With the doors having opened, the first several hundred delegates streaming through, Energy Exchange Australia got underway for another year.
The three day event, held annually in Perth – and which used to be known as Australian Oil and Gas (or even AOG) – has over the 40 years of its existence cemented itself as a critical event in the oil, gas and energy market.
After a brief opening welcome from the event’s director Brandon Ward and some encouraging words from Simone Spencer, the deputy DG of the Western Australian Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED), it was on with the substance as the state’s premier Roger Cook took to the stage.
In a passionate speech Cook announced not only the launch of a new $6m marketing blitz to bring the WA community along with the energy transition but also a $150m fund to provide low cost loans to the manufacturing sector to help with the installation of solar and batteries.
“If a steel fabricator wants to upgrade to precision machinery that uses less power and delivers higher output, we will back that investment. If a food processor wants to install solar and battery storage to control peak demand and stabilize operating costs, we will help finance. If a regional manufacturer wants to automate production and adopt energy efficient technologies and step into a new supply chain, we will support that move.
“We want to grow manufacturing in Western Australia, we want to make more things here, build more here, power more here, and it will help everyday Western Australians too, as manufacturing businesses embracing renewable energy storage and more energy efficient processes,” he said.
Once Cook had left the room it was on to the start of what is a packed agenda for three days.
First up was a heavyweight panel discussion entitled “All in: Powering Australia’s Future” which examined the essential role of collaboration in driving Australia’s energy transition. The panel – consisting of leaders from Woodside, Chevron, the WA government, Siemens Energy and Invest and Trade Western Australia – explored how traditional energy, new renewable capacity and national initiatives are aligning to deliver a reliable, affordable and lower-emissions energy system.
After the obligatory tea break and networking opportunity, delegates had four sessions from which to choose: Digital Sovereignty in Energy: Building Secure, Skilled and Trusted Systems, From Concept to Reality: Fast Track Offshore Development in Timor Leste, Transforming WA into a Renewable Energy Powerhouse and the perplexingly titled LoCarb/DeCarb.
Also taking to the floor was Norwegian Energy Partners’ Tore Moe who gave a rundown of Norway’s learnings in the carbon capture and storage space.
Describing how the trucks carry CO2 emitted from a waste to energy plant in Oslo to be taken to the Northern Lights CCS facility he said described how the hybrid tankers roll down the hill from the plant to the port.
“Everything in the Northern Lights and Longship project is looking at how you can reduce your carbon footprint, he said, pointing on screen to tanker ships powered by a combination of LNG and wind propulsion.
Well fed and watered, and with pockets bulging with business cards, the delegates were next able to enjoy a series of presentations on data and AI from the likes of Fugro’s Ben Fell, Wood’s Ramnath Easwar and Stephen Thornett, Saipem’s Francesco Cavallini, Karen Hook from the Global Underwater Hub and Nick Veitch from Geo Oceans.
After that delegates were then spoilt for choice with three seminars to attend but came together again for a plenary panel session which – following on from Beyond Zero Emissions presentation which looked at “supercharging Kwinana” – discussed their preliminary research findings and the transition from gas to electrification, looking forward and what’s next.
In the Tech & Innovation hub wells decommissioning and plug and abandonment took centre stage, with a number of presentations, chaired by Victoria Ratushnyak, from the Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA), one of the event’s sponsors.
The busy, long day was rounded out by a speech by the Norwegian ambassador Anne Grete Riise who highlighted her nation’s practical experience, lessons learned and key insights for scaling CCS to support industrial decarbonisation and netzero pathways.
“CCUS is no longer just a vision—it’s becoming an industry. Slowly,” said Riise.
“But in order to reach it full potential, we need continued collaboration between countries, but also between governments, academia and industry. And we need smart policy, and market-driven solutions.”
She finished her speech, adding encouragingly: “Maybe, while Norway is doing Northern Lights, capturing CO2 from hard to abate sites in Europe, transporting it up to Norway, for storing under the seabed. Maybe some day we will see the contours of Southern Lights.”
And there’s still two more days to go…