ERM Roundtable Series: Creating Sustainable Energy Hubs in the North Sea Region

Guillaume Bregentzer is Head of Strategy & Innovation at ENGIE Thermal Generation Europe. The business manages an asset fleet of 18 GW of mainly flexible gas-fired assets and hydro pumped storage operating in seven European countries, and has developed an important portfolio of industrial partnerships. ENGIE has taken clear engagements towards carbon neutrality and also aims to support its customers in their energy transition. The strategic focus is to improve the efficiency of our own thermal fleet but also to co-develop innovative sustainable asset based solutions, including integrated storage and green hydrogen supply. Prior to this, Guillaume has built a rich international experience in banking, but mainly at ENGIE in finance and strategy, developing various energy infrastructure projects or leading acquisitions and sales both in the US and Latin America, and lately in Europe.

Hessel de Jong works in Shell New Energies where he is the General Manager Europe for Offshore Wind. Hessel is a mechanical engineer from Delft University. In the first 5 years of his career with Shell, he held various technical and commercial roles in upstream operations, venture start-up and innovation, followed by 5 years in renewables focusing on ocean energy and wind energy. Then he left Shell to set up his own company developing an innovative offshore wind concept and joined a venture capital fund to invest in energy technology start-up companies. In 2011, he returned to Shell initially covering technology and business development in geothermal and solar. Since 2013, he has been instrumental in the launch and subsequent growth of Shell New Energies and Offshore Wind.

Helmie Botter studied economics at the University of Groningen. In 2002 she started as an analyst at Gasunie. Within the company she first grew to become financial manager of the first import of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) in 2008. She focused on the entire financial side for this. A few years later, she became finance manager at Gasunie Germany in Hanover, before returning to Groningen in 2014 as a concern controller. From 2017 to 2020, Helmie was manager of commercial and regulatory affairs at Gasunie Transport Services. In that role she gave advice on Groningen natural gas extraction and how it could be phased out further and, above all, more quickly. Because that is sometimes forgotten: Gasunie is actively working to reduce its own core product. “A logical consequence of our own transition strategy,” says Helmie. Since 2017 she has been on the advisory board of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the University of Groningen, and since November 2020 she has been responsible for the development of hydrogen activities in the Netherlands and Germany. In that role, she directly and indirectly manages around 200 Gasunie employees.

Martijn Coopman is Program Manager of the Energy transition at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, currently working in the Hydrogen team with a specific focus on export and import. Martijn graduated as Mechanical Engineer from the Technical University of Delft and worked in various ports and shipping related companies through which he has gained knowledge and experience of a broad range of activities in and around ports. Ten years in South East Asia included projects such as refinery ports in Vietnam, LNG terminals in Singapore and Indonesia. Previously working as Project Manager on the Dutch CCS project Porthos, he is now responsible for setting up new Hydrogen supply chains from overseas sources to NW Europe via the Port of Rotterdam.

Anne-Frédérique Demaerel obtained in 2005 a master’s degree in Bioengineering in Chemistry at KU Leuven (Belgium). She completed her academic career with an international master degree in Management. Anne-Frédérique started her professional career in the chemical industry within the Large Industries business unit of Air Liquide Benelux, where she gained experience in both operational and commercial roles. She joined the Antwerp Port Authority in 2017 as Business Development Manager. Today she takes up the role of Program Manager Sustainable Industry, handling projects that promote the transition towards a climate neutral and circular economy.

This series of virtual discussions brings together industry leaders, subject-matter experts and various other stakeholders to explore the risks and opportunities of transitioning to a low carbon economy in Western Europe.

The four sessions in the series are as follows:

• Maximising the opportunity (1 June 2021)
• Synchronising supply and demand: the role of hydrogen and renewables (29 June 2021)
• Addressing integrated industrial decarbonisation using renewable energy sources, carbon capture and new process technologies (September 2021)
• Accessing sustainable finance (October 2021)