2024 Agenda
Thank you to our 2024 sponsors Cundall, Epicam and Vattenfall Heat UK.
- 08:55 GMT
- Live and Online
Trilogy of Notable Opening Addresses
Professor Paul S. Monks, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Followed by Mr Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive at Ofgem. Then, Neil McDermott, Chief Executive at the Low Carbon Contracts Company.
- 09:30 - 10:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Powering Britain: Integrating Renewables and Nuclear for a Greener Energy Future
Join us for an engaging session featuring three leading experts as they explore the dynamic landscape of the UK's energy sector. Prof. Peter Childs, Co-Director of the Energy Futures Lab - Imperial College will address the importance of effective supply and demand management, highlighting the need for responsible, inclusive approaches that consider diverse stakeholder perspectives. Iolo James, Head of Communications at the Nuclear Industry Association, will underscore the essential role of nuclear energy in enhancing UK energy security and achieving net zero targets through scalable, efficient programmes. Zoisa North-Bond, Chief Executive from Octopus Energy Generation will advocate for the rapid adoption of renewables and customer engagement in creating a smarter, more affordable energy system.
- 10:30 - 11:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Harnessing CCUS: Pathways to Net Zero and Clean Energy by 2030
Join us for an enlightening session featuring experts from the forefront of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) policy and technology. Ben Smith, Deputy Director for CCUS Power at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will discuss the pivotal role of CCUS in achieving the UK’s Clean Power by 2030 mission and its importance in the journey towards net zero. He will provide insights into the government’s progress and upcoming initiatives. Angela Hepworth, Commercial and Carbon Markets Director from Elimini, part of the Drax Group, will spotlight the critical technology of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), which uniquely combines renewable energy generation with carbon removal. As the UK's largest renewable generator, Drax’s recent planning consent to convert biomass units to BECCS illustrates the transformative potential of this technology. Ben Kek, Deputy General Manager from the Northern Endurance Partnership - East Coast Cluster will frame the discussion around the UK's CCUS Cluster Sequencing Process and the exciting future opportunities it presents, highlighting the ongoing developments that could reshape the landscape of energy and emissions.
- 11:30 - 12:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Unlocking Green Gas: Strategies for Achieving Net Zero in the UK
Join us for an insightful session featuring leading experts discussing the critical role of green gas in achieving the UK’s net zero ambitions. Rt Hon Chris Huhne, Chair of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association, will highlight how Britain is currently lagging behind Europe and the USA in green gas adoption, despite its potential as a rapidly growing energy source. He will emphasise the unique advantages of green gas—adaptable, storable, and home-grown—especially as a reliable energy solution during the winter months. Prof. Chris Fogwill, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Plymouth, will delve into the challenges of transitioning to a net zero future while leveraging existing gas infrastructure. He will explore how green gas vectors can facilitate decarbonisation across various sectors, enhancing circularity within waste streams and commercial by-products. Brett Ryan, Head of Policy at Hydrogen UK, will discuss hydrogen's vital role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors and its potential as a dispatchable power source. With a target of achieving up to 10GW by 2030, he will outline the criticality of infrastructure, and highlight some of the opportunities to reform production business models and demand-side strategies to meet these ambitious goals and capture the significant benefits to the UK.
- On-Demand Film
- Produced by Climate Cornwall Care
- On-Demand
Power to the People
Power to the People explores the exciting opportunities and huge challenges facing us as we wean ourselves off fossil fuels – from a farmer who’s found a novel way to combine food production with solar panels, opportunities to use our historic heritage to power the future, and projects to harness the amazing untapped heat 5km down in the Earth’s crust.
- 09:00 GMT
- Live and Online
Opening addresses
Stuart R Broadley FEI, Chief Executive, Energy Industries Council. Followed by James Naish MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe.
- 09:30 -10:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Decarbonising Heat: The Role of Heat Networks in Achieving Net Zero
Join us for an essential session featuring experts on the transformative potential of heat networks in decarbonising urban heat and power. Mike Reader MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Northampton South, will open with remarks on Labour's Green Prosperity Plan, emphasising the role of community-owned power and the environmental and economic benefits of heat networks. He'll discuss how these systems reduce energy waste, lower carbon emissions, and empower residents by cutting energy bills. Caroline Bragg, Chief Executive of The Association for Decentralised Energy, will highlight heat networks as a cost-effective solution for driving economic growth and achieving decarbonisation. She will call for a strategic government approach to spatial planning and sector growth in heat decarbonisation. Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director for Net Zero Heat at Innovate UK, will address the challenges in rolling out heat networks and outline Innovate UK's Net Zero Heat programme, which aims to transition from gas heating to flexible, decarbonised solutions. He will focus on the importance of data, technology, and process innovation for supporting heat network growth. Bindi Patel, Head of Customer Experience & Communications at Vattenfall Heat UK will explore how heat networks offer a fair transition to net zero that also supports local economic growth and direct community benefit, but compared to other European countries, heat networks provide a small amount of heat demand in the UK. Zoning is a step in the right direction, but there remains an incohesive policy landscape that creates complexity for both developers and customers seeking to connect to heat networks.
- 10:30 -11:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
The Future of Energy Storage: Balancing Flexibility and Duration for Net Zero
Join us for an engaging session featuring leading experts discussing the critical role of energy storage in achieving the UK’s net zero goals. Prof. Martin Freer, Chief Executive of The Faraday Institution, will explore two essential approaches to managing the intermittency of future electricity generation: enhancing flexibility in consumption and developing significant-scale storage solutions. He will discuss the importance of household demand management through in-home battery storage and the role of electric vehicle batteries, as well as the contributions of grid-scale storage from large battery installations. Prof. Seamus Garvey, Professor of Dynamics from the University of Nottingham will highlight the diverse landscape of energy storage solutions required for a net zero UK. He will outline the necessity of four distinct storage duration categories—very short, short, medium, and long—and present a cost-optimised framework for their funding. With projections indicating that spending on energy storage could rival that of PV panels and wind turbines, he will argue for a re-evaluation of funding allocations to ensure a balanced and effective energy storage system. Naomi Baker, Senior Policy Manager at Energy UK, will explore the ‘level playing field’ in energy markets, addressing how market mechanisms can lower prices and whether the 2030 target will aid or hinder progress. She will also highlight the varying market readiness among flexible energy contenders, emphasising the need for subsidies or regulatory changes. Tony Dye, Chief Technology Officer at Epicam will discuss his development of scalable longer duration Liquid Air Energy Storage and Regeneration (LAESAR) technology with RTE potential of 68%, targeting storage provision to 10% of grid capacity for global power grids. LAESAR also incorporates direct capture of CO2 and CH4 from process air. It can transform Wind turbines into local energy storage sites, eliminating curtailment and simplifying grid management, forming a global population of wind facilities capable of extracting 10 gigatonnes/yr. of CO2 to repair Earth’s climate.
- 11:30 -12:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Modern Grid: Building Resilient Systems for a Cleaner Future
Join us for an engaging session that examines the crucial need to modernise the grid and the interplay between energy and transport in building a sustainable and resilient future. Peter Ridge, Associate Director of Power at Cundall, will emphasise the importance of collaboration across industries and sectors, introducing his concept of "joining the dots." He will explain how integrating diverse elements—such as grid capacities, land suitability, and regulatory frameworks—can lead to the development of resilient energy systems that effectively respond to the evolving needs of society. Prof. Phil Blythe CBE, Director at DARe and the former Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport, will discuss the challenges posed by the electrification of various transport modes. He will highlight concerns regarding the electricity supply and distribution systems and their potential impact on the resilience of transport infrastructures. David Boyer, Director - Electricity Networks at the Energy Networks Association, will be outlining the current focuses and achievements of Britain’s network operators in modernising the Grid, from innovation to flexibility to connections reform, whilst still ensuring resilience and operability.
- 09:30 -10:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Championing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Energy Sector
Join us for an enlightening session focused on the critical themes of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the energy industry. Dr. Emma Wilcox, Chief Executive of the Society for the Environment, will discuss the importance of diverse teams in driving productivity and delivering effective solutions. While progress has been made in increasing workforce diversity, she will highlight the ongoing challenges that prevent the industry from fully reflecting the communities it serves. Dr. Wilcox will explore strategies for improving attraction, recruitment, and retention, sharing positive examples that show meaningful change is possible. Charlotte Morton OBE, Chief Executive of the World Biogas Association, will share the WBA’s commitment to gender parity through initiatives like the Women in Biogas working group. She will introduce an innovative mentorship program aimed at uplifting women into leadership roles, promoting biogas as a promising career path, and addressing the unique challenges faced by women in the industry. Charlotte will emphasise that diversity and inclusion are essential drivers of innovation, performance, and progress, reinforcing the importance of empowering women to bring their perspectives and talents to the forefront.
- 10:30 -11:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Skills for the Energy Economy: Navigating the Transition to Net Zero
Join us for a crucial session that addresses the urgent need for skills development in the transition to a green energy economy. Rhys Morgan, Strategic Projects Director for Skills and Inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering, will highlight the projected demand for over 500,000 new jobs in the next twenty years as we move toward net zero. He will discuss the critical skills required across various sectors, including offshore wind, hydrogen production, grid decarbonisation, battery manufacturing, and home retrofitting, while posing the pressing question: where will these skills come from? Emma Thompson, Executive Director of the Society of Operations Engineers, will delve into the importance of upskilling and reskilling the workforce as key drivers of the net zero transition. She will emphasise the need for clear standards and competencies to ensure efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, Emma will address the challenges ahead and discuss strategies for boosting accountability and enthusiasm within the workforce to achieve our sustainability targets.
- 11:30 -12:20 GMT
- Chair, Andy Walker
- Live, Online + Delegate Q&A
Empowering the Future: Skills Development for the Nuclear Power Sector
Join Alex Nicholson, Head of Nuclear Skills and Nuclear Supply Chain at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, as he discusses the UK’s ambitious targets for expanding the nuclear sector across both civil and defence applications. This session will explore the crucial role that skills development and supply chain capability play in delivering a resilient energy system, ensuring national security, and driving economic prosperity. Alex will address the pressing workforce gap in the nuclear industry and highlight opportunities for cultivating a skilled workforce. Central to his discussion will be the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills, which exemplifies unprecedented collaboration between the civil and defence nuclear sectors aimed at building a robust talent pipeline. Arun Khuttan, Chair of the Next Generation Nuclear Industry Council will be joining this session to offer his views. The Next Generation Nuclear Industry Council was established as a shadow board to the Nuclear Industry Council in 2020 and comprises around 12 young professionals who represent public and private sector organisations as well as the Nuclear Industry Association.
2024 Sponsors
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