Time: 15:30 - 16:30 (EET)

Stream this event life: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/88908653311

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and the Interational Hydropower Association (IHA) will co-host this COP27 side event to discuss the actions that the Australian state governments and companies have taken to accelerate the development of long duration energy storage. The event will also emphasise the importance of ensuring any long duration energy storage activities are done sustainably.

Since COP21 in Paris, we have seen an enhanced and increased ambition to deploy renewable energy at scale. Many of the Nationally Determined Contributions that governments have submitted have emphasised the importance of variable renewable energy to achieving their net zero goals. However, very few, if any, include energy storage as part of either the original submissions or updates from 2021.  

Without long term energy storage to back up solar and wind when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow, grids will face blackout and brownout, or a return to fossil fuels. This is the ignored crisis within the crisis.  

Australia shows how quickly countries can pivot their energy policies to build up energy storage to support the grid. Recent examples include Snowy 2.0, QueenslandHydro, and establishing financial mechanisms to reward system reliability in new South Wales.    

Guest speakers and panellists at the event will discuss:

• What actions have been to taken by governments to recognise the important role of long duration energy storage?  
• What caused the needle to move in Australia?  
• What actions have companies taken to increase the take-up of long duration energy storage?    

Speakers

• Video message from Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia and IHA Board member  
• Eddie Rich, CEO, International Hydropower Association (moderator)
• Julia Souder, Executive Director of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council  
• Atle Harby, Senior Research Scientist, SINTEF
• Representative of Fortescue Future Industries (TBC)
• Kane Thornton, CEO, Australian Clean Energy Council
• Video message from Chris Evans, CEO, QueenslandHydro