Clean power expo comes to Singapore

Business Times 4 Nov 09;

It is the first-ever gathering under one roof of leaders from the technology, services, finance and government sectors

CORPORATE honchos, renowned research names and policymakers will convene in Singapore this month for a three-day meeting on developments in Asia's renewables and energy efficiency scene. Nearly 4,000 participants are expected at the inaugural Clean Energy Expo Asia from Nov 18-20 at the Shangri-La Hotel.

What sets this event apart from similar-themed trade fairs and conferences in the region is that this is the first-ever gathering under one roof of leaders from the technology, services, finance and government sectors.

'This is the only conference that provides a holistic view of clean and renewable issues, from technological innovation, energy efficiency in manufacturing, buildings, transport, to clean energy projects, policies and financing,' said Michael Dreyer, vice-president for Asia-Pacific at Koelnmesse, an organiser of trade fairs worldwide.

Koelnmesse is joint organiser of the expo with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore. Mr Dreyer said that despite the financial crisis and economic slowdown, interest in the event has been high. Over 20 countries will be represented at the expo, which comprises a conference, trade fair, career fair and 'TechTalks' by various exhibitors.

Already, the exchange of ideas and networking opportunities look set to be intense, as a wide- ranging slew of other related, high-profile events will be taking place at the same time under the umbrella of the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW).

The SIEW, which is into its second year and will run from Nov 16-20, is jointly organised by the Energy Market Authority and the Energy Studies Institute.

The events are taking place in the run-up to the highly-anticipated world climate change convention in Copenhagen, Denmark next month. The United Nations (UN) meeting aims to sew up a replacement for the soon-to-expire Kyoto protocol on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Success, unfortunately, seems increasingly elusive, as several key countries, including the United States, have thus far been unable to agree internally on how far they would go to cut their own emissions. But the 'green' dialogue shows no signs of letting up.

Said Mr Dreyer: 'The Policies and Finance tracks (of the conference) are seeing the most enquiries to date, particularly discussions on clean energy investments funds in Asia, as well as financing for clean energy projects.'

The conference will hear from some 70 international pundits. Notable speakers include Peter du Pont, chief of party of the USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program; Armin Sandhoevel, chief executive officer of Allianz Climate Solutions; and Michael Liebreich, chairman and chief executive officer of New Energy Finance.

Day 1 of the conference programme will focus on clean energy technologies, followed by energy efficiency across various business sectors on Day 2.

Day 3 will cover policies, projects and financing issues within the industry globally. Delegates will also be able to check out what's new in the marketplace for green solutions. Over 60 exhibitors and some 3,000 visitors are expected at the trade fair.

There will be eight country pavilions: Australia, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Each will showcase their latest clean energy technologies, services and financing solutions in solar energy, energy efficiency, biomass and geothermal. The largest pavilion will be from Singapore, with about 20 exhibitors.

In Asia and Oceania, new investments in clean energy surged by a compounded annual growth rate of 42 per cent from 2006 to 2008, hitting US$24.2 billion last year, according to Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009, an authoritative report by the UN Environment Programme and industry research firm New Energy Finance.

Should growth in clean technology circles remain robust in the years ahead as anticipated, manpower needs for the industry would get more pressing.

This is why the Clean Energy Expo Asia will feature a career fair showcasing the educational and training options available, as well as employment trends in the sector. There will also be matching of human resource needs with job seekers.

Currently, the clean energy industry employs about 2.3 million people worldwide - and counting, as several governments have recently pledged to pump billions of dollars to advance the green agenda.

'Employment needs, whether in the East or West, run parallel to the specific clean energy sectors that are more prevalent in the region and tend to match the level of investment by the government and private sectors,' said Mr Dreyer.