Webinar: Redefining the Energy Mix. What does the Future of Energy Look Like in the Transition to Net Zero?

Date: 11 May 2022 
Time: 08:30 (BST)

Watch the webinar recording here

Overview 

The world needs energy. Since IChemE's founding 100 years ago, world population has grown from about 2 billion to nearly 8 billion today. Population growth coupled with rising living standards have resulted in the world's voracious appetite for more and more energy. For most of the last 100 years that appetite has been met by fossil fuels with the unintended consequence of a rapid rise in carbon emissions. As the world strives to for Net Zero, how will the energy mix change?

What is a realistic outlook for fossil fuels, renewables, alternate fuels and nuclear as the world struggles to reduce carbon emissions as the global population grows to 10 billion or more? What role can government policy play in accelerating the transition to low/zero carbon energy and how can chemical engineers be at the forefront of that transition? The IChemE Evolution Energy webinar discussed these issues and debated the possible outcomes.

Our webinar panel: 

Yasmin Ali - Chair - Project Development Manager (Hydrogen), RWE

Yasmin Ali is a chartered chemical engineer and Member of IChemE who is a well known writer and presenter on chemical engineering issues and the achievements of engineers. Yasmin has over 10 years of experience in energy, working in power plants, oil and gas, district heating systems as well as managing energy innovation programs at the UK Govt. Dept. of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. In her current role as a project development manager, she is developing green hydrogen projects for the UK. Yasmin has presented and written about engineering and energy for the BBC, Metro, the Huffington Post and others. Her first book entitled "Power Up" is soon to be published by Hodder and Stoughton. Yasmin holds a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham.

Neil Loader - VP Carbon Ambition, Strategy and Sustainability 

Neil Loader is a chartered chemical engineer and a Fellow of IChemE with over 26 years of experience in the oil, gas and chemicals industry. He has held positions in oil and gas production, engineering, commercial development, finance and petrochemicals in addition to corporate leadership roles. In Neil's current role as VP Carbon Ambition, Strategy and Sustainability at bp, he is responsible for delivering bp's ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner. Neil holds a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University and an MBA from the Open University

Professor Peter Taylor - Chair in Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Leeds 

Peter Taylor has over 25 years of experience working on a wide range of energy and climate change issues. He is currently Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems in the Centre for Integrated Energy Research at the University of Leeds. He is also a member of the UK Energy Research Centre, the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions, the Supergen Energy Networks Hub and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy. Peter's research is interdisciplinary, combining science, technology, economics and policy to enhance the understanding of, and policy responses to, the challenges of accelerating the transition to sustainable low carbon energy systems. Prior to joining the University of Leeds, Peter was Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division at the IEA in Paris. Peter Taylor holds a BSc in Physic, Applied Physics and Electronics and an MSc in Environmental Technology both from the University of Nottingham and a PhD in Energy Policy from Imperial College.

Alexandra Meldrum - Vice President IChemE Learned Society

Alexandra is IChemE Vice President (Learned Society) and has twenty-five years relevant experience in government, industry, academia, the not-for-profit sector, and a demonstrated commitment to IChemE. A professional engineer and economist, she has worked in the international food, manufacturing, and energy industries, with roles including Refinery Economist at Shell and Corporate Procurement Manager at Nestle Oceania where she centralised procurement across five countries. She was Manager Strategic Projects at NSW Department of Industry and the Principal Advisor Productivity Commission at NSW Treasury until 2020. At the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales, Alexandra has taught for fifteen years in strategy, change management, project management and sustainability. With twenty years of directorship and governance experience, Alexandra is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD). A Fellow of IChemE, Alexandra has been a member of the Learned Society Committee since it was founded in 2019. She has held posts as the Subject Area Lead for Education, Innovation and Research and also led the IChemE Digitalisation Project.