Future Energy conference a must attend

MASSIVE opportunities for miners and investors are emerging from the global growth of renewables and battery storage, which are making cobalt, lithium and graphite some of the fastest climbing commodities in the world.

Recognising the significance of these global developments, the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) will include a day-long stream for the second year running focussed on future energy and finance developments impacting the mining sector.

Running for three days from 31 October to 2 November in Melbourne, the conference will bring together some of the industry’s leading minds across the mining and energy industries.

The Future Energy portion will be held on the third day, with a world-class line up of speakers including Environmental Progress founder and president Michael Shellenberger, who will deliver a keynote speech on nuclear energy and the environment; Clean TEQ chief executive Sam Riggall; Minerals Council of Australia deputy chief executive David Byers; Australian Solar Council chief executive John Grimes; Horizon Power Frank Tudor; and Australian Vanadium managing director Vincent Algar.

The conference will also include presentations on lithium, graphite, and vanadium and their importance to the growth of renewables technology; a keynote case study on how a leading car manufacturer responded to the rise of the electric vehicle market; solar and storage; opportunities for the mining sector through off grid and micro grid infrastructure; and a panel discussion on financing renewable energy projects for mines.

The clean energy potential of uranium will also feature high on the agenda with a presentation from Us-based Environmental Progress’ Michael Shellenberger.

Mr Shellenberger, an active supporter of nuclear energy power, said his presentation will centre on the ‘energy ladder’, and why protecting the natural environmental required moving towards ‘cleaner’ and more energy-dense fuels from “wood to coal, to oil to natural gas, to uranium”.

“If we want to protect forests we have to stop using them as fuel,” Mr Shellenberger said.

“If we want to leave fossil fuels in the ground we need uranium.”

Mr Shellenberger said the only way Australia could achieve its climate targets was through the introduction of nuclear power; the only way to replace fossil fuels.

“Solar and wind lock-in natural gas, and there is no physical way to store sufficient amounts of electricity in batteries,” he said.

“The best available science finds nuclear to be the safest and most reliable way to make electricity.”

Mr Shellenberger said he was looking forward to travelling to Australia to meet with mining and energy executives at the conference to get their perspective on “the crisis facing nuclear power” and what they are doing to overcome it.

Now in its fourth year, the IMARC conference has now grown to be one of the largest resources conference in Australia, with last year’s event hosting more than 2500 delegates from 58 countries along with more than 20 international mining ministers.

The 2016 event saw 56 per cent of attendees generating new business as a result of attending IMARC, with 14.5 per cent of those reporting to have generated more than $500,000.

This year organisers expect more than 3000 to attend from at least 60 countries, with more than 45 hours’ worth of networking opportunities across the three days, giving delegates the opportunity to rub shoulders with the major players in the industry.

Environmental Progress president michael Shellenberger.