Business leaders demand ‘huge ambition’ from government as energy transition takes leading role at exports conference

2,500 attendees heard from 200 speakers during the four-day Virtual Energy Exports Conference

The Virtual Energy Exports Conference saw Energy Transition and COP26 emerge as the running themes throughout the event, with 2,500 delegates joining from across the world to hear about US$800bn in energy export opportunities from senior project decision makers.

High-level government and industry speakers stated that ‘Energy Transition is no longer if but when’, with many sessions dedicated to highlighting progress on commercial-scale energy transition technologies, such as BP’s Net Zero Teesside CCUS project.

There was a strong sense that the British energy sector expects the UK government to pitch ‘huge ambition’ at COP26, the landmark UN climate change conference taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.

COP26 was a common theme throughout the event, with some of the energy sector’s most established thought leaders stressing the need for an acceleration of government support and funding for energy transition and the UK energy sector ahead of the summit.

Stuart Broadley, CEO of the Energy Industries Council (EIC), the lead organiser of the event, said: “The EIC has been resetting what is possible from large virtual events, driving collaboration, raising the bar for UK export ambition and bringing all energy players together to have the difficult discussions needed in a rapidly changing energy sector.”

The Industry Plenary session featured the Chief Strategic Advisor to the Prime Minister Sir Edward Lister, ADNOC Gas Processing CEO Dr Saif Sultan Al Nasseri , and Aramco Europe’s President and CEO Talal Al-Marri, who said. “Despite global challenges, the scale of Aramco’s current oil & gas operations means we still require materials, routine inspection and maintenance - ensuring there are still plenty of opportunities for UK companies, which play an important role as part of our supply chain.”

Nick Cochrane-Dyet, Chairman of the British Business Group, Abu Dhabi and attendee at vEEC 2020, said vEEC had: “Great speakers, moderators, panellists and topics. It was a good platform and really well managed!”

Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Exports in the Department for International Trade, Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs from the Welsh Government, and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands in the Scottish Government all officially opened the event during the Opening Plenary on Monday 28 September.

Joining from the Department for International Trade in Nigeria, Energy Officer Tosin Adenuga said: “The EIC is setting a standard with how virtual events should be.”

Fellow attendee Ross Edmonds, Technical Sales Engineer at Flotech Performance Systems, said: “Great sessions, we managed to connect with companies we would not necessarily meet in normal circumstances.”

Senior representatives from companies including BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, Petrobras, Pale Blue Dot and Petronas were just a few of the 200 confirmed speakers.

Supported by Platinum Sponsor Petrofac and organised by the Energy Industries Council (EIC) with its partners, the Virtual Energy Exports Conference 2020 was the biggest EIC event in its 77-year history.

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE.