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ALL ENERGY CONFERENCE
There is not long to go until All-Energy once again unites global experts, academics and innovators at Glasgow’s SEC from May 14-15 to advance the aim of net zero and a more sustainable future for all
In just six weeks, renewable and low-carbon energy specialists, developers, investors, buyers, sellers, recruiters and lawyers from home and overseas will be arriving in Glasgow in their thousands for the annual All-Energy exhibition and conference.
The UK’s largest event of its kind is the magnet drawing government ministers, including Scotland’s First Minister, and experts from across the renewables and decarbonisation sectors as speakers and delegates, as well as exhibitors from 14 countries to the SEC Glasgow on May 14 and 15.
As Glasgow celebrates 850 years since the city gained Burgh status in 1175, All-Energy brings some other anniversaries to the fore. It is 10 years since the show took up residence in Glasgow at the SEC, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Owned and organised by RX, the flagship event recently extended its partnership with SEC for another three years, meaning it will continue to bring together key players from across the renewable and low-carbon energy sectors to the city until at least 2027.
What’s more, All-Energy’s headline sponsor, Shepherd and Wedderburn, celebrates its eleventh year in that role. All combine to make this year’s show on May 14-15, set right in the middle of Glasgow Climate Week, a very special two days.
The full exhibitor directory can be found on the website and, as an aid to those eager to plan their visit to All-Energy, there are facilities to use filters to focus on sectors and product types as well as marking the exhibitors of particular interest to build a “must visit” list. When the show App goes live, matchmaking will also be on offer.
Registration is open at www.all-energy.co.uk/newsquest
It is free to all with relevant business, governmental and academic interests and includes admission to the major exhibition, the main conference and show floor theatres, and the Civic Reception, held courtesy of the Rt Hon Lord Provost of Glasgow, which is an integral part of the Giant Networking Evening on May 14 at the Glasgow Science Centre.
Speaking in the opening plenary session on May 14, “Britain’s Clean Power Mission”, chaired by Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, as well as delivering the Civic Welcome, the Lord Provost will undoubtedly use the opportunity to issue an open invitation for the evening’s event.
Following that Civic Welcome, a video message from Professor Sir Jim Skea, president of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will reinforce the all-important message of just how important the shift to clean power is for the future of our planet.
Both Holyrood and Westminster politicians feature on May 14. The First Minister, The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP, will be delivering a keynote address in the opening plenary session. UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP will also be speaking that day while Acting Climate Action Minister Dr Alasdair Allan MSP will deliver a keynote address in the opening heat session on “Scotland’s Heat Transition”.
Following the First Minister’s address, a panel comprising Jürgen Maier CBE, chair of Great British Energy; Andrew Lever, director – energy transition at the Carbon Trust, Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council; and a representative of the Climate Change Committee will discuss their organisations’ work in line with Britain’s clean power mission.
On day two the plenary session chaired by Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Strathclyde – “Delivering the Clean Power 2030 Mission” – starts with a keynote address by Chris Stark CBE, who heads Mission Control tasked with turbocharging UK to clean power.
Then comes discussion by an expert panel comprising Professor Keith Bell, ScottishPower chair in Smart Grids, University of Strathclyde, co-director UK Energy Research Centre, and member of the Climate Change Committee; Tom Glover, UK country chair, RWE; Dhara Vyas, chief executive, Energy UK; Darren Davidson, vice-president, Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK; and Rachel Fletcher, director of regulation and economics, Octopus Energy.
After the plenary sessions on both days, the conference splits into 11 parallel sessions devoted to all forms of renewable energy: grid and networks – an increasingly important and growing topic at All-Energy; “The Hydrogen Proposition” featuring three self-explanatory sessions – “Make It, Move It and Store It” and “Use It”; energy storage – both long and short duration; planning – the subject of government change; skills and recruitment; investment; energy trading; and much more.
There are also streams and sessions on the decarbonisation of heat, the built environment, transport – this year looking at public EV charging, cities and industry.
This year’s programme, available online, also includes sessions on equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I); mental health; and a young people’s panel.
There are seven show floor theatres, the home of presentations/discussions on cutting-edge technology, innovative solutions, software, AI, “lessons learned” and case histories.
The “magnificent seven” cover FutureGrid with the great grid upgrade in mind; offshore and onshore wind; hydrogen and energy storage; marine renewables and FLOW (floating offshore wind); The “Dcarbonise” Theatre – covering all aspects of heat, built environment, community and local energy, transport, cities places decarbonisation programmes and success stories; Future Talent – dedicated to inspiring the next generation of energy professionals and those joining the sectors from other industries; and the Insight Energy Theatre, the home for innovative renewable energy solutions.
There will be much to learn from and contributions and questions are always welcome during discussion periods.
www.all-energy.co.uk/newsquest
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Objectives can unleash the full power of UK’s financial system
THE descriptive text for All-Energy’s investment panel “Fortune favours the brave – appetite for risk and securing finance” states: “If the objectives of Clean Power 2030 Action Plan are to be achieved, then tens of billions of annual investments will be needed and the financial sector will play a pivotal role. However, in the context of the UK’s ambitions, the current flow of finance is not fast enough.
“There is strong appetite for proven technologies, but the delivery of Clean Power 2030 and beyond that, the net-zero statutory target will require a variety of technologies and decarbonisation strategies, each of which have differing risk profiles. Do we need to challenge the approach and roles of different sources of finance? Is there a need to rewrite the rule book on risk appetite?
“Join us as we debate the issues and challenge the status quo to see how best to unleash the full power of the UK financial system.”
All-Energy is renowned for the quality of its speakers. The investment panel typifies the
calibre throughout the programme. 
Chaired by Dame Susan Rice DBE, FRSE, chair of Forth Green Freeport, it
comprises Peter Knott, chief risk officer National Wealth Fund; Mark Munro, chief investment officer, Scottish National Investment Bank; Monika Paplaczyk, investment director, Thrive Renewables; Charles Langan, chief financial officer, ScottishPower; Jean Vercoutter, director energy project finance, MUFG, and Mushhood Haider, head of Energy Scotland – Investments and International Trade, Department for Business and Trade.
If this sounds unmissable, pop 11am-12:30pm on May 15 on your calendar now. The full programme has similar highlights.
From offshore wind to skills and training, PKPAs to onshore wind; bioenergy to marine renewables, hydro and tidal range – the list goes on and nearly 13,500 badges were scanned last year as delegates went into conference rooms and show floor theatres. “Records were broken last year, and we are looking forward to more of the same this year,” explained event manager Anam Khan of RX. “Our total attendance rose by 21% to 11,736, with people coming from 80 countries.
“The exhibition with its 270 exhibitors received plaudits in plenty, as did the main conference and show floor theatre programmes in which around 600 speakers took part. This year, SEC’s Hall 3 is being used for the first time for additional stand space and so a large theatre can be built for the grid and networks conference stream.”
The grid content has increased dramatically in recent years. This year’s sessions include: “Where is the UK on its energy transition journey? And how is Grid helping or hindering?”; “The complexity of the grid upgrade: the net zero grid must be smarter as well as higher capacity”; “Connections Strategy and Reform: Aligning with Clean Power 2030” marking the third year that connections has come under the All-Energy spotlight; the same goes for “Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA): An update” where zonal pricing is bound to figure in discussions; “Workforce and the grid: People and skills”; and “Marketing the Transition”.
These and the FutureGrid show floor theatre programme are online enabling attendance planning to get under way.
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