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igem news

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ENERGY

TRANSITION LIVE

IGEM’s Annual Conference went virtual for the first time ever this regulation of the clean energy transition
year, allowing our members around the world to catch up with and how the regulator will work with
government, industry and consumers to
the latest policy and technology developments from around the complete it at the lowest cost.
industry, all from the comfort of their homes and offices. Here, Other speakers included Green Gas
we bring you some of the highlights from our top speakers, but if Champion and former CEO of Cadent
you missed the conference you can always catch up via IGEMtv. Chris Train, who explained how Britain
is set to benefit from the world’s first
Reporting by IGEM Policy Officer Sayda Lees-Manning zero carbon gas grid after the launch
of a major new project by the country’s
five gas network companies.
The Gas Goes Green project will
deliver the changes needed to move
Britain’s network of 284,000km of
gas pipelines from delivering
methane-based natural gas to zero
carbon hydrogen and biomethane.
The move will ensure the country’s
gas network infrastructure is ready for
households and businesses to switch
to a new generation of hydrogen-ready
boilers to help meet the UK’s climate
change targets.
He was joined by Dr Angela Needle,
Director of Strategy for Cadent, who
spoke about the Greater Manchester
Decarbonisation Pathway. The
THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE, four of the UK’s industrial clusters. pathway, produced by Electricity North
which was beamed to screens on 21- 25 With presentations from all the gas West in collaboration with Cadent,
September, allowed delegates to tailor networks plus key supply partners, we provides near to mid-term certainties
their own experience, meaning they explored what is happening in Scotland, around the future of energy supply
could enjoy the content most relevant North East and Humberside, the North and demand in Greater Manchester in
to their working lives. IGEM delivered West and South Wales as each area support of the city region’s goal to be
five days of learning and debate with enters an exciting new phase. carbon neutral by 2038.
sessions broken up into two themes: Also presenting was Iliana Portugues,
Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Minister of State Head of Innovation at National
Enabling the Transition focused on some at the Department for Business, Energy Grid, who spoke about the Zero2050
of the biggest challenges associated and Industrial Strategy, delivered initiative. Led by National Grid
with the UK’s transition to a zero carbon the keynote address and CEO of the Electricity Transmission, the initiative
economy: how we heat our homes, how Committee on Climate Change Chris is speeding up the rate of progress
to convert the existing gas network Stark delivered his previously shelved towards achieving the government
infrastructure to carry alternative energy Sir Denis Rooke Memorial Lecture as target of net zero by 2050 in South
vectors such as hydrogen, and how part of the programme. Wales. Working in partnership with
to deliver these fuels via the national Ofgem Chief Executive Jonathan National Grid Gas Transmission, Wales
transmission system. Brearley also joined the line-up for & West Utilities and Western Power
this year’s Annual Conference, giving Distribution, this collaborative project
Transition in Action focused on low an overview of Ofgem’s ambitions aims to deliver real value to consumers
carbon and hydrogen projects within in relation to the economics and in the next few years.

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