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'!

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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.

Speaking and moderating at ADIPEC 2025

Delighted to announce that yours truly will be moderating and speaking at ADIPEC 2025 - the world's largest energy conference and exhibition - in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from November 3 to 6, on a number of panels and executive dialogues. Explore the event's agenda touching on critical energy issues, latest technological developments, and energy transition through innovation, visionary leadership and action here.

And more on the Oilholic's panels and sessions here.

Looking forward to the deliberations, meeting thought leaders, fellow industry professionals and colleagues. Join, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Abu Dhabi.

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'!

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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'!

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. 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.