4th SIEW closes with more than 20,000 attendees in total

This year’s event held from October 31-November 4 was the best-attended SIEW gathering to date.

According to a release, the fourth annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) closed with a clear message that "Securing our Energy Future" will require greater leadership, global collaboration and innovation to meet the future demands of a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Held from 31 October-4 November 2011, SIEW 2011 was attended by more than 20,000 participants from over 60 countries, and featured 550 exhibitors. This year's event was the largest and best-attended SIEW gathering to date, hosting some of the world's top energy leaders. These included Mr Nobuo Tanaka, former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, and Energy Ministers from Southeast Asia, the United Arab Emirates and Europe. Luminaries such as Mr Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell International, and Mr José Gabrielli, CEO of Petrobras, were also part of the line-up.

Setting the tone for the week, the Singapore Energy Lecture keynote speaker Tanaka called for Asia's emerging economies to engage in more active collaborations for the future, noting that one country cannot enhance its energy security by risking the energy security of others. This will require a new framework on energy security.

Discussions at the Singapore Energy Summit surfaced some compelling perspectives and interesting ideas that were echoed throughout the week. Post-Fukushima, there was general consensus that nuclear power remained an important energy option for the future, but governments and the industry will need to work together to enhance nuclear safety and security. With oil prices expected to remain over US$100 a barrel, fears were raised that the burden of high energy costs would exacerbate the already uncertain global economic outlook.

The urgent need for a more holistic approach towards energy policies was also highlighted, given the growing nexus between energy, water and food. The summit concluded with the CEOs of energy giants Shell and Petrobras, Peter Voser and Jose Gabrielli, providing their perspectives on the global energy landscape and the need for greater leadership and global collaboration.

Mr Chee Hong Tat, Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority, said: "The future of energy security is much more complex and difficult today, and countries will have to work together to secure our energy needs in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable manner."

The annual energy gathering – now among the largest in the world – also hosted three new major events, PV Asia Pacific Expo, Asia Smart Grid and the EMART Asia, covering a range of issues including energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy trading. Returning to SIEW this year were Clean Energy Expo Asia, Carbon Forum Asia, Downstream Asia, Singapore Electricity Roundtable, and the Platts Top 250 Global Energy Companies Asia Awards Dinner.

The 5th Singapore International Energy Week will take place from 5 – 9 November 2012. New in next year's line-up will be Gas Asia Summit, which reflects how gas has emerged as a potential game changer that can significantly reshape the global energy markets. The 2012 event will also feature Asia Future Energy Forum (AFEF), which will provide additional opportunities to the renewable energy community. AFEF is part of the World Future Energy Summit, which is the largest renewable energy-centric event in the world.