Circularity and new methods to use clean and renewable energy was the focus of the 2023 Energy Night at the University of Houston. The event was hosted by the Energy Coalition, a student organization working to solidify UH's position internationally as The Energy University. With attendees from Shell and X, the moonshot factory, industry representatives shared several initiatives underway to combat the ongoing global climate crisis and examined possibilities for the future of energy.
“The main obstacle to circularity in the U.S. is one of policy. The technical aspects will be solved or already have been solved,” said Helmut Brenner, ESG manager at Shell Polymers, Chemical and Refined Products. “We must have the guts to make the tough decisions to take the necessary actions to save the planet for our children and our children’s children.”
He discussed Shell’s circular energy initiatives, the role ESG will play in them and how circularity differs and can be more effective than traditional recycling methods when extracting oil and producing gas.
“We seek to minimize or eliminate waste during production,” Brenner said. “We restore what we extract from the environment and regenerate energy. That’s the legacy we want to leave for future generations. We have to leave the planet better than where we found it. Circular energy is the pathway to the future.
Andrey Shuvalov, vice president of energy transition at Shell, and Rey Banatao, director and project lead at X, also shared their insights.
“We (Shell) have recently entered the power business. We now generate renewable electricity and deliver it to customers here in Texas. We’re trying to expand that operation because we believe that both molecules and electrons will be the future of energy,” Shuvalov said in his address. “Houston is already the Energy Capital of the World as far as the oil and gas industry, but what we’d like to see is for Houston to have that same distinction in the energy transition space, and everyone here has a huge role to play in that.”
Banatao discussed new methods to address climate issues, including plastic waste.
“Our goal is to solve the world’s biggest problems,” he said, speaking about his role at X. “And I think there’s no bigger issue I could help solve in my career than the world’s plastic waste problem.”
As energy issues and innovations are constantly evolving, University of Houston Vice President for Energy and Innovation Ramanan Krishnamoorti noted that every now and then, a progress report of sorts is needed.
“We do events like this because we need to have our eyes periodically opened to see where the energy world is moving,” Krishnamoorti said. “We all think we know energy, but we don’t know where energy is going next. That’s where these conversations become so important, as we hear from leading experts who are driving energy forward. The most important aspect of this event is to open that dialogue.”
Energy Night also announced the winners of the UH Energy Transition Institute’s Circular Plastics competition, which showcased different ideas from UH students and staff about technologies that can potentially minimize microplastic waste.
UH student Bin Huang, a junior Supply Chain and Logistics Technology major, echoed Krishnamoorti’s sentiments on the importance of Energy Night and how the next generation of industry staying in lockstep with today’s problem solvers.
“By taking part in events like these on college campuses, companies are able to educate students on what they’re doing to help build a future with sustainable energy methods,” he said. “They’re really able to connect with the students and even inspire them to continue their work in creating a better tomorrow.”