations the opportunities to have security and the potential to grow comes from providing sustainable energy. Nigeria has the third-largest youth population in the world, after India and China, with more than 90 million of its population under the age of eighteen, expectations are simply just rising.

Then we had a brief glimpse into the story of Iraq. They have suffered such devastating consequences of dictatorships, followed by the war. Civil armed conflict continues and it is the ability to provide stable electricity after such technology and infrastructure losses. The need for power generation, fulfilling the energy hunger to establish better conditions for the country to rebound from these recent times.

The other country that was featured significantly on the panel was the UAE.

What a staggering transformation has been undertaken in the UAE. I first visited the UAE forty years ago and stayed in touch over all these years. You can’t fail to be impressed in all they have been undertaking, in progress, in leading and transforming, and no where is it not best illustrated than in their Energy Transition.

The UAE has an abundance of oil, they have been pragmatic and visionary to undergo the changes away from the reliance on fossil fuel production into one of the most innovative energy mixes you will find anywhere in the World. They have an abundance of sun, they are exploring Nuclear and Hydrogen in world-leading designs and concepts.

Anyone interested in the energy transition needs to appreciate what the UAE is undertaking to provide a lasting energy transition away from an overdependence on oil.

Straddling the diversity in the ME & A regions

How you “straddle” the differences within such a region as the Middle East and Africa is a challenge for anyone. African nations need access to energy, they need to radically overhaul their regulations, rapidly replace their aging infrastructure.

Countries specifically have to solve “energy for all” as here we have issues of cooking with charcoal, mostly in confined spaces and the health effects are significant in the emissions this gives. Across the globe but with a majority in Africa we still have 2.8 billion people reliant on cooking in these ways. Plus we have 0.8 billion with no electricity access at all.

Then you have the Middle East, riven by conflicts but having some of the world’s richest nations. Such a diversity of energy challenges to solve societal problems and undergo the energy transition to one based on clean energy.

Building the momentum within this event

The three-day event is entitled “The Energy Shaping of Tomorrow” The event by Siemens Energy is offering a window into their world of dealing day-in-day out across the Middle East and Africa in solving, delivering solutions, and collaborating on Energy issues.

The value of having such diverse panelists on each panel, you quickly get into conflicting debates and the myriad of ways to solve the energy transition. You hear the conflicting debates around the replacement of hydrocarbons with renewables and its timing, problems, and challenges to move towards the need to have a stable electricity supply based on renewable energy.

Each of the markets in the Middle East and Africa has different starting points to transform their energy into clean, sustainable sources that deliver reliable, affordable and sustaining this to ‘feed’ the energy-hungry of the population, not only to live but to be able to build their future from having energy secure

What has struck me very powerfully is how all that did speak all stressed about working together in partnerships to resolve the issues that will enable or constrain the energy transition.

One great takeaway for me was when you are working on such a complex energy transformation each country is working upon, the best solution is to construct this jointly. By building a collaborative, open clarity of the energy journey, the benefits are enormous by building a comprehensive and realistic roadmap. You then achieve s more focused transition that builds progressively.

As stated by Paddy Padmanathan CEO of @ACWAPower supported by Dieter Sierdorfer, the CEO of Siemens Energy MEA: “Be brutal on your Energy assessments on where you are“

As you set about building Energy Roadmaps there is a need to ensure there is a clear Society Engagement & reality and truth of the challenges needing to be faced and clarity of the timeline, however unpalatable that might be.

The takeaway headlines for me on this first day of a three-day event were

– Shaping the Energy Systems of the Future had a fascinating opening panel of discussions & views of the #EnergyTransition challenges. It highlighted gaps and discussed ways for closing these gaps in the Middle East and Africa

– Energy solutions need to tackle inequality, provide impact, and access to #energy. Working through the mechanics of really diverse solutions that will need to optimize heat and power, accelerate new technologies, and provide flexible grids and build new infrastructure. To achieve this. it is a mix of both interim and long-term energy solutions.

– There is a period in these next decades for Africa NOT to lose this unique opportunity to achieve energy independence.

– It is easy to say, tough to implement but there was the message that we should not bail out the past, or attempt to retrofit the past, we need to find the solutions that lead to the #Energy Shaping of our future

– I related strongly to the comment “Africa is (so often) unrecognized and underappreciated” in their individual #EnergyTransition One message I heard is this building of Energy Roadmaps are vital to begin to gain recognition and attract the required capital to achieve these ambitions.

What is so important to appreciate in listening to the Energy panel on @Siemens_Energy#EnergyWeek in ME & Africa is getting electrification to all. As @Siersdorfer_D stated “A basic right of all of society is access to Electricity” This comes from collaborations & partnerships but selecting the right energy solutions that fit individual country circumstances.

The further great takeaways for me were:

– Panel 3 today was about views from the financial gurus showing their passion and commitment. The risk & need equation, reducing today’s more anxious capital markets, getting #EnergyTransition back on an accelerated path

– What was driven home, for me at least by the Financial panelists was until we have clear definitions, certification & classifications the “pent-up” capital waiting to invest in #EnergyTransition is being frustrated. We need energy and capital to fit.

– How do developing countries access Energy Capital? Investors want quantification, in impact and need clear measures. Building clear ambitious and transparent agenda and comprehensive roadmaps certainly helps. It begins the transparency that investors require to quantify the risk and returns.

-Knowing the ambitions and vision that Energy will need to provide for  meeting societies needs and “fleshing out” the Capital support needs working on but it brings engagement and growing confidence to all those that need to be involved, from Government, suppliers, to investors.

– The solutions of crowdsourcing and blockchain for #EnergyTransition are developing tools to sharpen and hone. Getting the release of capital needs different financing tools- Corporate and Project Bonds need evolving.

– When a financial panel concludes “Striving to do more good, desire is not enough and reaffirming transparent partnerships can bring Capital to the table” then for developing countries their need is to build stronger energy narratives as a matter of urgency.

So in conclusion there were some powerful, insightful discussions at @Siemens_Energy and their #Energy Week, just on day one!

There is two days left where the different panels discuss the role of #innovation on day two and what role it plays in #energy in three separate sessions; preparing society, #digitalisation of energy, and #decarbonization of the hydrocarbon industry

The third day is all about Sustainability delving into grid stability, complexity, and renewable integrations, then driving the sector coupling and a Fireside chat to finish between John Defterios (CNN) and the CEO of Siemens Energy, Christian Bruch.

I am certainly looking forward to hearing more. It is not too late to register if you want to learn more about the Middle East and the Energy Transition in general from a wide range of Energy experts. The link is meaweek.siemens-energy-events.com.

I look forward to seeing you in the Middle East, virtually.

It is well worth it to attend. You can’t fail to learn something of lasting value around the energy transition we are all undertaking together.

The post Transforming the Middle East and Africa for the Energy Transition first appeared on Innovating the Energy Transition.