Blockchain: The next frontier for green energy

Electricity is the lifeblood of society and the modern economy. But the energy industry is now undergoing dramatic transformation, driven by regulatory standards, climate change and surging demand for renewable energy.

Amid this landscape, one rapidly emerging technology could help energy players overcome barriers to transformation. The most widely known and least understood technology of the 4th industrial revolution, blockchain is gaining traction as an effective tool for reinventing how electricity is generated, distributed and sold.  Applicable to areas from grid management to financing, blockchain promises to digitise and democratise renewable energy to accelerate global impact.

Asia is now becoming a global hotspot for blockchain energy solutions. Utilities have launched pilot projects, energy markets are opening up across the region, and the blockchain start-up scene is expanding at breakneck speed, creating fertile ground for companies to shake up its business model and stay ahead of the energy transition.  

What are the opportunities blockchain technology is unlocking for companies in the energy ecosystem? Is blockchain too early stage? What are the barriers to scaling blockchain-based solutions in industry? What are the success stories in blockchain and energy?

Join us at Blockchain: The next frontier for green energy to hear the region’s foremost experts in blockchain and clean energy discuss the answers to these critical questions and more on 18 September 2019. Organised by EB Impact, the sister non-profit of Eco-Business, expect a stellar line-up of speakers from the blockchain and energy world including Assaad Razzouk, Group CEO of Sindicatum Renewable Resources.  

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Programme:

2.00pm: Registration

2.30pm: Keynote address by Assaad Razzouk, Group Chief Executive, Sindicatum Sustainable Resources

2.50pm: Panel discussion: The energy and blockchain revolution in Southeast Asia

Strong economic growth and development in Southeast Asia is driving relentless demand for electricity, and meeting this need sustainably is key to building a decarbonised future for the region. While pilot projects for blockchain-based energy solutions have been rolled out in cities including Bangkok and Singapore, mass adoption is still on the distant horizon.

This panel will discuss how blockchain technology can be applied to the Southeast Asian energy industry with the most impact for sustainability, and the challenges involved in scaling these solutions.

• Are blockchain based energy solutions suitable for Southeast Asia’s nascent clean energy industry?
• Blockchain technology can be applied to different functions in the energy industry; which sector would reap the most benefit from blockchain technology?
• A key challenge to implementing blockchain solutions is the lack of clear and coherent legislation around it. How can project developers and financiers deal with this uncertainty? Can the industry govern itself? What are the challenges for financing blockchain-based energy solutions?
• Are blockchain-based solutions too early-stage for financing?
• The idea of blockchain for sustainability has been undermined by the gigantic footprint from mining, a key process for validation in certain blockchains. Can blockchains move away from mining, and how can it recapture the trust and acceptance of the industry?

Speakers:

• Atem S. Ramsundersingh, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director, WEnergy Global
• Kenrick Drijkoningen, Founding Partner, LuneX Ventures
• Ingo Puhl, Founding Partner, South Pole Group

Moderator: Teymoor Nabili, Executive Producer/Team Leader, Asian Development Bank

3.50pm: Question & Answer

4.00pm: Debate

This debate will feature speakers arguing about the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionise the energy sector in Asia. Or are there other ways to drive the transformation in energy that should be prioritised for sustainable development?

Motion: This house believes that blockchain is another hyped up tool in the energy transition

Speakers for the motion:

• Joeri van Geelen, Founder and CEO, Build Blocks Group
• Martin Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Electrify.Asia
• Quentin Vaquette, Managing Director, ENGIE Factory Asia-Pacific

Speakers against the motion: 

• Vincent Bakker, Co-Founder and CFO, Positive Energy Limited
• Dorjee Sun, Co-Founder, Perlin
• Yuree Hong, Senior Consultant and Founder, Ampliv.io

Moderator: Augustine Anthuvan, Moderator-at-Large, Eco-Business

5.10pm: Networking cocktails

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