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ABU DHABI/AD MEDIA OFFICE
The World Utilities Congress 2024 has concluded in Abu Dhabi after three transformative days of high-level discussions, panels and showcases that brought together the global utilities industry to address key energy transition topics, including the need to decouple emissions from economic growth, grid resilience, and increasing renewable energy capacity.
This year’s congress was a resounding success, with its dynamic event agenda focused on critical challenges facing the power and water sectors attracting the participation of more than 12,000 professionals, more than 1,400 delegates, more than 280 speakers, and more than 180 exhibitors from around the world.
On day two of the congress, a Ministerial Panel titled ‘Tripling renewable energy capacity: from action to ambition’ featured His Excellency Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy; His Excellency Nurmammet Nurmammedov, Deputy Minister of Energy for Turkmenistan; Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); and Dr Adrian Băzăvan, Foreign Affairs Adviser at the Ministry of Energy for Romania. The speakers highlighted the need for international cooperation, ambitious policies and increased investments to make renewable energy affordable and deployable at scale.
A Global Leadership Panel titled ‘Megabytes to megawatts: driving innovation and efficiency in power generation’ explored long-term strategies to continue innovating and securing the energy system of the future. The session featured Noel Aoun, Chief Strategy Officer at Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA); Santiago Bañales López, Managing Director of Iberdrola Innovation Middle East; Yasser S. Alshahrani, VP of Trading at Saudi Power Procurement Company; Tomaz Guadagnin, Managing Director of Flexible Generation and Retail and Country Manager for GCC and Pakistan at ENGIE; Laurent Longuet, CEO of SirajPower, a Positive Zero company; and Nirupa Chander, VP of Power Systems for the Middle East and Africa Region at Schneider Electric.
Santiago Bañales López said: “It has been a great privilege being part of the World Utilities Congress 2024 Executive Committee. The debates of the strategic agenda, and the level of the speakers, will be shaping the future evolution of the global energy system. I am convinced of the success of the congress in increasing awareness and facilitating effective cooperation between every player to achieve our ambitious common goals.”
A key highlight of day three was the Global Leadership Panel titled ‘Unlocking the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy’, which brought together industry leaders including Nawal Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure; Frank Wouters, Chairman of MENA Hydrogen Alliance and Director of MED-GEM Network; Dr. Malcolm Cook, SVP or Chemicals and Process Technologies – Middle East and Turkey for thyssenkrupp AG; and Otmane Benamar, CTO EMEA of Gas Power for GE Vernova. The panel examined the vital role of hydrogen as a game-changer in the energy transition, with a focus on how industries can embrace low-carbon hydrogen solutions to achieve net-zero targets and reshape global energy systems.
Another dynamic congress session focused on adopting a customer-centric approach in the utilities sector. The discussion featured insights from Omar Al Hashmi, CEO of Transition and Distribution at TAQA; Dr. Yousif Al Hammadi, Chief Asset Management Officer at Tabreed; Alessandra Pasini, Co-Founder and President of Zhero; and Deepak Ravindran, CEO of Kraken Utilities. The panellists emphasised the importance of understanding evolving customer needs and behaviours to enhance the customer experience and highlighted the opportunity for utility providers to improve energy efficiency and savings through customised solutions.
The Global Leadership Panel titled ‘Combatting Intermittency Challenges with Storage and Flexibility Solutions’ featured Joe Mastrangelo, CEO of Eos Energy Storage; Wim Alen, Chief Strategy and BD Officer at ENGIE; Prof. Phil Hart, Chief Researcher at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute (TII); Anders Lindberg, President of Energy and Executive Vice President at Wärtsilä Corporation, and others. The panellists explored cutting-edge storage technologies and strategies to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources, highlighting the role of flexibility in ensuring a stable and reliable power supply.
The World Utilities Congress’ Technical Conference showcased innovations in energy efficiency, carbon capture, and grid modernisation, supporting the utilities sector’s shift to a sustainable future. Meanwhile, the Clean Tech Innovation Theatre presented technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, with contributions from start-ups and established companies, while the Power Gen Innovation Theatre highlighted advancements in power generation, focusing on improving efficiency and reliability for the future.
The World Utilities Congress 2024 provided a vital forum for industry leaders to share insights, collaborate on solutions, and advance progress towards a sustainable and resilient utilities future. The congress delivered a platform where business was not just discussed but executed, enabling strategic partnerships to be forged and industry-shaping innovations to be unveiled to a global audience.