April 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference is bringing together stakeholders and policymakers to assess the way forward for the UK gas sector - with a particular focus on innovation, looking at:
- next steps for decarbonising gas supplies,
- expanding the development of new gas technologies, and
- priorities for policy to support innovation.
Areas for discussion in detail:
- Moving towards a whole-systems approach for reducing carbon emissions, looking at:
- offshore oil and gas assets their management, and the potential for re-purposing existing infrastructure for carbon storage and hydrogen production,
- power generation - improving efficiency of power plants and flexibility through the use for peaking plants,
- low-carbon gas - growing production of alternatives such as hydrogen and biogas, and supporting their use on the grid; and
- gas sector policy priorities - including establishing guidance for stakeholders.
- The heat sector- reducing emissions and delivering low-carbon heat supply, with discussion expected on:
- issues emerging in the Future Homes Standards consultation - and low-carbon home standards, heating for new builds, and the role of network infrastructure and heating fuels,
- the policy roadmap for low-carbon heating - including the technologies best placed for cost effective transitions, and harnessing hydrogen and bioenergy.
- Energy-intensive sectors - innovation in the context of the Carbon Capture & Utilisation Demonstration Programme, including:
- construction and demonstration of projects that capture carbon and facilitate reuse across industrial processes,
- opportunities for harnessing by-products, and
- transitioning industry towards alternative low-carbon technologies, with the Industrial Fuel Switching Competition, and the feasibility of rolling out biomass and hydrogen for industry.
- Hydrogen policy - examining support for gas conversion and the next steps for government following commitments in the budget, including:
- replacing the gas system with low-carbon alternatives by 2050,
- introducing a new Green Gas Levy to support biomethane production, and
- creating a new £800m Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Fund
- Hydrogen infrastructure - addressing the challenges of deployment at scale, looking at:
- priorities for the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund, - including attracting investment, commercialising production, and expanding utilisation across energy, power, and transport, and
- developing hydrogen supply infrastructure, with the Hydrogen Supply Competition - and looking at costs, supply flexibility, and industry collaboration,
- Alternative gas sources for transport fuel - including utilisation of waste-based resources, and developing production facilities and refuelling infrastructure, looking at:
- priorities for creating biofuel and anaerobic digestion production facilities, attracting investment, and improving efficiency,
- expanding renewable fuels for heavy goods vehicles - creating supply chain partnerships and working with refuelling operators, and
- translating investment in refuelling infrastructure into greater deployment across the UK, and
- opportunities for growing sector confidence and the commercialisation of low-carbon transport and fuel projects
Developments that are relevant to the discussion:
It takes place with:
The agenda:
- Natural gas and the net-zero 2050 transition - innovating gas use, repurposing by-products, and setting pathways;
- Gas decarbonisation - innovation, taking a whole-system approach, and the policy framework for transition:
- Managing oil and gas assets - infrastructure repurposing, decarbonisation, and new storage opportunities;
- Low-carbon gas power generation in the UK - flexibility, peaking points, and reliable supplies of power;
- Ensuring gas transmission is fit for net-zero - improving efficiency, interconnection, and the integration of low-carbon gases;
- Policy framework for gas in the energy transition, and setting guidance for industry; and
- Heat supply decarbonisation, integrating alternative fuels, and innovating heat technology.
- Reducing emissions from energy-intensive uses, expanding carbon capture and storage capabilities, and developing the hydrogen economy;
- Developing national and local low-carbon gas grids, blending fuels, and preparing networks for hydrogen;
- Alternative fuel and gas sources, new business cases for gas technologies, and creating the infrastructure for utilisation:
- Anaerobic digestion and low-carbon gas - growing production facilities, waste and resource use, and the biogas industry;
- Case study - reducing emissions with gas alternatives for heavy goods vehicles, and best practice for rolling out refuelling infrastructure; and
- Investing in low-carbon gas technology and infrastructure, and challenges for commercialisation.
- Policy for gas decarbonisation, meeting net-zero by 2050, and innovation in technology and infrastructure.
Policy officials attending
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stake holders.
It’s certainly the case with this one. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Lords and officials from BEIS; the CCS; Defra; the Department for Transport; the Health and Safety Executive; Ofwat; The Planning Inspectorate; the Department for International Trade; The Scottish Government; the Department for the Economy, NI; and the Welsh Government.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
