Strategic Conference Programme

Opening ceremony

Building a solid foundation for a resilient and sustainable utilities sector

The energy transition is driving many industries including power and water utilities. What strategies do governments have in place to achieve net-zero? What are the challenges in implementing these strategies and how can they be overcome? Given the central role of water and power within so many industries, what steps are needed to futureproof electrical grids and water distribution systems and ensure utmost resilience?

Attendee insights:

This session will highlight the strategies government leaders are using to futureproof their national water and power sectors while keeping on track with their decarbonisation goals.

Meeting rising power and water demands, while keeping on track with net-zero carbon goals

Population growth and improving living conditions and prosperity are increasing the demands for water and power, at the same time the utilities industry is under pressure to decarbonise its operations. Although renewable energy is getting more affordable and competitive, its intermittent nature poses significant implementation challenges. What will be the driving offset factors: storage technology advancements, reliance on natural gas or hydrogen, or demand side management? What is the role of new technologies in the energy transition, how can they help improve efficiency and decrease emissions? What will enable reliable and resilient green electricity and water networks of the future?

Attendee insights:

This session will discuss tactics and strategies for the successful decarbonisation of water and power markets.

Where are the most promising growth opportunities for utilities globally?

The global utilities market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% to reach close to $6 trillion in 2025. Where should utilities channel their investments to secure higher returns – power and water networks, power generation or energy services? Will innovative startups contribute to industry development and growth? Does the energy storage market – batteries or hydrogen – have enough investment opportunities? Should utilities consider selling, installing and maintaining distributed energy resources (DER) as a potential revenue stream? What about growth in the adoption of electric vehicles – will utilities capitalise on it?

Attendee insights:

A must-attend session where water and power leaders will share their perspectives on what forces are shaping the utilities market going forward.

Integrated vs non integrated utility – which one is the future?

Many economies worldwide have turned towards deregulation of their utilities sector, which has opened doors for many small non integrated utilities to enter the market. The resulting competition promises lower prices and better customer service from the increased number of water and power suppliers. At the same time, critics blame market deregulation for increased price volatility and the potential for market manipulation. Regulated markets together with vertically integrated utilities, on the other hand, offer price stability and long term certainty. Does the future hold enough room for both business models or will one of them take over completely?

Attendee insights:

An important session for a deeper understanding of the different utilities market frameworks and what they bring to both providers and consumers.

Ensuring power and water security through policy, regulation and cooperation

A secure and uninterrupted supply of water and electricity lies at the heart of modern economies and is of paramount importance. How can governments improve their policies, regulations and market designs that will aid the development of the utilities sector while keeping on track with their decarbonisation goals? How are countries collaborating and what are they learning from each other that will strengthen their utilities sectors and economies overall?

Attendee insights:

A key session for all utilities leaders to benefit from the latest developments in policies and regulations within the industry.

Building the bridge to a carbon-free future through energy diversification

The energy transition has been on the top of many industries’ agendas for a while. As for the power sector, electricity demand continues to increase globally, which means the carbon intensity of electricity production must decrease to enable a carbon-free future. With significantly decreased production costs, renewable energy, especially wind and solar, are becoming increasingly popular. However, will they be able to satisfy peak electricity demand? What will be the role of hydrogen in the power sector – is it a solution to the intermittency of solar and wind power? What about natural gas? Being the cleanest burning hydrocarbon, it can ramp up electricity production very quickly. Is it clean enough though, to meet net-zero goals? Nuclear power is also an alternative for clean energy generation – will it be able to overcome public resistance and take a more prominent place in the global energy mix?

Attendee insights:

A must-attend session for industry executives that would like to gain deeper insights into what the energy mix will look like regionally and globally to enable the successful energy transition.

Raising capital for power and water projects

The power and water industry is advancing towards its net-zero goals, however, being a capital-intensive sector, the necessary transformation calls for new investments to reinforce and modernise the electrical grid and water distribution networks in support of renewable power supply, improved efficiency, storage and reliability. What makes power and water projects attractive to investors? How much investment is needed for the industry to achieve its carbon neutral goals? Do companies prefer to raise capital through debt, equity or a combination of both? Will venture funds play a role in the utilities sector?

Attendee insights:

This session will discuss strategies for raising capital to fund power and water industry projects enabling the successful energy transition.

Balancing decarbonisation and energy security

As countries are developing various decarbonisation pathways, trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is important to ensure that these efforts do not hinder energy security and economic growth. What strategies will ensure that countries have stable energy supply and are on track with their net-zero commitments? Which
decarbonisation pathways will have the least impact on consumer prices? What is the role of gas/LNG in ensuring energy security? What is the role of hydrogen in the energy transition?

Attendee insights:

This is a key session for the utilities leaders to gain deeper insights into different decarbonisation pathways

Circular Economy as an energy transition enabler

Businesses and societies are moving away from traditional linear ‘take, consume, dispose’ economic models towards circular frameworks that transform value chains, reducing or even completely eliminating waste, reusing and recycling resources, which in turn can improve efficiencies, reduce costs, decrease carbon emissions and ease the overall impact on the environment. As we transition to a circular economy, what is the role of power and water utilities – will they lead the change or be passive followers? How do strategies and business models need to evolve to enable equipment re-purpose or recycling, better heat waste recovery, carbon capture and use or improved water cycle management? What is the role of consumers in circular economies – how can businesses give an impetus to the creation of water- and energy-wise communities?

Attendee insights:

A must-attend session for industry leaders who would like to understand how circular economy models can help their businesses improve efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions, securing a sustainable future with a circular mindset.

Cogeneration of water and power – a partnership forever or time to decouple?

Traditional thermal distillation water plants require a significant amount of electricity to operate, whereas thermal power plants require huge amounts of water, hence, the two have been in a symbiotic relationship for many years. However, with the increased prominence of Reverse Osmosis and Solar Water technologies, which are much less energy intensive, is decoupling of water and power generation the way forward?

Attendee insights:

In this industry debate, two utilities sector leaders will discuss the pros and cons of combined and separated water and power production.

The role of water desalination and water recycling in tackling global water scarcity

According to the World Health Organisation, at least half of the global population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. The Global Water Institute suggests that 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030. With the growing population and rising temperatures globally, water is becoming a more and more valuable resource, especially in countries with harsh climates and low groundwater resources. What actions can be taken now to ensure the world doesn’t face a global water crisis in the future? How to remove pressure from the depleting groundwater resources? How to improve water treatment and water quality? Can water desalination be a solution to global water scarcity? What is the role of water recycling in addressing the increasing demand for freshwater?

Attendee insights:

This session will present potential strategies and policies for ensuring consistent water supply globally and sustainable management of water resources.

The role of nuclear energy in achieving net-zero

Nuclear power can play a major role in the clean energy transition, however, due to public pressure, high budgets, and often extended timelines, this is not always the preferred choice of energy supply. How can nuclear energy contribute to potential decarbonisation pathways? What is the role of nuclear in the hydrogen economy? What are the latest developments within the nuclear industry and how have successful new build projects affected the decarbonisation efforts of the countries where they have been built?

Attendee insights:
An important session for utilities leaders who would like to gain deeper insights into the role of nuclear power in the energy transition.

What will it take for hydrogen to become the low-carbon champion?

Hydrogen has suddenly become one of the hottest trends within the energy and utilities sectors. Hydrogen can be a good solution to address the intermittency of renewable energy as well as power fuel cells of electric vehicles. However, with many projects still in their infancy, the question is, when will hydrogen be deployed at a regional and global scale? What are the potential barriers to scaling up its deployment? Which projects are more attractive to investors – green or blue hydrogen? What technologies will help reduce the cost of hydrogen production and distribution?

Attendee insights:

This focused interview will discuss the role of hydrogen in the energy transition of the utilities sector, as well as the challenges and opportunities that it presents.

Is gas/LNG a bridge or a destination of the energy transition?

Natural gas offers a power-dense solution that is less carbon-intensive compared to other hydrocarbons and can satisfy rapid fluctuations in the power demand. However, critics argue that gas is only a mid-term solution, as it is a finite resource, and an increase in demand will result in higher prices, making it economically unviable in the long term. Also, although it does produce fewer emissions compared with other hydrocarbons, it is not a completely green alternative. What will be the role of gas/LNG in the water and energy sectors paving the way towards a net-zero future?

Attendee insights:

In this industry debate, two industry professionals will discuss the role of natural gas/LNG in the utilities industry.

Efficient integration of renewable energy into power grids

Renewable energy – be it solar, onshore or offshore wind, tidal, geothermal, biomass or hydropower – is an important component in the decarbonisation plans for the water and power industries. The big question is – how can intermittent renewable energy sources be incorporated into the electrical grid in a way that is cost-effective and helps balance electricity supply and demand? Is there a need to turn to distributed power generation and behind-the-meter storage? What is the future of energy storage business models – will they be able to solve the problem alone or is gas/LNG an inescapable piece of the puzzle to meet peak demand? Will renewables be used for water heating as well as electricity generation? What is the role of renewable energy in water desalination?

Attendee insights:

This important session will discuss how to create stable grids with variable energy inputs, as well as the role of renewables in the water and power sectors.

Integrated power and water strategies for smart cities development

Building smart cities requires intense planning, with smart meters, smart grids and smart water distribution systems playing an important role. The smart grid market size is estimated to reach over $92 billion by 2026, growing at the CAGR of 17.76%. Smart electric and water grids improve energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions, reduce equipment failure, decrease electricity losses and water leaks and allow consumers to monitor their consumption and reduce their bills. Which technological innovations will be driving the success of smart grids and smart cities? What are the best practices to ensure smart grid interoperability? The proliferation of sensors and smart meters, as well as advanced IT systems significantly increase cyber attack surface area. How can governments, utilities, technology providers and customers work together to ensure the cyber safety of emerging smart cities?

Attendee insights:

A key session for attendees to gain deeper insights into how smart electric and water distribution systems drive efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and enhance customer experience.

Entering the golden age of utility reinvention – how is digitalisation redefining utility business models?

Digital transformation has been on the radar of many industries for a while and utilities are no exception. The Internet of Things (IoT) and the multitude of sensors that come with it enable real-time monitoring of assets that can optimise efficiency and improve security. Coupled with advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, the collected data helps improve asset management and operations, process automation and demand side management, ultimately reducing costs and improving customer experience.

With the obvious benefits offered by smart digital solutions, what are the challenges slowing down their implementation and how can they be overcome? Where do utilities need to innovate more? Is the industry workforce ready for widescale digital adoption or is it necessary to invest in upskilling or reskilling? And most importantly, with the proliferation of sensors and devices, how can we ensure the Internet of Things doesn’t turn into the Internet of Vulnerabilities?

Attendee insights:

A key session for water and power leaders to have a deeper understanding of the driving forces behind the industry-wide digital transformation

Understanding customer-centric business models

Electricity and water consumers today have an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions by optimising their usage and reducing the pressure on the grids. What are the strategies for successful demand side management? How are customer needs and behaviours changing? What do customers expect from their utilities providers and how can these expectations be met? How can customer engagement be improved and how can utilities benefit from customer-centric business models?

Attendee insights:

An important session to gain deeper insights into the role of customers in the utilities business models.