In an exclusive interview with Oil Review Middle East, Christopher Hudson, president of ADIPEC organiser dmg events, discusses prospects for ADIPEC, taking place from 2-5 October 2023, in Abu Dhabi
Oil Review Middle East (ORME): How does ADIPEC 2023 stand out from previous editions?
Christopher Hudson: In this year of shared global and national attention on climate change, ADIPEC is being hosted under the theme of Decarbonising. Faster. Together., with a renewed purpose and stronger ambition to support the global energy transition.
We are building on our nearly 40-year legacy of innovation and evolution to take ADIPEC to the next level, bringing together energy producers, consumers, government, technology, and finance, while providing dedicated space for more voices including young people and women, all of whom are working towards the common goal of a sustainable energy future.
As part of our commitment to enabling the collective advancement of decarbonisation, we have developed enriched conference and exhibition programmes. We are especially excited about the ADIPEC Decarbonisation Accelerator, a dedicated area that enables organisations to showcase their game-changing projects and solutions driving decarbonisation at scale. Within the Accelerator, a dedicated Start-up Hub will host pioneers presenting groundbreaking technologies that drive the future of decarbonisation and accelerate energy progress.
Complementary to that, we have introduced the new Decarbonisation Connect initiative to facilitate connections on the show floor by showcasing exhibitors’ decarbonisation strategies and innovations through dedicated spaces and presentations. To increase engagement, we are also developing the Decarbonisation Guide, featuring exhibitors' decarbonisation products and solutions and a schedule of exhibitor presentations during the event.
These new offerings, alongside our expanded youth programme, expanded Strategic Hydrogen Conference, enriched Maritime & Logistics Zone and Conference, and all new ADIPEC Awards categories, support the global energy transition by focusing the wider industry’s attention on key needs and issues.
ORME: What are your hopes and expectations for ADIPEC 2023 in terms of visitors, exhibitor numbers etc.?
Christopher Hudson: Our ambition for ADIPEC 2023 is to support the resolution of key industry challenges on the path to net zero by creating a platform that brings nations, industries, businesses and individuals together to build cross-sector collaboration and partnerships that develop and share solutions. We have designed ADIPEC 2023 as a place for ideation, sparking innovation and next-generation technologies. Across our 10 strategic and technical conferences and more than 350 conference sessions, 1,600-plus speakers will explore the strategies and solutions critical to achieving a cleaner, more secure energy future. ADIPEC’s mission and offerings are expected to attract over 160,000 attendees from around the world, who will connect with the 2,200+ companies from across the entire energy value chain exhibiting at ADIPEC’s 15 exhibition halls.
ORME: To what extent will ADIPEC focus on decarbonisation, and how will the agenda reflect the 'Decarbonising. Faster. Together.' theme?
CH: ADIPEC 2023 will unite industries, businesses, and individuals to drive urgent, collective action towards our net-zero future. It will do this by placing decarbonisation at the heart of ADIPEC, permeating the entire event, from the cutting-edge conference programme to the innovative exhibition and exciting new features. Our mission is clear: prioritising decarbonisation across the energy ecosystem, while reducing emissions and fostering economic progress.
With more than 200 strategic and technical sessions on decarbonisation alone, the low-carbon agenda is the key focal point for the ADIPEC conference programme. The dedicated Decarbonisation Strategic Conference, now in its second year, brings together leaders from the energy spectrum to tackle topics ranging from overcoming barriers to decarbonisation to mobilising finance for low-carbon technologies and the critical role of innovation in fast-tracking the journey to a brighter energy future. And of course, there are our special exhibition offerings and initiatives that include the Decarbonisation Accelerator, Decarbonisation Connect, and the Decarbonisation Guide.
ORME: How do you hope discussions at ADIPEC will lay the groundwork for COP28 in November?
Christopher Hudson: Taking place two months ahead of COP28 in the UAE, ADIPEC 2023 will unite the expanding and diverse world of energy producers and consumers, to work together to transform, decarbonise and future-proof energy, by accelerating the innovation and tangible actions needed to enable a lower-carbon world. Specifically, it will address how we will respond to the call for action by His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber, COP president-designate, to eliminate methane emissions by 2030; phase out carbon emissions across the value chain to reach net zero by 2050; assure energy security and clean energy investment flows in the global south; and scale decarbonisation technology and clean energies to achieve carbon neutrality.
ADIPEC 2023 will connect the energy industry with leaders in the manufacturing, maritime, finance, logistics and technology sectors to address how we decarbonise, faster, together. It will be a forum for energy providers and users to advance credible solutions, generate new insights, spark innovation, and unite around collective action to phase out emissions while breathing new life into economic growth. By facilitating the conversations integral to a secure, lower-carbon future and providing a platform for collaboration, bold commitments and collective industry action, ADIPEC 2023 will be where the energy industry steps up, aligns and leads on the greatest energy market transformation in modern times.
ORME: Can you elaborate on the new dedicated Hydrogen Strategic Conference and Decarbonisation Strategic Conference and how they are supporting the industry's efforts towards sustainable energy solutions?
Christopher Hudson: The importance of hydrogen in supporting the energy transition and its commercial value for energy businesses cannot be understated. However, for hydrogen to scale up, cross-sector innovation and collaboration are crucial to reduce technology costs and accelerate infrastructure investment. With that in mind, the ADIPEC Hydrogen Strategic Conference has been designed to gather the most influential leaders in the energy ecosystem to discuss the role of hydrogen in global economies, the latest technological breakthroughs, near-term and long-term strategies, and the actions required to scale the hydrogen economies of the future. Delivering strategic, technical, and operational insights, the conference will provide the insights necessary to shape and accelerate the continued growth of the hydrogen value chain.
In a complementary way, the ADIPEC 2023 Decarbonisation Strategic Conference will feature strategic sessions with a focus on addressing the need for innovative policies, new investment, technology advancement, new energy sources, and decarbonisation of heavy industries. As industries commit to delivering their decarbonisation strategies, the conference will gather energy industry leaders, policymakers, governments, financial institutions and cross-sector industries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in our decarbonised future.
Source: Oil Review Middle East
