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Conference: Global Energy Systems - June 26-28 2013
Posted by Rembrandt on December 17, 2012 - 3:20pm
Our energy system is evolving due to depletion of cheap fossil fuels and the need for carbon emission constraints. Government and business are under pressure to tackle the energy challenges of rising energy costs, energy security, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We witness rapid changes across countries as this evolution takes place, steered both by markets (investment decisions) and government (policy decisions).
It is essential for energy professionals to stay well informed with the latest insights in this evolving world. For this reason, Euan Mearns of The Oil Drum, myself and several others, are organizing the first three-day Global Energy Systems conference, which will take place in Edinburgh, United Kingdom from June 26 - 28 2013. The conference is meant to deliver key updates on the most pressing energy issues and challenges facing our energy system, as well as providing a forum for exchange of substantially different viewpoints. It is supported by several universities and research institutes including University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh, Oxford Research Group, Chatham House and others.
The scope is deliberately very broad, covering most primary energy sources, so that a global view of the current energy system can be presented. Session topics include “the limits to easily accessible fossil fuels”, “frontier fossil fuel technologies and basins”, “the viability of nuclear power”, “the costs and benefits of fossil versus renewable electricity”, and “the economics and policy of energy systems”. A few of our confirmed speakers include Michael Kumhof (IMF), Sir David King (Oxford University), Arthur Berman (The Oil Drum), Ian Emsley (World Nuclear Association), Lord Ron Oxburgh (House of Lords UK Parliament), Peter Jackson (IHS CERA), and Thomas Ahlbrandt (former USGS WPA, Ahlbrandt Consulting).
Read below the fold for an overview of the conference programme and confirmed speakers to date.
General interest, media and sponsorship enquiries
The conference is organized on a non-profit basis by a group of energy professionals concerned about the challenges that we face. Any expressions of interest, suggestions for content and analysis, and contributions of sponsorship, are most welcome. Your content, media, and sponsorship related communication can be directed to: alexr at scenetwork.co.uk
Conference Programme per 10 December 2012
Day 1 – Fossil Fuels: Can we turn Unconventional into Conventional?
| Conference Opening | ||
| 08:00 – 09:00 | Registration | Coffee & tea | |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome and Sponsor addresses | Program Committee and Sponsors |
| 09:30 – 10:25 | Keynote Address on the Global Energy Challenges | Lord Ron Oxburgh, House of Lords UK Parliament |
| 10:25 – 10:50 | Coffee & tea | |
| The Limits to Easily Accessible Fossil Fuels | ||
| 10:50 – 11:15 | Fossil Fuel Production forecasts: analysis of resource and reserve assumptions and model mechanics | Joint Paper convened by Dr. Roger Bentley |
| 11:15 – 11:40 | Perspectives on China's Coal Industry and Future | Kevin Jianju Tu, Senior Associate Carnegie |
| 11:40 – 12:05 | World Oil Upstream Development Outlook, Production, Technology, and Cost. | Dr. Peter Jackson, Head of Research IHS CERA |
| 12:05 – 12:30 | Russia's Natural Gas Outlook: Yamal Peninsula & Arctic (Case Study) | |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Break | |
| Frontier Fossil Fuel Technologies and Basins | ||
| 13:30 – 13:55 | The future of US shale/tight oil | Dr. Kenneth Chew |
| 13:55 – 14:20 | Oil and gas recovery from continuous (unconventional) resources: Technology innovation options for improving the economic baseline | Dr. Ruud Weijermars, Director TU/Delft Unconventional Gas Research Initiative |
| 14:20 – 14:55 | Enhanced Oil Recovery - The 300 billion barrel Question | |
| 14:55 – 15:10 | Refreshment Break | |
| 15:10 – 15:35 | The technological and economic limitations to unlock coal resources | |
| 15:35 – 16:00 | Potential and limitation of liquefaction of coal and gas | |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Coffee & tea break | |
| Debate: Energy Scarcity, Threat or Fiction? | ||
| 16:30 – 17:30 | Viewpoint A: "Upcoming technologies will unlock the unconventional resource base" | |
| Dr. Thomas Ahlbrandt, Vice-President of Exploration at Falcon Oil & Gas | ||
| Dr. Roberto F. Aguilera, Research Fellow Curtin University, Australia. | ||
| Viewpoint B: "We can’t afford the energy, labour and capital cost to prolong the fossil fuel era" | ||
| Dr. Michael Kumhof, Deputy division chief, Modeling Unit IMF | ||
| Arthur Berman, Labyrinth Consulting Services | ||
| Day Summary | ||
| 17:30 – 18:00 | Closing | Program Committee |
| 18:00 – 21:00 | Onsite buffet at site | |
| 18:00 – 19:30 | Policy Workshop: The information, data, and policy gaps on the Limits to Easily Accessible Fossil Fuels and Potential to unlock Unconventionals | Breakout group of speakers plus invited delegates |
Day 2 – The Future of the Electricity System
| Conference Opening | ||
| 08:00 – 09:00 | Registration | Coffee & tea | |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome and Sponsor addresses | Program Committee and Sponsors |
| 09:30 – 10:25 | Keynote Address | Dr. Jeremy Leggett, non-Executive chairman Solarcentury, Chairman Solaraid |
| 10:25 – 10:50 | Coffee & tea Break | |
| The viability of Nuclear Power | ||
| 10:50 – 11:15 | Nuclear after Fukushima, the Global Nuclear Outlook | Dr. Ian Emsley, World Nuclear Association |
| 11:15 – 11:40 | The uranium fuel market, prospects and constraints | |
| 11:40 – 12:05 | Nuclear & national security, accident probabilities and the need for 100% safe nuclear reactors | |
| 12:05 – 12:30 | Nuclear waste and breeders, technological options for re-using nuclear waste | |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch break | |
| The cost and benefits of Renewable versus Fossil Electricity | ||
| 13:30 – 13:55 | The Benefits and Costs of Renewable Energy deployment | Dr. Ulrike Lehr, Institute of Economic Structures Research GWS |
| 13:55 – 14:20 | Electricity demand management, (regulations, options, growth, rebounds) | Prof. Gareth Harrison, University of Edinburgh, Electrical Power Engineering Group |
| 14:20 – 14:55 | Constraints to scalability of renewable energy sources | |
| 14:55 – 15:10 | Refreshment Break | |
| 15:10 – 15:35 | The full costs of electricity and storage | |
| 15:35 – 16:00 | Innovative electricity storage technologies on the horizon | |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Coffee & tea break | |
| Debate: The future – friction between unconventional Fossil Fuels versus Renewables? | ||
| 16:30 – 17:30 | Viewpoint A: "There is no silver bullet to resolve supply-demand tensions" | |
| Viewpoint B: "The abundant potential for re-industrialization into a green renewable economy" | ||
| Viewpoint C: "We can’t afford not to burn unconventional fossil fuels" | ||
| Speakers to be announced | ||
| Day Summary | ||
| 17:30 – 18:00 | Closing | Program Committee |
| 18:00 – 21:00 | Onsite buffet at site | |
| 18:00 – 19:30 | Policy Workshop: the information, data, and policy gaps on meeting the Energy Challenges towards the Future Electricity System | Breakout group of speakers plus invited delegates |
Day 3 – The Economics & Policy of Energy Systems
| Conference Opening | ||
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Coffee & tea | |
| 09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome and Sponsor addresses | Program Committee and Sponsors |
| 09:15 – 10:00 | Keynote Address | Professor Sir David King, Director Smith School Oxford University |
| Understanding the long term balance between Supply, Demand, and the Price of Energy | |||
| 10:00 – 10:25 | Demand side: The energy intensity of the economy | ||
| 10:25 – 10:50 | The influence of price risks on policy design and investment | Dr. William Blyth, Director Oxford Energy Associates | |
| 10:50 – 11:15 | Coffee & tea | ||
| 11:15 – 11:40 | The capital cost requirements of energy transitions | Dr. Michael Dale, Stanford University | |
| 11:40 – 12:00 | Demand side: The economic impacts of oil prices | ||
| Panel Discussion on Key Knowledge, Data & Policy Gaps in the Energy sphere | |||
| 12:00 - 12:45 | Professor Michael Jefferson, University of Buckingham | ||
| Professor Zoe Shipton, University of Strathclyde | |||
| More panelists to be announced | |||
| 12:45 – 13:00 | Conference Summary, Final Sponsor Thanks | ||
| Energy Modelling workshop | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch with Introduction |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Selected Individual Presentation rounds |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | Discussion |
| Speakers to be announced | |
Contact
- Content: editors at theoildrum dot com
- Tech support: support at theoildrum dot com
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Rembrandt,
At first glance I don't see any focus on reducing energy demand; demand destruction.
Addressing Peak Oil and Climate Change will above all require a great reduction in demand.
Have you considered inviting, for instance, Wolfgang Feist, from the Passivhaus Institut?
Don't mean to presume the direction of the conference, but the reduction of energy demand is often neglected, while there is no lack of discussion about the production of energy.
Andrew
Hello Andrew,
Thank you for the useful comment/feedback, we received similar feedback from a number of others as well, and indeed it is one of the "weak" links in the program. I an others still need to think more deeply on how to address this in the conference program properly (one talk is not sufficient I think to take a leap forward in knowing how to better tackle such a key issue).
I will have a look at the Passivhaus Institute. If you have more suggestions they are always welcome.
Best, Rembrandt
Rembrandt
I endorse Andrew's comment.
Germany is way ahead of UK in programs to upgrade building energy efficiency but Edinburgh has a Scottish Passiv Haus Centre. Lots going on. Possibility of a 'Conference visit'? Contact details are here http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/edinburgh_talks.php
Again, locally at Scottish Universities and elsewhere in UK there are many feasibility studies for retrofit for existing housing and I am sure German or British speakers would be available to discuss the scope and effects of policies in this key area. BobE (TOD occasional commentator) is knowledgable about the whole scene. I can do contacts if you do not already have them.
Phil
Hi Rembrant.
The thing that jumps out at me is that there is nothing on transport alternatives.
If plug in hybrids or fuel cell cars take off in the next few years, demand for resources and their mix alters considerably.
OTOH, it is tough to cover everything, and the single topics on the list need conferences in themselves.
There's a fair amount going on local to the conference venue in Edinburgh on transport alternatives.
The first hybrid diesel electric ferries have recently been launched on the other side of the central belt of Scotland (70 miles away) at Port Glasgow.
And hybrid diesel and electric buses have recently been developed in Falkirk. In fact, if you travel around Edinburgh by public transport, you can try traveling on a hybrid bus.
You can have a look at the latter stages of the installation of a new tram system in the centre of the city, 15 minutes walk from the conference venue.
You can take an electric train to various locations in Scotland or to London and the (electric) Eurostar to Brussels or Paris and destinations across Europe and beyond. Here's a good guide to train travel in the UK, Europe and beyond.
The conference venue is just next door to the Scottish Parliament who are "peak oil aware". The installed renewable energy capacity in Scotland is now just over 1 kW per capita, supplying more than 36% of Scottish electricity demand in 2011 and growing fast. The target is 50% for 2015 and 100% by 2020.
I don't see a session on investment and financing of energy reforms. Lots of new developments here, and of crucial significance to evolving energy markets, developing economies, government response to sustainability and environmental challenges, scalability, and more.
And many of your costs-benefits for renewables are costs-benefits for energy systems as a whole: demand management, energy storage, advanced grid, etc. I hope you intend to cover them as such, and provide as broad a possible perspective to these important issues.
Looks like a lot of fun, and a very productive conference.
Hummm ... must have missed day 3 (and topics headings). Looks like a very well organized conference.