Monthly Archives: April 2012

energy, environment, fracking, Shale

Lord Oxburgh keynotes on ‘Shale Gas – Curse or Boon?’ at Cleanpower Conference 14 June

 

(Lord) Ron Oxburgh

Shale gas is natural gas that, unlike conventional gas, never escaped from the source rock within which it was formed because the source was too impermeable. Modern technology has allowed this gas to be exploited by a combination of detailed sub-surface imaging, precisely controlled directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The application of these technologies is still in its infancy and some unfortunate and weakly regulated attempts to exploit shale gas have been made without making proper use of them resulting in some highly undesirable environmental consequences that include unintended gas seepages and pollution of ground water.  This has led to some strong local resistance to new shale gas exploration.

The world’s shale gas resources are probably very large but detailed exploration has yet to be done in many places. However, shale gas has more than doubled US gas reserves. China appears to have even larger reserves. In countries where it occurs, however, shale gas is likely to displace coal as the preferred fuel for power generation and to that extent will reduce the carbon footprint of electricity. However the continued availability of gas may weaken efforts to find sustainable alternatives.

End of Talk Summary for Lord Oxburgh Keynote on 14 June at New Hall Cambridge University CB3 0GT.

#SGCP

Biography for Ron Oxburgh

Ron Oxburgh is an independent member of the House of Lords and is currently chairman of 2OC, Green Energy Options and the Carbon Capture and Storage Association. He was formerly President of Queens’ College Cambridge, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence, Rector of Imperial College and Chairman of Shell.

energy

Conference in Cambridge sponsored by ARM offers unique look at the gamut of grids, metering and power innovations

Smart Grids & Cleanpower 2012

Conference Cambridge sponsored by ARM offers unique look at the gamut of grids, metering and power innovations 

Moving to smart infrastructure requires modernization. There is pressure. This calls for innovation. As renewable input increases, so variability increases. Will embedded, incumbent technologies remain in place through subsidies and regulatory lock-ins? Will interventions result in more lobbying and less market-based-learning about private sector customers? As we remove the need for intrusion into millions of houses to read meters, and deliver more services, so we should meet difficulties around security of data and system. Therein lie many opportunities for entrepreneurs. VCs seeking risk will be assessing these opportunities in clean technology carefully, looking keenly at how policy-making evolves around grants for innovation and R&D, market reform and (de)-regulation, standards, and targets. New products, processes, markets and ancillary services are likely to be created.

 

Future trends and opportunities often emerge unpredictably from the wider range of technologies being developed. This conference (#SGCP) will stage an innovation pitching competition from sector startups/SMEs, not restricted to the core “metering rollout” in which prizes are offered by sponsors.

 

Lord Oxburgh will talk in the Cleanpower stream about large, often controversial lower carbon opportunities in the context of an unreliable new-nuclear sector in the UK and implications. Dr Bernie Bulkin, Chair, ORED, DECC will talk about technologies to meet targets, what this means for government strategy.

Professor Ross Anderson of the famed Computer Lab at Cambridge will challenge the smart-meter-rollout plan alongside leading technology providers for rollout and government, in what promises to be an exciting opening session, in the smart grids stream. EON will talk about the growing need for non-energy-generating services of power plants, a source of opportunity for many entrepreneurs. UK Power Networks discuss projects around connecting wind energy to the grid and about network integration in a session focusing on regulation and distribution policy with Ofgem.

Among applications of investible power and grid technology being showcased, the CEO of Eight19, the award-winning offgrid solar company operating in Africa and soon in India, will talk about “powering the unGrid”.

Example Confirmed Speakers/Panellists

  • Lord Oxburgh, Ron Oxburgh, eminent expert on energy
  • Dr Bernie Bulkin DECC – Chair, Office Renewable Energy Deployment
  • Robert Hull, Director, OfGem – E-Serve, Co-ordinating Offshore Wind Rollout
  • Dora Guzeleva, Head of Networks Policy, OfGem, Smarter Grids: Distribution
  • Richard Smith, National Grid, Future development of the UK’s energy networks
  • Cristiano Marantes, UK Power Networks, Projects connecting wind to grid
  • EON New Build and Technology, Greg Payne, Additional Services Opportunities in Power
  • ARM Holdings plc, the Global Chip Design Leader
  • Siemens – Infrastructure & Cities
  • Schneider Electric – Metering & Grid Products
  • Jeremy Nicholson, Senior Advisor, Energy Intensive Users Group, EEF, Chairman of Cleanpower
  • Christine McGourty, Director, Energy UK, Moderator
  • Dr Sarah Darby, Lecturer, Oxford University – Smart Meters & Consumers
  • Prof Ross Anderson, Cambridge University, Computer Lab, Smart Meters: Challenges of System Security
  • Prof John Miles, Cambridge University, Engineering Dept, Clean Energy: At What Price?
  • Keith Dickerson, Committee Member, International Telecoms Union, Standards: Where are we headed?
  • Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO, Eight19, Powering the unGrid!
  • Peter Sharratt, Head of Sustainability Services, Deloitte
  • Alan South, Commercial Director, Solar Century, Solar sector trends, FiTs, RHI et al
  • Laing O’Rourke, Lessons Learned for Grids from Aerospace & Defence Technology Deployment

 

6 USPs of the Smart Grids & Cleanpower Conference

1) The only one-day, two stream conference in Europe to cover wider aspects of grid, power, metering technology strategy for emergent future trends (looking at the 80-tail not just the 20-core!)

2) 4 years of assembling the thought leaders, strategists, academics and innovators in the business

3) Refresh and build all your relationships and learning in a single day out of the office

4) Dedicated innovation pitching competition

5) High proportion of delegates are at director level

6) Pricing to suit all key categories of valued delegate for excellent networking

You can attend this year’s 4th Smart Grids & Cleanpower 2012 Conference on 14 June 10am-530pm at Murray Edwards College, CB3 ODR

Web home: www.cir-strategy.com/events/cleanpower

Tel 01223 303500

Email: grids@cir-stategy.com

Text: Just send “SGCP N delegates” to 07720047402 and we’ll follow up the booking for you.

Online Booking: www.cir-strategy.com/events/register