That's a wrap! Closing out CERAWeek 2026

The final day of another CERAWeek has ended, bringing the proceedings to a close.This year's event was held under the cloud of a profound crisis for the global energy market - the Iran War. 

Understandably, quite a lot of the dialogues were dominated by geopolitics, and the impact of the conflict on oil and gas supply and demand, economic shocks, and how it will all perhaps end. 

Throughout this week, oil (and gas) prices swung wildly and the Brent front-month futures contract seesawed up and down. Such volatility also turned the conversation towards the impact of the current market on much needed investment in all forms of energy. 

The crisis a deep one for the oil markets as various heads of industry discussed, but perhaps an even deeper one for the global LNG. On the latter point, here is the Oilholic's op-ed for Forbes on how the disruption may upend the LNG market, and on the former point, here's one on why many worry the full impact of the Iran War may not yet have been fully priced into the oil market. 

Another interesting point to emerge from this year's CERAWeek was potential for demand destruction, in particular for LNG, serviced by the twin polar opposite energy sources - coal and renewable energy, with desperate Asian markets turning to both. 

As with any crisis to the upside (or downside), many got talking about how technology can be a great leveller not just in improving efficiencies for energy production but also playing a major role in reshaping the whole sector as it invests in its future.

On that note it's goodbye from Houston folks. More market musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: CERAWeek 2026's signage © Gaurav Sharma, March 2026.  

CERAWeek's Innovation Agora goes mega

The Oilholic took some time out to visit CERAWeek's Innovation Agora programme today - the event's - marketplace of ideas on energy innovation and emerging technologies. 

Yours truly remembers that nearly a decade ago, both the displays and talks would fit within half a hotel foyer, often with ABB's Yumi robot (or 'co-bot' as the company called it at the time) at the centre of it all. 

Things look and feel very different for the programme these days, and particularly so at CERAWeek 2026. Agora proceedings now practically occupy a whole floor at the George R. Brown convention centre adjacent to the event's venue - Hilton Americas in Downtown Houston. 

According to the organisers S&P Global, this year's Agora will have 420 sessions, nearly 900 speakers, over a fourth of whom are from start-ups, and 66 partners. The dialogues are "dedicated to advancing solutions to the greatest challenges facing our energy and environmental future" and exploring new pathways "for lower emissions, affordability and reliability."

The nine key themes for this year happen to be AI and Digital, Electrification Technologies, The Innovation Ecosystem, Managing Emissions, Low-Carbon Fuels and Mobility, Climate and Sustainability, Chemicals and Materials, Investment and Financing and Workforce Strategy. 

Agora has pulled in technologists, VCs, investors and corporate innovators to hobnob with startups in ever greater numbers, very much like any energy technology conference yours truly has attended. 

The Oilholic went from listening to Microsoft executives discussing energy AI to JOGMEC experts talking about pathways for blue hydrogen in the US, and much else in between, earlier this afternoon. 

This blogger can only see the event grow bigger as the years roll on. More musings from Houston soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: CERAWeek 2026's Innovation Agora programme © Gaurav Sharma, March 2026.  

Launching Global Autonomous Maturity Report 2026

Devan Pillay, President, Heavy Industries, Schneider Electric (left) and Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst, Oilholics Synonymous, launch Schneider Electric's Global Autonomous Operations Maturity Report at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston, Texas, US.

As an energy market analyst and media commentator here at CERAWeek 2026, the Oilholic believes it is pretty clear that autonomous operations are no longer a distant ambition — they’re already reshaping the competitive landscape of the global energy and chemicals sector.

That's why yours truly was pleased to contribute to Schneider Electric’s new Global Autonomous Maturity Report which dives into the digital capabilities now defining operational performance in one of the world’s most demanding industries. 

It was launched at CERAWeek 2026 by Devan Pillay, President, Heavy Industries, Schneider Electric. Here’s a snapshot of what the research reveals:

• Where regions truly stand on the autonomy curve — and why some markets are quietly emerging as leaders.
• What’s driving the shift toward autonomous technology, from productivity gains to cost resilience and the pursuit of sustained competitive advantage.
• Which technologies matter most, including AI, cybersecurity, edge computing, advanced process control, and the expanding role of software-defined automation.

For anyone looking to understand how autonomy is evolving from concept to core strategy, this report offers timely, data-backed insight.

Read the findings and download the report here: tinyurl.com/4y9hcn4f

More musings from Houston soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: Devan Pillay, President, Heavy Industries, Schneider Electric (left) and Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst launch Schneider Electric's Global Autonomous Operations Maturity Report at CERAWeek 2026 © Schneider Electric, March 2026. 

Talking AI driven materials discovery with Team Altrove

Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst, Oilholics Synonymous with Thibaud Martin, CEO & Cofounder of Altrove (center), and Joonatan Laulainen (right), CTO & Cofounder, at the company's laboratory in Paris, France. 

Coming up with new materials in the laboratory isn't new. The material science community has been at it for nearly a century and found new materials with their use cases oftentimes by accident or sometimes by design. But in an age in which the West's concerns over secure access to rare earths is rising, the "design" aspect of material science has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to AI. 

The fine craft of AI driven materials discovery - a growing field either side of the Atlantic - is in near step with growing geopolitical uncertainties and anxieties over critical materials access that much of the digital world has come to rely. 

In recent years, the Oilholic has counted nearly two dozen startups attempting it, primarily in Europe and North America - the two continents where the need is likely to be the greatest as China lords it over its rare earth resources. Many are upscaling following recent seed funding rounds. Among them is Paris, France-based Altrove whose lab this blogger visited recently to catch up with its CEO and Cofounder Thibaud Martin.

"We believe our startup is on an exciting journey because we exist in a market that's growing out of commercial, geopolitical and environmental necessities - three very powerful motivators. Security of resource materials supply is critical to business and industry," Martin told this blogger while taking him around the startup's lab in a Parisian suburb. 

And Joonatan Laulainen, CTO and Cofouncer of Altrove, who joined Martin and The Oilholic on the lab floor, noted: "We believe ours is a race to have scalable technology in place that ensures that our AI-designed materials consume the resources we want them to consume, without dependence on other nations' resources. We are quietly and confidently proving to investors that we're on our way there. 

“Ultimately, our AI acts as a digital scientist, one that designs and executes experiments without human intervention. So, we can develop new materials faster, cheaper and at the scale industry requires.”  

Martin, Laulainen and their team of over a dozen international colleagues, believe the difference would be reducing a typical time frame of 20 years for conjuring up a new material (and taking it to production) to under two years. 

There's plenty of market chatter about similar levels of ambition across the AI driven materials discovery space. Martin discussed the segment's business and market potential in an interview with yours truly for Forbes earlier this month, which you can have a read here should you wish. 

For its efforts, Altrove has commendably secured "over a dozen partnerships" with companies across several industries to deploy AI-designed materials at scale. Some of its first-of-a-kind technical milestones include - rare-earth-free, cobalt-free magnetic materials for high-performance motors and non-toxic, lead-free compounds for sensors and actuators.

Martin declined to reveal the names of the companies Altrove is partnering with at this stage. But in the spirit of demonstrating its credentials and proving that its AI works, both the CEO and CTO offered this blogger an off record tour of their lab, its inner workings and insight on how upscaling their tech would fall into place. 

As things stand, Team Altrove appears to be well prepared for the hard slog in this competitive sphere, as interest from seed investors continues to grow across this segment. The company has $14 million to work with for now, $10 million of which was raised in a recent seed funding round led by Alven, an independent venture capital firm that's backed over 130 startups over the last two decades. 

The Oilholic wishes Team Altrove all the very best in their efforts. And overall, it looks to be an exciting industry in its nascent stages, with companies and technologies well worth keeping an eye out for. That's all for the moment folks. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

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To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst, Oilholics Synonymous, with Thibaud Martin, CEO & Cofounder (center), and Joonatan Laulainen (right), CTO & Cofounder, of Altrove at the company's laboratory in Paris, France. 

Leadership Conversations with Emerson series

The Oilholic is delighted to introduce Emerson’s new Leadership Conversations series that yours truly has been privileged to host on the company's behalf. The series brings together leading voices from Emerson and its affiliate brands such as Aspen Technology, National Instruments and more, to the fore on digitization, electrification and automation of the world's energy, industrial and manufacturing complex.

As AI, IIoT, BigData and robotics reshape how we do things, this series explores the approaching horizon from the perspective of one of the world's leading technology, software and engineering powerhouses, and its global customers and partners. The initial batch of videos are available here.

In the very first episode, Chief Operating Officer Ram Krishnan discusses Emerson’s new software-defined, OT-ready enterprise operations platform. Watch the full interview here.

And do watch this space for more to come, as Team Emerson and yours truly bring further industry insights and leadership conversations your way. More musings to follow soon, but its goodbye for now. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

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To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Leadership Conversations with Emerson © Emerson, November 2025.

Media missives from ADIPEC 2025

ADIPEC 2025 drew to a close on November 6 and the Oilholic had an engaging week out in Abu Dhabi. Yours truly hosted four pivotal industry panel sessions at the event on subjects ranging from hydrogen to downstream decarbonisation.

This blogger also hit the airwaves to discuss the wider energy market, quarterly results of BP and Aramco, oil supply and demand scenarios for 2026, investment by the energy sector in automation and AI, and some of the soundbites coming out of this year's ADIPEC. 

These included broadcasting calls with the BBC, France 24, and more, with the Oilholic's week also peppered with plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, and of course this blog.

This year, yours truly also partnered with Schneider Electric for a global research project on the adoption of automation in the energy sector, the first phase of which - on the Middle East - was released at the event. Further details are here. 

All blog entries for ADIPEC 2025 may be found here. And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insights from just before, during, and immediately after the event: 

• AI Is Reshaping How Industries Run, Compete, And Grow, October 26, 2025
• Energy CEOs Warn More Investment Is Needed As Demand Continues To Rise, November 3, 2025
• Big Oil Earnings Season Marks A Return To Basics With Lower Profits, November 10, 2025
• Big Oil Is Pairing Up With Big Tech For An Opportunity Worth Billions, November 11, 2025

That's a wrap for this year's ADIPEC. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at ADIPEC 2025 studio in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 4, 2025 © dmgevents / APCO Worldwide. 

ADIPEC Days III & IV: Energy. Intelligence. Impact.

As ADIPEC 2025 entered its home stretch, the broader conference-wide discourse continued to both amplify as well as offer a diverse range of views on the event's tagline of 'Energy. Intelligence. Impact.'

Several discussion slants across the event bolstered the belief that the planet's energy future will be shaped not by any one solution or sector segment, but by collaboration across industries, generations and geographies. A true energy mix if you wish. 

To this effect, ADIPEC saw ministers, CEOs, ultra high net worth investors, innovators and leading academics call for strong partnerships between public and private sectors, aligning targeted investment with innovation, and accelerate the technologies needed to deliver affordable, sustainable and secure energy for all.

Afterall as many leaders put it - energy equals jobs, growth and prosperity - which is why getting it right in the transition era matters. The Oilholic entered the homestretch of ADIPEC 2025 with three panel sessions at a cantor. On Wednesday, yours truly moderated a session titled 'Driving hydrogen forward: technology, standards and a level playing field.' 

Panellists included Nobuo Tanaka, CEO, Tanaka Global & Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (IEA), Raphaël Tilot, CEO, John Cockerill Hydrogen, Koji Yamamoto, CTO, JOGMEC, Michèle Azalbert, Chief Hydrogen Officer, Gentari and Lionel Sinaï-Sinelnikoff, Strategic Advisor, Beyond Aero. 

We all know that hydrogen’s success as a global energy carrier will depend not only on technological breakthroughs but also on the creation of a stable, transparent, and equitable framework that allows those technologies to thrive. 

The panellists discussed establishing internationally recognised definitions of "clean" hydrogen, common life-cycle carbon accounting methodologies, and compatible certification schemes deemed vital to building investor confidence and facilitating cross-border trade. 

They also explored how learnings from the LNG trade can potentially help unlock hydrogen markets, enable global trade, and accelerate the path to affordability and sustainability. 

Next up for this blogger on Wednesday was a panel on the 'The future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction.'

The panellists included Sultan Albigishi , CEO, ADNOC Refining, Arvinder Singh Sahney, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation, Dr. Mumuni Dagazau, EVP Downstream, NNPC Limited, Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary, African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) and Sylvain Cabalery, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals and Circularity, Technip Energies. 

In a lively discussion, the panellists offered their perspectives on how refining strategies are evolving to balance decarbonisation targets with structural market pressures, including overcapacity, shifting demand, and long-term competitiveness.

And on Thursday - ADIPEC's final day - the Oilholic turned his attention to financial innovation, chairing an open forum discussion with full audience participation, on 'Building the future energy system through infrastructure investment.' 

The speakers, who also directly engaged with members of the audience included Rajarshi Gupta, MD & CEO, ONGC Videsh Ltd and Jamil Asfour, Head of the Energy & Utilities Sector, Contango.  

Both offered their takes on innovative financing models such as infrastructure funds and public-private partnerships that address the complexities associated with critical projects will be crucial to unlocking the necessary investment to build the energy systems of the future. 

The audience members and speakers also discussed how investors, policymakers, energy executives and technology developers are planning to finance the infrastructure required for energy security and sustainability to thrive together, and what the future holds.

And with that ended the Oilholic's engagements this year ADIPEC. As always, it has been a memorable and insightful time out here in Abu Dhabi. But alas that's a wrap folks. More musings to follow real soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma moderates ADIPEC 2025 panel on the future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction. Photo III: Visitors to ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo I: © Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photos II & III © ADIPEC / dmgevents.

ADIPEC Days I & II: Upscaling energy AI & automation

The first two days of ADIPEC 2025 have flown by and energy technology is all the rage here in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Accompanied, of course, by a rallying cry to invest more as the world's energy needs rise. 

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Group CEO of ADNOC - the host of the mega-event - told attendees that a "balanced and inclusive approach" was needed to meet rising global energy demand. 

Here is the Oilholic's full report for Forbes following the event's opening ceremony on Monday. Al Jaber also called for capital investment and infrastructure development to optimise energy, advance technology to enable progress, and the embrace of artificial intelligence. 

And by the look of things at ADIPEC 2025, the energy industry isn't waiting for an invitation. In whichever direction you turn at ADIPEC's venue ADNEC, you'll see robots roaming, predictive maintenance solutions demos, AR/VR equipment for health and safety training, cloud computing offerings, and so they go.

What's more, even the exhibition space allocated to the event's AI zone went up this year to 3,150 sq. m. from last year’s 2,275 sq. m. It offers a sense of the profound changes that are afoot in the industry and its direction of travel. 

Speaking of which, over the last few months yours truly has been privileged to provide insights for Schneider Electric's energy automation report. 

It will eventually take the shape of a global piece of research on the progression of automation in the energy sector. 

The report's first section - on the Middle East - was published on Tuesday morning at ADIPEC. The Oilholic was delighted to join Devan Pillay, President Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric for the launch. 

The reporting team's fascinating findings from the Middle East signal a profound shift - autonomous technologies that boost efficiency and reduce emissions are now a strategic priority for one of the world's most prominent energy hubs and a bid for operational excellence by GCC energy majors. 

Nearly 80% of Middle Eastern energy sector leaders reported advanced operational readiness, highlighting the region’s strong ambition toward autonomous operations. And they're just getting started. More on stage I of the report's findings here. 

As Pillay noted: "Autonomous operations are increasingly seen as a strategic enabler across industries, driving gains in efficiency, scalability, and resilience. 

"In the energy sector, where safety, reliability, and sustainability are critical, autonomous systems can monitor and respond in real time, reduce manual intervention in hazardous environments, and support smarter, data-driven decision-making. Crucially, they also support both onshore and remote operations, reducing offsite travel and improving work-life balance."

Yours truly also hit the airwaves to discuss the financials of Aramco and BP both of whom published their quarterlies on Tuesday too, starting with the BBC's morning business bulletins, with two market commentary hits in quick succession on the same channel. 

The Oilholic noted that while both companies managed to beat earnings expectations, unsurprisingly their returns were nothing like we saw in the wake of Russia-Ukraine war. The low oil price environment for much of the previous quarter also dented earnings. 

Aramco kept its bumper base dividend (of $21.1 billion) while BP maintained its share buyback at $750 million. In the case of the latter, whisper gently, but perhaps a turnaround may be on the horizon. 

Later on Tuesday, yours truly also moderated a panel titled 'Future-proofing feedstock strategies: from sourcing advantage to system adaptability.'

The panellists included Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive, Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey, Marc-Xavier Joubert, Corporate Strategy Officer, SUEZ, and S. Bharathan, Member of the Board of Directors, Refineries, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. We discussed how downstream players are reshaping sourcing models, processing capabilities and risk strategies to unlock value across an increasingly complex feedstock landscape.

The panellists offered a steer on how forward-thinking refineries and petrochemical plants should attempt to align their sourcing strategy with infrastructure adaptability, harnessing technological leaps and innovative solutions to unlock both commercial advantage and long-term sustainability. 

And the Oilholic rounded up an interesting first two days at ADIPEC over a round of drinks with none other than the inimitable Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director Emeritus of the International Energy Agency (IEA). 

It was a privilege to unwind after a hectic but rewarding first two days at ADIPEC and hear Tanaka's views on the evolving energy mix, his faith in the potential of hydrogen (that's still intact) and prevailing geopolitics. Well that's all for the moment from ADIPEC folks. More musings to follow real soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

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To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Exhibition floor of ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma with Devan Pillay, President Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma offering market commentary on the BBC from ADIPEC 2025. Photo IV: ADIPEC panel on future-proofing feedstock strategies moderated by Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. Photo V: Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (left) with Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. Photos I, II, IV & V © Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo III © BBC, November 2025.

ADIPEC 2025 sessions to be hosted by yours truly

The Oilholic is delighted to be back in Abu Dhabi, UAE for ADIPEC 2025, the world's largest energy conference and exhibition of its kind, being held here from November 3 to 6. Yours truly will be hosting four panel sessions at the event with distinguished industry leaders. Here are the details of the sessions as ADIPEC week unfolds:

Tuesday, November 4, ADNEC Conference Room A @ 16:00 GST

Future-proofing feedstock strategies: from sourcing advantage to system adaptability

With: 

- Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive, Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey
- Marc-Xavier Joubert, Corporate Strategy Officer, SUEZ
- S. Bharathan, Member of the Board of Directors, Refineries, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited

Wednesday, November 5, ADNEC Conference Room A @ 13:05 GST

Driving hydrogen forward: technology, standards and a level playing field

With:

- Nobuo Tanaka, CEO, Tanaka Global & Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (IEA)
- Raphaël Tilot, CEO, John Cockerill Hydrogen
- Koji Yamamoto, CTO, JOGMEC
- Michèle Azalbert, Chief Hydrogen Officer, Gentari

- Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, Strategic Advisor, Beyond Aero

Wednesday, November 5, ADNEC ICC Hall B @14:30 GST

The future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction

With:

- Sultan Albigishi , CEO, ADNOC Refining
- Arvinder Singh Sahney, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation
- Dr. Mumuni Dagazau, EVP Downstream, NNPC Limited
- Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary, African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA)
- Sylvain Cabalery, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Technip Energies

Thursday, November 6, ADNEC Conference Room A @12:30GST

Financial innovation: building the future energy system through infrastructure investment:

With:

- Rajarshi Gupta, MD & CEO, ONGC Videsh Ltd
- Jamil Asfour, Head of the Energy & Utilities Sector, Contango

Can't wait to get going! Join, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Abu Dhabi. More to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Digital event banner courtesy of dmgevents.

On datacentres & smart cities at SE Innovation Summit

As Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit entered its home stretch on day two of the event, the Oilholic touched on two key energy consumption segments - datacenters and smart cities. 

Starting with the latter, as urban centres expand, so does their power demand. 

It has led many to envision digitally-premised 'smart' cities with efficient energy and communications systems, dwellings, offices, and, a whole new way of urban living in the digital age. 

Among the many things that Schneider Electric is attempting in this space, are what the company describes as "Impact Buildings" - spaces that are digitally intelligent, energy efficient, and "designed with people in mind." 

For the company these building projects showcase how technology, sustainability, and innovation can come together to create spaces that are not only high performing and low carbon, but also serve as real world examples of what is possible today. 

They typically deploy digital energy solutions and have smart sensors for data gathering for management, maintenance and efficient day-to-day running of the building from workspace management to lighting and temperature control.

The first of these from Schneider Electric - NEST impact building - was launched in Dubai in May. It was great discussing NEST's potential with the key leadership team behind it all - Frederic Godemel, EVP Energy Management at Schneider Electric and Manish Kumar, EVP Digital Energy at Schneider Electric. 

While Godemel and Kumar outlined the headline case and technologies underpinning the move, it was fascinating listening to Matthew Proctor, Global Sales Lead, Enterprise Software, at Schneider Electric, offer a glimpse into the live-feed visual display of the digital footprint of the building. 

This blogger is also grateful to Martin Jensen, EMEA WD Division President at global real estate and property management firm JLL (who are partnering with Schneider Electric on the impact buildings), for discussing their commercial future. 

Away from smart buildings and smart cities, yours truly also took time out explore what Sebastian Bøtcher, Sales Director, Secure Power at Schneider Electric Denmark, described as addressing the "chip to chilling" aspect of hyperscale datacentres, supercomputers and AI. 

By that token, Bøtcher's team is providing solutions to the Danish Centre for AI Innovation or DCAI, a company established to run and operate Gefion, Denmark’s first AI supercomputer. It's named after a goddess in the country's mythology.

DCAI is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and by EIFO. During a visit to the site, on the sidelines of the summit, the Oilholic met Nadia Carlsten, CEO of DCAI, her colleague Ali Syed, who's the SVP of Infrastructure, and, of course Bøtcher himself.

Carlsten said DCAI's work offers a testament to the seriousness with which Denmark is approaching the potential, premise and deployment of AI solutions and services and their growing role in the Danish economy. 

"Our mission is to lower the barrier to access the most advanced computing capabilities in Denmark in particular, and the region in general. We work with customers from academia, startups, and enterprise to accelerate AI research and innovation," Carlsten said.

Syed added that the facility is not just a deployment hub for AI in Demark, but also a mission critical learning and testing ground as hyperscale datacentres proliferate globally. 

"It is as much about the direction of travel, as it is about recognising the power of AI in step with our partners and end users," he added.

And Bøtcher brought Schneider Electric's "electrify, automate & digitalize" everything message into the mix, noting that: "We are  part of that learning and collaborating ecosystem, as AI rises in prominence, and there is a growing clamour for the solutions we offer." 

"We hope to extrapolate our infrastructural and digital learnings from DCAI to our wider business, and bring our global expertise in the sphere to them. Real two-way synergies are in play here."

Elsewhere at the summit, several dignitaries joined the Schneider Electric leadership in offering their perspectives on the road ahead and the energy transition. 

They included Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of International Energy Agency. It was a pleasure to reconnect with Dr Birol, however briefly, as both him and yours truly were entering / exiting the plenary stage. 

Earlier, Dr Birol offered views on the unfolding energy transition, and how balancing traditional and renewable forms of energy is a tough and ever evolving challenge. 

He was followed by Nicolai Wammen, Minister of Finance of Denmark, who discussed the pressing need for investment in innovation, and managing the energy trilemma - i.e. balancing affordability, security and sustainability. 

Lastly, yours truly also took to his public engagements on day two, speaking at the event with industry experts from around the world. Overall, around 5,000 global attendees were at the summit for two insightful days in Copenhagen.

Several deployment cases for EcoStruxure - Schneider Electric's open, AI-powered platform that creates what the company describes as "intelligent ecosystems to drive real-time insights, resilience, and efficiency" - were also visited, often accompanied by real-time demonstrations. 

Well that's a wrap from the Innovation Summit this year. Until next time folks. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Exhibition floor of Schneider Electric Innovation Summit, October 23, 2025. Photo II: (L to R) Frederic Godemel, EVP Energy Management at Schneider Electric, Martin Jensen, EMEA WD Division President, JLL, Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma, Manish Kumar, EVP Digital Energy at Schneider Electric and Matthew Proctor, Global Sales Lead, Enterprise Software at Schneider Electric. Photo III: (L to R) Ali Syed, SVP of Infrastructure, DCAI, Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma, Nadia Carlsten, CEO of DCAI, Sebastian Bøtcher, Sales Director, Secure Power at Schneider Electric Denmark. Photos IV & V: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma speaks at the Schneider Electric Innovation Summit 2025. 

SE Innovation Summit: 'Electrify, automate & digitalize'

The Oilholic concluded a fascinating and insightful day one of Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark last evening with a heavy emphasis on "electrifying, automating and digitizing" everything by the energy management and automation company. 

That's buildings, data centres, heavy industries, grids, infrastructure and all else in between. 

Through its longstanding and ever evolving EcoStruxure platform, the company offers to embed intelligence at every level. It's grounded in the company's belief that electricity will come to dominate the global energy mix and in the fullness of time demonstrate its ultimate value in terms of transition economics, as said by the company's CEO Olivier Blum in what was his first keynote since taking over as the company's boss. (Read all about it in the Oilholic's latest Forbes missive here).

The company also took the opportunity for a widely expected launch of SE Advisory Services that would combine its company-wide consulting offering under one specialist business unit. 

It adds specialised software, AI and project implementation to its existing suite of consulting services. 

Schneider Electric also published a new report noting that electrification could save Europe €250 billion (£217 billion, $290 billion) per year by 2040 through accelerated electrification. 

The report observed that currently the electrification rate in Europe is just 21%, a figure that hasn’t changed in the last decade and is 10% behind China where rapid electrification is taking place. 

At the same time, the cost of residential energy use in the EU is 0.27 euro per kWh. In the US, that figure is 0.15, and China comes in at 0.08 euro per kWh. 

This puts the price of everyday activity for every EU citizen three times higher than those in China. 

The report titled - Europe energy security and competitiveness – supercharging electrification - suggests that accelerated electrification could alter the dynamic and result in huge continent-wide savings. 

Have a read here, and let the Oilholic know what you make of the findings. That's all for the moment folks. More musings to follow soon from Copenhagen. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma at Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit on October 22, 2025. Photo II: Schneider Electric CEO Olivier Blum speaks at the Innovation Summit. Photo III: Innovation Summit crowds on day one of the event. © Gaurav Sharma, October, 2025.

Gastech Days III & IV: The natural gas-AI nexus & more

As Gastech 2025 entered Days III and IV, and the finish line approached, conversations and dialogues at the event slightly turned from how natural gas would power an AI driven future to how AI itself would serve as an efficiency and decarbonisation enabler for the energy sector, and by extension to hard-to-abate heavy industry segments. 

To this effect, for the past three years, the event's AI-Energy, Climatetech and Hydrogen content streams have been steadily growing alongside signature plenaries. 

The Oilholic is happy to report that this trend continues. Additionally, this year also saw an even higher number of AI exhibitors. And leading global experts also showcased the impacts of new energy solutions such as methane abatement technologies and AI-driven optimisation, while addressing their impacts on rising energy demand and increased electricity consumption.

Yours truly got into the thick of the action via three panels on equally profound subjects on Day III. The first panel was on the topic of decarbonising heavy industrial sectors with e-fuels. 

Fellow panellists included Marco Àlvera, CEO & Co-Founder of TES, Alessandro Bernini, CEO of Maire, Dr Andrew Wood, CEO & Co-Founder of CATAGEN and Steve Esau, Chief Operating Officer of SEA-LNG. We discussed how with the right policies, collaborations and workforce support, sustainable fuels can contribute significantly to building a resilient, low carbon future. While there will be challenges along the way, there will also be opportunities. 

The second panel's topic was all about the unlocking the potential of low consumption AI technologies to accelerate energy transition goals. 

Panellists who joined yours truly for this panel included Uwa Airhiavbere, CCO - Worldwide Energy & Resources at Microsoft, Henri Domenach, Global Head - Energy Management of ENGIE, Parisa Bardouni, SVP & CTO of Aker Solutions, and Manoj Narender Madnani, MD - International at MARA.

Over an engaging and lively post-lunch exchange, we discussed how to activate low energy consumption, high impact AI technologies to deliver on the decarbonisation promise of generative AI.

And third and final panel that brought Day III's proceedings to a close for both the wider event, and this blogger, was on fostering full value chain collaboration to strengthen the market for scalable climate technologies. 

The panellists for this one included Guido D'Aloisio, CCO of Saipem, Yair Reem, Co-Founder & Partner at Extantia Capital, Charlie Sanchez, President - Infrastructure Advisory at Black & Veatch, and Dr. Ahmed El Sherbiny, VP - Energy Transition Fund at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. 

This one dear readers was all about plotting a roadmap for fostering the very sort of collaboration that translates ambition into tangible market impact.

Moving on from the penultimate day to the final morning - on Day IV - it was revealed that this year's Gastech saw nearly 50,000 visitors and attendees from over 150 countries, as this international event grows bigger by the year.

Additionally, next year's host city would be Bangkok, Thailand, as the event rotates back from Europe to Asia, the continent with a burgeoning natural gas demand. Well that's a wrap from Gastech 2025. It's been a memorable, insightful and engaging week out here in Milan. To be continued in Bangkok in 2026. Arrivederci for now. More musings to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. 

Gastech 2025 sessions to be hosted by yours truly

The Oilholic is delighted to be back speaking and moderating at Gastech 2025 being held in Milan, Italy this year. One of the world's largest natural gas conference and exhibition of its kind is being held here from September 9 to 12. 

Yours truly will be holding four panel sessions at the event with distinguished industry leaders from energy sector and its entire value chain. 

Please do join if you can for some fantastic and insightful industry dialogues. Here are the details of the sessions:

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 @ 11:00 CET

Operational excellence through the application of artificial intelligence technologies

With:

• Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Alebri, CEO, ADNOC Sour Gas
• Olakunle Osobu, Deputy MD, NLNG
• Michael Deighton, SVP - Operations, Kent
• Fabricio Sousa, Global President - Worley Consulting & Technology Solutions, Worley
• Andy Webster, Global Digital Senior Director, KBR

(Click to enlarge)

Thursday, September 11, 2025 @ 09:45 CET

Decarbonising heavy industrial sectors with e-fuels

With:

• Marco Àlvera, CEO & Co-Founder, TES
• Alessandro Bernini, CEO, Maire
• Dr. Andrew Wood, CEO & Co-Founder, CATAGEN
• Steve Esau, Chief Operating Officer, SEA-LNG

(Click to enlarge)

Thursday, September 11, 2025 @ 14:00 CET

From investment to impact: Unlocking the potential of low consumption AI technologies to accelerate energy transition goals 

With:

• Uwa Airhiavbere, CCO - Worldwide Energy & Resources, Microsoft
• Henri Domenach, Global Head - Energy Management, ENGIE
• Parisa Bardouni, SVP & CTO, Aker Solutions
• Manoj Narender Madnani, MD - International, MARA

(Click to enlarge)

Thursday, September 11, 2025 @16:15 CET

Fostering full value chain collaboration to strengthen the market for scalable climate technologies

With:

• Guido D'Aloisio, CCO, Saipem 
• Yair Reem, Co-Founder & Partner, Extantia Capital 
• Charlie Sanchez, President - Infrastructure Advisory, Black & Veatch 
• Dr. Ahmed El Sherbiny, VP - Energy Transition Fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners

(Click to enlarge)

More musings to follow soon from Milan. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. 

Striving for smart, sustainable cities & urban excellence

On Wednesday, the second and final day of the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit, over 4,000 attendees visited the exhibition and conference. 

They included royalty as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan joined the crowds. He met exhibitors, officials and visitors alike during his visit. 

The Crown Prince also stressed on the vital importance of leveraging advanced technologies in urban planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of infrastructure that meets the aspirations of current and future generations and enhances societal wellbeing, by investing in integrated, future-ready infrastructure, including facilities powered by artificial intelligence and other smart solutions. 

Of course, the pursuit of urban excellence is a moving target with diverse global contexts. Abu Dhabi’s ambition to redefine urban living through world-class infrastructure and quality of life enhancements finds resonance in the transformative strategies of pioneering global cities.

That was the subject matter of the second panel at the summit moderated by The Oilholic at ADIS. The panelists included Daniel Liu, Executive Director of MORROW Intelligence, Emre Arolat, Founding Partner and Principal at Emre Arolat Architecture, Greg Bargull, Executive Director of Development at Modon and Asma Aljassmi, Executive Director of Projects Control and Operations at Aldar Projects. 

We discussed how successful urban centers worldwide are redefining city planning through context-specific innovations that balance economic growth with human-centric design. 

From Singapore’s holistic balance of economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusivity to Chongqing’s technology and sustainability integration, Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district’s 5-Minute City model, and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City balancing sustainability, heritage and innovation - the world’s most innovative cities promote a strong sense of place and identity for their residents and community said the panelists.

They also offered pragmatic insights on the challenges and opportunities along the route toward urban excellence, and learning as much from the mistakes of others as their successes, whilst keeping sustainability and energy efficiency almost always in sharp focus. 

And on that note, it's a wrap from the inaugural ADIS folks! More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (right) visits the exhibition at the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit © Abu Dhabi Media Office, June 2025. Photo II: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma (left) moderates a panel at the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit. © ADIS, June 2025.