The spotlight at this year's event will be AI's transformative role in achieving a just energy transition, alongside discussions on the disparity between capital flows and the investment necessary for a fair and equitable transition

The focus at this year’s ADIPEC, the world’s largest energy event, will be the AI-energy nexus.

Global leaders and innovators will come together to discuss AI's potential to transform economies and industries, particularly its role in accelerating a just, orderly and equitable energy transition.

The inaugural exhibition called Energyai (Energy to the power of AI) will be one of several new additions, including three new conferences, to the 40th milestone edition.

This expo will explore the impact AI on the energy value chain, while also revealing AI’s impending demand on global energy systems.

Within Energyai, an AI Conference will gather leaders from the energy, technology and government sectors to develop a strategic roadmap for integrating AI into the energy landscape.

ADIPEC 2024 is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, and hosted by Adnoc. It will take place at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi on November 4-7 2024.

More than 184,000 attendees are expected, with more than 1,800 leading innovators, experts and visionaries from energy, AI and other technologies to speak at more than 370 conference sessions across 10 conferences, including Strategic, Technical, and Leadership Roundtables.

DIGITALISATION & TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE

At ADIPEC 2024, the newly-introduced Digitalisation and Technology Conference will explore how next-generation technologies, including AI, can unlock decarbonisation and efficiency opportunities presented by Industry 4.0.

The agenda will showcase progress in new materials, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), while also addressing how technologies can be scaled up in a sustainable and equitable manner.

The Digitalisation and Technology Conference will focus on four key themes:

• Digitalisation of the energy sector.

• Digitalisation next generation technologies with the energy systems of today

• Building secure, resilient supply chains for limited critical minerals and rare earths in a competitive global market.

• Ensuring a human-centric digital revolution.

FINANCE & INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

This new addition to ADIPEC 2024 gives leaders from government, finance and energy a platform to discuss the disparity between capital flows and the investment necessary for a fair and equitable transition.

The three-day Finance and Investment Conference at ADIPEC has four main themes: Mobilising investment for a sustainable future; Navigating uncertain geopolitical factors to secure energy transition investment; Ensuring bankability of clean energy projects and technologies; and Meeting the growing demand for resilient and clean energy in developing countries.

In alignment with these themes, the conference will feature sessions led by global experts to activate investment needed to fast-track the global energy transition, including navigating macroeconomic volatility, unlocking capital for emerging markets, and developing regulatory frameworks that support decarbonisation technologies.

Key speakers will include Charlie Tan, CEO, Global Impact Coalition; Mazin Khan, CFO, Masdar; Julian Mylchreest, Executive Vice Chairman, Bank of America; Lina Osman, Managing Director & Head, Sustainable Finance - Africa and MENAP, Standard Chartered; Semih Ozkan, Executive Director, EMEA Energy, Power, Renewables, Metals & Mining, J.P. Morgan; and Zoe Knight, Group Head, Centre of Sustainable Finance, Head of Climate Change MENAT, HSBC, who will jointly discuss solutions to the financing challenges faced by developing economies in their energy transition efforts.

Hudson said: 'One of the most significant barriers to achieving an equitable energy transition is the gap in clean energy finance and investment between the Global North and South. Developed nations have more financial resources while emerging markets need help to secure capital for large clean energy projects, slowing the transition and deepening regional inequalities.

'Addressing the finance gap between the Global North and South is one of the key focus areas of our new Finance and Investment Conference. Discussions held at ADIPEC 2024 will set the stage for how finance can play a transformative role in ensuring that we meet our decarbonisation goals while continuing to drive sustainable economic growth for generations to come and advance an equitable energy transition for all.'

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), $35 trillion is being required by 2030 to facilitate a fair and systemic energy transition, creating challenges for governments, energy companies, and financial institutions in providing the necessary funding.

VOICES OF TOMORROW

ADIPEC actively bridges the gap between current and future energy leaders, and between the geographical, cultural, and economic divides between the Global North and South.

The inaugral Voices of Tomorrow Conference fosters a collaborative environment, prioritising diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that voices from across the world can unite around the shared mission of delivering a fair and balanced transition.

The conference will feature four individual streams to tackle the most pertinent agendas supporting the UAE Consensus and the important opportunities for the wider community to work multilaterally on commitments to deliver a just energy transition.

Topics include bridging the gap between the Global North and the Global South, strengthening global alliances through intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, ensuring equal representation from underrepresented groups, and fortifying the leaders of tomorrow.

The Voices of Tomorrow conference will focus on four critical agendas: Global South; NGOs & IGOs; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Future Leaders.

Commenting on this year’s event, Tayba Al Hashemi, Chair of ADIPEC 2024 and CEO of Adnoc Offshore, said: 'AI needs energy and energy needs AI. This AI-energy nexus will be a major focus of ADIPEC’s milestone 40th edition. Bringing global leaders and innovators together, we will discuss AI's potential to transform economies and industries, particularly its role in accelerating a just, orderly and equitable energy transition.'

Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, said: 'Marking 40 years since its inception, ADIPEC 2024 will be the most ambitious edition yet. The international community and global energy ecosystem will unite there around the need for decisive action to secure net zero. Featuring innovative technologies, valuable insights and influential voices, the event will deliver a renewed global commitment to creating a secure, equitable and sustainable energy future for all.'

The three new conferences are part of the ADIPEC Strategic Conference programme, which will see global energy ministers, C-suite executives, and policymakers share diverse views on the biggest topics in energy today, with a view to accelerating innovation and action in the transition to a secure, equitable and sustainable energy future for all.

Topics include the energy transition and its implications on our lives and economies, the surge of AI and its implications on energy systems and industries, and the impact of the rise of emerging nations on global trade, policy and geopolitics.

Separately, the ADIPEC Leadership Roundtables will also include a focus on AI. The exclusive, invitation-only closed-door discussions will explore the critical relationship between AI and energy, focusing on how AI can accelerate the development of a future-ready energy system.

Complementing the conferences, the ADIPEC Exhibition will span 16 halls and bring more than 2,200 exhibitors from the full spectrum of the global energy ecosystem together to showcase the latest breakthroughs shaping the future of energy.

This includes 54 NOCs, IOCs, NECs and IECs, 30 dedicated country pavilions and four specialised industry areas focused on decarbonisation, digitalisation, maritime and logistics and AI.

The upcoming ADIPEC Golf Day promises to blend business with pleasure, inviting industry leaders to network on the stunning golfing greens of Abu Dhabi.

Set to take place at the prestigious Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the event will gather over 125 key players from the sector, creating a unique opportunity for collaboration in a relaxed social environment ahead of the official opening day of ADIPEC.

The day will commence with a warm-up session, followed by teams of four competing across the 18 holes, culminating in a dinner and prize distribution ceremony to celebrate the day’s achievements.

By Abdulaziz Khattak