The conflict in the Middle East has made energy security the dominant issue at ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi this year. In this special episode, recorded live in front of an audience in the Impact Theatre, host Ed Crooks asks what resilience means for energy systems that were already under strain long before this year’s disruption, going back to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

He is joined by Dannif Danusaputro, director of investment and business development at Pertamina Hulu Energy, Aman Ahmad, senior vice president and head of business development for Sustainable Technology Solutions at KBR, and Alex Tancock, chief executive of InterContinental Energy.

Dannif explains the challenge facing Indonesia, a net importer of oil with requirements of about 1.6 million barrels a day. Securing physical supplies has become a national priority, and his company is focused on diversification and partnerships to develop new resources. Indonesia is also working on the demand side to reduce its reliance on imported oil, including through the electrification of transport. As Ed puts it, the answer is all of the above.

Aman describes how KBR, a technology licensor and engineering company with deep roots in the ammonia and hydrogen value chain, has had to adapt quickly to help customers in the region keep facilities running safely through the crisis. That means rethinking spare parts, local supply chains and how resilience is built into plant design from the start. He argues the previous energy transition was anything but inclusive, particularly on affordability, and that the industry is now taking a more deliberate approach. Rising gas prices have also exposed the link between energy and food security, because ammonia is essential to fertiliser production. Natural gas remains the first choice while it is cheaper, but he is seeing interest in adding green hydrogen to existing ammonia plants. He also explains how AI that embeds physics and chemistry is significantly cutting the time it takes to design a facility.

Alex sets out InterContinental’s model of large renewable energy hubs in deserts with strong wind at night and sun by day, giving a capacity factor of 74% before any storage. That allows the company to offer highly reliable power for data centres, round-the-clock power and hydrogen at below $3 per kilo. He says the world does not transition, it just adds. In his view, the hydrogen hype cycle is over, even as real projects are being delivered faster than wind and solar were in their early years. But data centres have killed many hydrogen projects that relied on grid power, because they can pay far more for the same electrons.

The stakes are high. Alex argues the world has underinvested in energy and mismanaged energy policy for at least a decade, and that the conflict in the Gulf has simply brought forward an accident that was coming anyway. His expectation is a decade of higher energy prices, which should spur the innovation needed to bring them down again. Dannif agrees, and Ed concludes that we may only be at the beginning of a crisis whose full implications will emerge over time.

This episode of the Energy Gang is brought to you by ADIPEC, the world's largest energy event, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 2-5 November.

As demand rises and global energy markets evolve, ADIPEC 2026 brings together governments, industry, investors and technology leaders to accelerate investment, advance technology and build the partnerships needed to meet today's energy needs while building a more resilient system for tomorrow.

Discover more at adipec.com

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Energy addition, not transition: security after the Gulf conflict | Live from ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi

Energy Gang

Energy addition, not transition: security after the Gulf conflict | Live from ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi