World Refining Association

Earlier this month, ahead of ERTC: Ask the Experts, we had the honour of being joined by Marije Nijkamp from Shell Pernis, to discuss Shell Pernis' work in the energy transition and to bridge the talent gap in the industry, their involvement in Ask the Experts, and why conversational forums are useful for the industry and more. Marije discusses the innovative approach Shell Pernis are taking to the energy transition, as well as looking in more depth at the talent gap in the industry, what Shell are doing to bridge this, and upskill their talent, and much more.

Recently we had the honour of being joined by Marcos Matijasevich from EET Fuels to discuss EET Fuels' initiatives in the refining industry, the biggest hurdles the industry is facing today and more. Marcos discusses the development of EET Fuels as a brand and their goals, the hurdles facing the industry as it transitions, how EET are upskilling their engineers to navigate the transition and the conversation they will be having at ERTC: Ask the Experts in Rotterdam next week.

Don Busiek, Asset Performance Management SVP, AspenTech continues the conversation from out last episode in the latest episode of the podcast with our Commercial Lead, Matthew Maginnis. Together, throughout the two episodes they delve into asset performance management, sustainability, digitalisation and the work AspenTech has been doing in the space. In part 2, Don talks through the talent issue facing the industry at the moment and how this interacts with the technology that is being integrated into refineries today, how the industry recruits and appeals to talent today, and the role of AI and automation in refineries now and in the future. If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and listen first.

Don Busiek, Asset Performance Management SVP, AspenTech joins the latest episode of the podcast with a two-part conversation with our Commercial Lead, Matthew Maginnis. Together, they delve into asset performance management, sustainability, digitalisation and the work AspenTech has been doing in the space. In part 1, Don talks through what Asset Performance Management (APM) means in refining today; and how it fits into the refineries of tomorrow; the challenges faced bringing APM into refineries; what the changing workforce means for APM and refineries, now and in the future; and how they differentiate from their competitors.

In this installment, we are honoured to have the Head of Refinery Asset Management, Energy Evolution and Transformation  g at Eni joining us, along with our Flagship conference's Portfolio Director, Sandil Sanmugam, as we gear up for the 2023 edition. Together, we delve into the challenges confronting the European Refining industry and anticipate the profound transformations on the horizon in the years ahead.

In this episode, the World Refining Association welcomed two special guests as we build up to ERTC in Berlin in November. We had Antonio Pietri who is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AspenTech and Dario Scaffardi, CEO & General Manager of Saras SpA. In a wide-ranging discussion with WRA Portfolio Director, Sandil Sanmugam, we explore the central theme of this year's ERTC, which is future-proofing refining in uncertain and volatile times.

This month, we spoke with Pedro and Ashley-Rachelle from Accenture about how they are working with Downstream Oil and Gas clients in response to the Energy Transition. In this interview, we cover where disruption is coming from, regional differences on energy transition policy, what future downstream value chains look like, the role of digital in reinventing downstream operations and Pedro and Ashley Rachelle will also share their advice on how to re-imagine and future proof your downstream business.

Published on the 18th October 2021 Ahead of ERTC 2021 in Madrid, WRA Director Sandil Sanmugam sat down with Berta Cabello, Repsol's new Head of Refinery Transformation. Berta's role epitomises the new underlying challenge for refineries, which is to change and adapt to net-zero ambitions outlined by companies and governments. In a wide-ranging interview Berta shares her views on the return from the pandemic and areas of long-term demand including biofuels.

As part of the WRA Interview Series, we sat down with Alan Gelder, VP Refining, Chemicals & Oil Markets at Wood Mackenzie. We delved into the challenges in the short-medium and long-term for the refining sector. Below are the various timings of where topics have been addressed:

Hear from Kim on how MOL Group is adapting in the short-term to the COVID-19 outbreak including the status of current projects and turnaround schedules, as well as the Group's long-term vision in the energy transition and which technological developments will hold the key to achieving a competitive edge.

The WRA sat down with Claus-Peter Hälsig, VP Process & Technology at Fluor. Sharing his 35+ years of industry experience we discussed COVID-19, the carbon neutral stance of refiners and the future technologies which will shape the industry in the coming decades.

This year's ERTC will be held in Madrid and we are delighted to share our interview with Antonio Joyanes, SVP for Refining at CEPSA. So whilst you wait till November, Antonio shares how CEPSA has gained a competitive advantage despite the COVID-19 outbreak, digitalisation and the potential of technologies which can be considered with tight budgets.

For this edition of the WRA interview we sat down with Bashir Dabbousi, Director of Technology Strategy & Planning at Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco is one of, if not, the most recognised oil producer in the world and it was great to explore their plans in curbing emissions and embrace new technologies especially Crude to Chemicals, Non-Metallics, Low Emission Transportation, Hydrogen and CCUS.

In the latest WRA Interview, we sat down with John Gugel, President & CEO of Honeywell UOP. In this wide-ranging interview, we spoke about how COVID-19 has given the opportunity for refiners to rationalise their portfolios and refocus their strategies towards stronger assets. We also explored the potential of CO2 reduction through taxation and carbon pricing to create a sustainable long-term business.

The World Refining Association sat down with John Cooper, Director General of FuelsEurope and Concawe to discuss the regulatory landscape for refining out to 2030. In a wide-ranging discussion we explored the new climate targets from the Biden administration, alternative fuels production, policy updates including REDII, sustainable financing for refining and the role of hydrogen. Enjoy!