Turning to ocean energy at ICOE OEE 2026

Earlier this week, The Oilholic also attended ICOE OEE 2026 - a global event on ocean energy being held in The Hague, Netherlands, whilst in town for another engagement. 

The International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) and Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) joint event, supported by the Dutch Energy from Water Association (EWA), featured a conference programme with several technology and policy content streams. 

These were accompanied by networking events and site visits to key Dutch ocean energy sites and companies. The Oilholic viewed it as a great opportunity to meet key stakeholders in the ocean energy sector from the industry and supply chain firms to startups, research fellows to those leading corporate innovation and development.

The event offered a glimpse of "watts in the water" and how the various forms of ocean energy can potentially be amplified in service of a rapidly electrifying world. The discourse touched on the wider offshore energy ecosystem and inter-organisational collaboration that's shaping the next generation of clean ocean energy across tidal, wave and other marine energy applications. 

In a nudge to the hosts, delegates also got a showcase of research and the real-world impact of initiatives in South Netherlands.

Alongside these wide-ranging discussions, two analysis strands stood out for this blogger. The first one being pragmatic discussions on the commercialisation of ocean energy technologies and the various avenues under consideration to go down the cost curve.

Indeed, many attendees offered (and presented) approaches and strategies to reduce cost at every stage of the design and project development process of what are unsurprisingly big ticket projects.

The second one was the use of AI in ocean energy and deployment of digital twins. Real sea demonstrations are pretty complex and capital intensive projects in often intimidating operating environments. It is why the capacity to accurately model and predict how a system will behave is extremely valuable. That is where AI is proving to be pretty handy. 

ICOE OEE 2026 discussed these very AI solutions being deployed today in ocean energy to support modelling, develop predictive digital twins, and ultimately reduce operational costs and improve ocean energy devices.

Away from the dialogues and networking with industry peers, yours truly also took time out to visit the event's exhibition floor. This year's expo drew in nearly 40 exhibitors from the UK to Canada.

To round up an exciting few days of discussions, here's a parting thought from ICOE OEE 2026 - with, of course, the caveat of the investment climate attached - research suggests the tidal stream energy market carries an estimated global resource of 800-1,200 Twh that could replace nearly 13% of the world's fossil fuel powered electricity generation! Let's see where that ship sails. 

But that's all from The Hague for now folks. More market musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: An ICOE OEE 2026 showcasing session in The Hague, Netherlands, October 5, 2026. Photo II: Marine energy technology on display at ICOE OEE 2026. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at the ICOE OEE 2026, October 7, 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, October 2026. 

Talking industrial cybersecurity at the ONE Conference

Greetings from The Hague, Netherlands, where The Oilholic is just rounding up a visit to the ONE Conference, a leading annual cybersecurity event, organised here with due emphasis on energy and industry. 

With artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing, big data and automation now a big part of the inexorable march to industrial throughput optimisation, cybersecurity is at the heart of operational considerations. 

Unquestionably, given the world we live in, hostile actors are after that very digital estate the global industrial complex now takes for granted. At the ONE Conference, The Oilholic took heart from the fact that many energy and industrial firms said they'd gone from a reactive to proactive mode on cybersecurity, as complacency is unthinkable given the reputational, financial and safety implications of a breach. 

Willemijn Aerdts, Minister for the Digital Economy and Sovereignty, The Netherlands, got the event going in an opening keynote emphasising the need to build resilience given how crucial digitalisation and AI are "for innovation, economic growth, security and prosperity."

"Together with our European partners, we will therefore invest in infrastructure, technology and resilience. We will also build digital governance that is reliable, accessible and efficient. 

"This will reduce unwanted dependence on foreign players and strengthen our strategic position," she added.

Aerdts said the time to act and collaborate is "now" and invited "everyone to the solutions room." 

That ever evolving solutions room at The ONE Conference had a diverse cast of characters from cybersecurity providers and developers to ethical hackers. The event explored a range of cybersecurity solutions, industry training programmes predicated on the "trust but verify" philosophy, risk management, and this blogger's favourite - the concept of malware vaccines, i.e. using and deploying the techniques malware uses for self-preservation to turn the tables on attackers. 

Delegates discussed how all of these would need to be brought into play as the boundary between cybercrime and state-sponsored cyber operations get blurred, geopolitical tussles worsen and the global energy sector's AI-surge continues. 

Speaking on a panel, Matthijs van Amelsfort, Director, National Cyber Security Centre, The Netherlands (NCSC-NL), said that intertwined with preventative measures and technologies, cooperation between domestic and international agencies also needs to be stepped up.

Jessica Conquet, Global CISO of Randstad, said organisations and companies need to have a clear communication plan to avoid panic in the event of the breach, and a culture of notifying the relevant authorities in the first instance of an attack and not hold back due on account of embarrassment.

Miguel De Bruycker, Director General of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, called for stronger "EU-US cooperation" based on mutual respect and a shared desire "to secure cyberspace." He also said Europe risks falling behind and must adopt a more pragmatic approach instead of an overt focus on regulation. 

Away from the ONE Conference's dialogues and deliberations, yours truly also took time out to visit its expo of 30-plus exhibitors and catch-up with the many security startups attending the event. 

Finally, The Oilholic also paid a visit to meet the movers and shakers at the event's tried and tested "capital area" where start-ups meet private and public organisations to discuss funding, subsidies, and venture investments. So, after another great outing here - its goodbye from the ONE Conference. More market musings to follow from the Hague soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: The ONE Conference 2026 in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo II: Willemijn Aerdts, Minister for the Digital Economy and Sovereignty, The Netherlands addresses the ONE Conference. Photo III: The ONE Conference Expo. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at the ONE Conference 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, October 2026. 

Thoughts on energy cybersecurity from The Hague

The Oilholic is just rounding up a visit to The Hague, Netherlands, after an insightful two days at the ONE Conference, a leading annual cybersecurity event organised here as part of this year's Cybersecurity Week. 

In the digital age, this issue is one of critical concern and rising operating expenditure for the energy and heavy industry segments. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data and automation are rising in currency in the inexorable march to throughput optimisation, and hostile actors are after that digital estate given the complex world we live in.

It is therefore no surprise that energy and industrial firms have gone from reactive to proactive mode on cybersecurity, as complacency is simply not an option. That was a warning as well as a call to action delivered by none other than Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in his keynote address to the event on Tuesday. 

Here is yours truly's missive from the ONE Conference for Forbes. It also includes the thoughts of Matthijs van Amelsfort, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, Netherlands, on threat assessments and those of Mark Ruijsendaal, Programme Director at Security Delta, on addressing the skills and awareness gaps from a European perspective. 

Delegates also heard from Bibi van den Berg, Professor of Cybersecurity Governance, and head of the Cybersecurity Governance Research Group, at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University. 

van den Berg said that rather than view security as an add-on (which is typically how most industries go about it) - were they to instead design systems and networks securely from the start - risks may be reduced and incidents may be prevented to a much higher degree than what happens at the moment. In other words, a "security by design" approach. 

Elsewhere, among the many interesting subjects on industrial cybersecurity the Oilholic engaged with, one by Justin Grosfelt, Senior Manager at Recorded Future, on turning malware against itself for proactive defence was heavily attended, with even standing room running out. 

Grosfelt asked what if the key to stopping malware was hidden inside the actual malware itself? Essentially exploring the concept of malware vaccines, i.e. using and deploying the techniques malware uses for self-preservation to turn the tables on attackers.

In an engaging session, he outlined (some of the) countermeasures that may trick malware into aborting its execution before it ever deploys its payload. 

Away from the event's wide-ranging programme, this blogger also took time out to visit its Expo. 

The theme this year was "Meet the Start-Ups." And true to the masthead, the Expo featured 30 booths where start-ups presented their latest developments in cybersecurity. 

The Expo also had a talent hub, and interestingly a "capital area" where start-ups could meet private and public organisations to discuss subsidies, funding schemes and venture investment. All-in-all, a splendid event on a vital subject. 

On that note, its goodbye from The Hague and the ONE Conference. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof addresses the ONE Conference in the Hague, Netherlands on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at the ONE Conference. Photo III: Talent Hub at the ONE Conference. © Gaurav Sharma, September / October 2025.

Back at HUG19 talking energy cybersecurity

The Oilholic is back in The Hague, Netherlands for the 2019 installment of Honeywell Users Group EMEA; the annual European jamboree of the global software industrial company's automation and optimisation unit - Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS).

Everything from state-of-the-art plant processing systems to virtual reality kit for health and safety happen to be on display, and every year the event gets bigger, because the energy and petrochemical world's appetite for big data and cost optimisation is getting voracious by day.

Advanced analytics, digital optimisation of throughput, cloud solutions - you name it. To quote our old friend - Jason Urso, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of HPS, "It not the data that's big, it's what you do with it that matters."

In a mammoth two-hour long keynote and presentation to kick-off the event's first morning, Urso touched on how Honeywell's old workhorse of a plant control system - the TDC 3000 - can benefit from deployment of its digital twin his team have been aggressively promoting in recent years.

To the uninitiated on the plant control front, basically Urso and his team are saying, if you want a swanky new control system, by all means go for, but the existing infrastructure can indeed be "digitally optimised" and upgraded; reducing the need for everything from multiple clunky servers to a messy mass of cables. And no its not getting too cloudy in the age of Big Data, because the usage of cloud computing and off premise data storage (where permissible by law) is growing.

Of course, as digital techniques proliferate, so does the worry, and in HPS' case, the opportunity of cybersecurity. In sync with that sentiment, HPS is notching up its cybersecurity offering and there is form here. In 2018, the company launched its dedicated cybersecurity consulting outfit to help customers rightly spooked about the growing threat.

It seems 12 months on, that dedication has multiplied several times over via its - Honeywell Forge Cybersecurity platform, which "simplifies, strengthens and scales cybersecurity for asset-intensive businesses and critical infrastructure facing cyber threats."

According to Jeff Zindell, HPS' Vice Present of Cybersecurity, the offering can be scaled to match cyber-requirements and budgets, and the allied customer support that goes with it. With over 50% of HPS' client base being in the energy and petrochemicals sphere, it is easy to fathom where it sees the demand coming from.

Zindell describes the new unified suite of applications, services and products as a "natural step to take to address a range of end-user requirements from asset discovery and monitoring to fully managed services.

In what would be music to margin squeezed downstream and midstream players' ears, Zindell said the unified suite will also bring down costs alongside optimisation of cybersecurity mechanisms.

Plenty to chew on, and some images from the exhibition you to look at, but that's all from The Hague on this visit. Next stop Dubai and Fujairah via London Heathrow; keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2019. Photo 1: Jason Urso, Vice President and CTO of HPS, discusses Honeywell TDC 3000's digital twin options. Photo 2,3 & 4: Honeywell virtual reality headsets, kits and flow management and monitoring equipment © Gaurav Sharma, Oct 24-25, 2019, The Hague, Netherlands.