Delicate interplay between renewables, energy storage and critical minerals in focus

The intricate interplay between scaling up renewables, fortifying energy storage systems and ensuring a sustainable supply of critical minerals to power a clean energy future was among the dominating themes in focus in May on Energy Connects .

Close on the heels of the International Energy Agency (IEA) reporting that supply outpaced surging demand last year for minerals required for electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels and other clean energy technologies, an exclusive analysis by Gaurav Sharma zeroed in on the stark reality that the global community is still only scratching the surface for energy storage – with installed storage capacity standing at under 300 GW globally. Reinforcing that sentiment, Kelvin Lim of Durapower Holdings Pte Ltd shared with Energy Connects how sustainable power storage solutions can promote a circular economy and set the stage for a clean mobility future.

Kelvin was speaking at the Energy Connects studio at the Future Energy Asia Exhibition & Summit in Bangkok, where we hosted a number of energy leaders from around the world. Among them, Julien Perez of OGCI (Oil and Gas Climate Initiative) outlined how the CEO-led oil & gas industry initiative is accelerating actions for a net zero future; TOSHIRO KUDAMA of JERA Asia analysed the critical role of ammonia and hydrogen in the energy transition, and Anatol Feygin of Cheniere Energy, Inc. spoke on the global LNG sector’s response to robust demand.

Diving deeper into the same theme in an exclusive OpEd, Joe Raia of Abaxx Commodity Futures Exchange and Clearinghouse argued why a physically-settled benchmark for LNG is vital for the market’s continued development. In another exclusive thought leadership article ahead of Japan Energy Summit and Exhibition , Nobuo Tanaka outlined four issues that can make nuclear power sustainable, while Robin Mills weighed in on the prospects for electric vehicles (EVs) to surpass petrol and diesel cars in the near future, and Vandana Hari analysed why the oil market seemed to have put geopolitical risks in the rearview mirror. Hawilti meanwhile put the spotlight on the dire energy dilemma confronting sub-Saharan Africa, representing 15% of the global population.

In the build-up to the California Hydrogen Convention , Eric Guter of Air Products unpacked his thoughts on the state of the global hydrogen economy, while in the latest episode of the Energy Connects podcast, Grant Dougans of Bain & Company explained why global energy executives feel that achieving net zero by 2060 is more realistic target.

Read these stories and many more below:

Low-carbon investments a game-changer in tackling climate challenges

Julien Perez , Managing Director of OGCI (Oil and Gas Climate Initiative) , discusses how the CEO-led oil & gas industry initiative is accelerating action for a net zero future consistent with the Paris Agreement. Watch the full interview here.

JERA’s decarbonisation roadmap to forge a clean-energy future

TOSHIRO KUDAMA , Vice Chairman of JERA Asia , discusses the evolving energy landscape in Asia and beyond. Kudama-san also weighed in on the role of ammonia and hydrogen in the energy mix of the future, and the challenges and opportunities for the hydrogen economy in Asia. Watch the full interview here.

Making the case for nuclear’s global role in the sustainable energy landscape

Nobuo Tanaka , former Executive Director at International Energy Agency (IEA) , examines the argument for nuclear solutions within the global energy agenda and outlines four issues to consider that can make nuclear power sustainable. Read the full article.

Hydrogen and ammonia to play pivotal roles in the energy transition

Eric Guter, Vice President, Hydrogen for Mobility at Air Products , discusses how one of the first global movers in clean hydrogen is preparing for the next phase of its growth and contributing to the energy transition. Watch the full interview here.

EVs vs ICE: a letter from history and the future of mobility

Robin Mills , CEO of Qamar Energy , discusses the challenges and potential of electric vehicles (EVs) in surpassing petrol and diesel cars in the near future. He explains why EVs remain unattractive to many motorists and dispels outdated views commonly held by opponents of climate change policies. Read the full article.

Circular economy for critical minerals vital for clean mobility future

Kelvin Lim , Group CEO of Durapower Holdings Pte Ltd , explains how sustainable power storage solutions are helping decarbonise road transport and setting the stage for a clean mobility future. Watch the full interview here.

Back to the Future(s): the best commodities benchmarks are still physically settled

Joe Raia , Chief Commercial Officer, Abaxx Commodity Futures Exchange and Clearinghouse , explores the problems created by the lack of a physically-settled benchmark for LNG, and argues why one is vital for the LNG market’s continued development. Read the full article here.

LNG to play a key role as energy transition picks up pace

Anatol Feygin, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Cheniere Energy, Inc. , discusses the crucial role of natural gas in speeding up the energy transition. Watch the full interview here.

Oil market puts Mideast geopolitical risk in the rearview mirror

Vandana Hari , Founder of Vanda Insights , analyses the outlook for global oil market and why crude might be headed for a period of relative calm. She also touches upon how, with the geopolitical risks receding, crude prices are likely to be influenced more by global economic trends and OPEC / non-OPEC production policies. Read the full article here.

Wood Mackenzie: Australian carbon storage hub a $600 billion opportunity

According to Wood Mackenzie , Australia's clean energy potential stems from its higher geological CO2 storage capacity than it needs to store emissions from its power generation and industrial sectors from 2030 to 2050. Australia could unlock up to $600 billion in revenue by creating a carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry and becoming a storage hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Read the full article here.

Rystad: Q1 2024 the biggest first quarter for global upstream dealmaking in five years

Global M&A deal value in the upstream sector has crossed the $64 billion mark this year, representing the strongest first-quarter performance since 2019 and a 145% increase on the first quarter of 2023, according to Rystad Energy . Read the full article here.

Expanding clean power infrastructure vital for a low-carbon future

Narsingh Chaudhary , President, Asia Pacific and India at Black & Veatch , discusses the energy roadmap of the future as Asian economies shift to an affordable, secure and sustainable energy system. Watch the full interview here.

There won’t be a global energy transition without robust battery storage

Gaurav Sharma , Senior Contributor at Energy Connects , writes that building and upscaling battery storage is mission critical for expanding the world’s renewable energy footprint and how without storage industry to take-off meaningfully, there will be no holistic energy transition. Read the full article here.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s clean cooking deficit: a call for urgent action

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that clean cooking access rates in the region are below 20%, with a staggering 990 million people lacking access as of 2022. Cooking with fuelwood and charcoal contributes to deforestation and climate change, emitting harmful greenhouse gases.

This paradox sees cooking, a daily necessity, harming both community health and global climate stability. Dive deeper into this critical issue - explore the full story on Energy Connects by Mickael Vogel , Director & Head of Research at Hawilti . Read the full article here.

Why energy executives expect the world to hit net zero by 2060

Grant Dougans , Partner and Lead of Energy and Natural Resources at Bain & Company , discusses whether confidence in the world’s ability to achieve net zero by 2050 is diminishing. He also explains why an increasing number of global energy executives feel that net zero by 2060 is a more accurate reflection of the current realities of the energy transition. Listen to the podcast here.

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