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The EU-GCCClean Energy Network,which aims to advance the common interest between the EU and the GCC regions for strategic cooperation,today announced it will host its second annual conference concurrently with the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2012 in Abu Dhabi.
Organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, WFES 2012 will be held from 16-19January 2012 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Co-organised by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the EU-GCCClean Energy Network’s annual conference will be hosted at the same venue from 17-19 January.
The key focus areas for the 4th Discussion Group (DG) meetings during the conference will include carbon capture and storage, clean natural gas and related technologies, renewable energy sources,as well aselectricity interconnections and market integration. The conference will also provide an opportunity for distinguished clean energy experts, including representatives from the European Commission and the GCC authoritiesto exchange views on the potential ways to support and enhance the long-term strategic clean energy relationship between the EU and the GCC regions.
In addition to attending the conference, officials from the member institutions will have the opportunity to network with key clean energy technology providers at the WFES 2012 Exhibition.
Renowned members of Masdar Institute faculty will play a leading role during the conference.Dr. SgourisSgouridisAssistant Professor – Engineering Systems and Management, Masdar Institute,will lead the ‘Third Sustainable BiofuelsWorkshop: Middle East Perspective’. The workshop will feature leaders in biofuel development and adoption active in the Middle East from the industry including Boeing Company, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Neutral Fuels, research institutions including Masdar Institute, Qatar University, Lausanne Federal Polytechnic University, and the International Energy Agency and leaders in certification. These stakeholders will discuss the latest progress in feedstock development, usage pathways, and sustainability certification.
Dr NikolaosKoukouzas, Deputy Director of Centre for Research and Technology Hellas/ Institute for Solid Fuels Technology and Applications(CERTH/ISFTA), Greece, and Dr Othman Zarzour, Project Manager, Masdar,will be conveners of the meeting on carbon capture and storage.Dr Rabia Ferroukhi, Energy Technology Expert, EU-GCC Clean Energy Network, Dr Manuel J. Blanco, Director, Solar Thermal Energy Department, National Renewable Energy Centre (CENER) of Spain, and Dr.Carsten Hoyer-Klick, Project Manager, German Aerospace Center, DLR, Germany, will be the conveners of the meeting on‘Renewable Energy Sources’.
The DG meetings will wind up the first day with the session on ‘Clean Natural Gas and Related Technologies’ for which the conveners will include Prof. Mohsen Assadi, Managing Director, Centre for Sustainable Energy Solutions, Stavanger, Norway, and Dr NajiAbi-Aad, Research Advisor, Ministry of Energy/Qatar Petroleum, Qatar.
On the second day, the first of the DG meeting on ‘Energy Efficiency/Demand Side Management’ will be convened by Dr Alexandra Papadopoulou, Senior Expert, Energy Policy Unit, National Technical University of Athens, Greece and Dr Nawal Al Hosany, Associate Director of Sustainability at Masdar, while the meeting on ‘Electricity Interconnections And Market Integration’ will have Dr NajibDandachi, Asset Management Director, Transco, Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority, UAE, and John Traynor, Senior Consultant on Electricity Integration, ESB International, Dublin, Ireland, as conveners.
The second plenary meeting on ‘Network Sustainability’ is also scheduled for the second day. On the final day,Prof. Taha B.M.J. from Water and Environmental Engineering program and Dr. IsamJanajreh,Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Masdar Institute, will lead a training seminar on ‘Wind Resource Assessment’, while Dr. Carsten Hoyer Klick, will present the session on ‘Solar resource assessment’.
Dr Manuel J. Blanco will conduct the seminar on ‘Concentrated solar thermal power plant’, while Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra,Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Program, Masdar Institute, will deliver training on ‘Carbon capture and storage’(CCS)which will cover CO2 capture, transport and storage technology overviews and challenges. The training will end with a group discussion on the viability of CCS in the region.
Hamza Kazim, Vice-President, Operations and Finance, Masdar Institute, said: “Being a research-driven academic institution, Masdar Institute will join the NTUA to remain focused on all avenues that encourage knowledge sharing and information exchange. The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network acts as a consortium that seeks to create, operate, promote and disseminate information and proposals and sustainable strategies.During the Second Annual Conference of the EU-GCCClean Energy Network, Masdar Institutefaculty will play a definitive role with other stakeholders in interacting and engaging with clean energy leaders to further expand knowledge building in sustainable energy and advanced technologies.”
In addition to Masdar Institute, the other GCC counterpart organizations in the Network are King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Sultan Qaboos University of Oman and Arabian Gulf University. The Network’s operations are supported by numerous organisations in both the regions.
Established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.
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