Highlights

Moderator

Erik Fernstrom

Erik Fernstrom is the Practice Manager for the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Energy department. His background spans more than 20 years in the Energy Industry, starting with engineering and management positions in Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) working on a broad range of projects in Africa, Middle East, South Asia and East Asia. His work in the World Bank has focused on Sector Reform, Access to Electricity and creating an enabling environment for private sector investments in the power sector.

Presenter

Fernando De Sisternes

Fernando de Sisternes leads the Green Hydrogen Support Program at the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Since joining the World Bank, he has worked with teams in West Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East on strategic energy planning, energy security, regional market integration, and renewable energy grid integration. Fernando has 14 years energy sector experience previously working for the Argonne National Laboratory (USA), the International Energy Agency (France), Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Spain), and other organizations as an independent policy consultant with published works in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Energy Economics, Applied Energy, among others. He holds a PhD in Technology, Management and Policy, and a MS in Technology and Policy, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Discussants

Abderrahim Jamrani

Mr. Abderrahim Jamrani is the Engineering Director of Masen, electrical energy specialist, he has been active in energy sector for more than 32 years. Head of multidisciplinary engineering team, Mr. Jamrani has to identify the appropriate renewable energy mix to be developed in order to respond Moroccan electrical demand, He is also in charge of the feasibility studies of renewable energy projects and to elaborate the technical terms of reference. During the procurement phase the engineering team manage the technical part of the tender until the financial closing. Prior to Masen, he was the Energy Director for CMH Group a fuel oil supplier (Actually Winxo), has served as Procurement Director for the National Electric Utility ONEE where he worked beyond other on fossil fuels hedging (coal, gas and oil) and hydraulic and wind parks. Mr Jamrani Participated actively in the legal, financial and technical structuring of the Moroccan general rural electrification program ‘PERG’ then in the implementation of the program. The rural electrification rate in Morocco reached 99 recently while it was less than 15 % by 1994. M. Jamrani has a degree in Engineer from INPG Grenoble, France and an MBA from ENPC “Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussée de Paris”. He is married and father of 3 children.

Barış Sanlı

Barış Sanlı has worked in Turkish energy sector since 2005 and worked as an engineer, analyst, head of group, deputy director general for energy affairs, as well as adviser to energy regulator commissioner, undersecretary and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

Ruud Kempener

Ruud Kempener is a policy officer in the renewables unit of DG Energy since 2016, where he works on Europe's international cooperation activities, the industrial competitiveness of renewables, and the Commission’s strategies on hydrogen and energy system integration. Before that, Ruud was the Power Sector Transformation Strategies Analyst at International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and he was responsible for the initial development of IRENA's global renewable energy roadmap. From 2007 to 2011, Ruud spend two years as a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, UK. Ruud received his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia and an MSc in Technology & Society from Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands.

Dr. Ramabhadran (RB) Balaji

RB joined the WBG in 2012 after a long career in the Chemicals Industry in R&D, Technology Development, Technology Marketing, Licensing and Technology Transfer, Business and Market Development, IP Management, and Corporate Strategy. As Principal Industry Advisor to the Global Chemicals and Fertilizers Investment portfolio of IFC, he guides the investment teams and decision-making committees throughout the lifecycle of IFC’s investment including Business Development, Due Diligence, Project Execution and Portfolio Supervision. He has lived and worked in four countries and has done business in over 30 countries.  RB leads the IFC’s efforts in helping shape the transformation of the Chemicals Industry to reduce its environmental footprint while sustainably producing the critical chemicals needed for everyday life. His areas of focus include: Green ammonia for fertilizers; Bio-derived and bio-degradable chemicals to wean off global dependence on fossil fuels; Flared gas reduction; Pathways to meeting industry’s energy needs with on-demand renewable energy; and, Carbon Capture and Utilization solutions. RB holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the U. of Akron, Ohio, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the U. of Connecticut, and a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the U. of Madras, India. He has published his research in several scientific journals and presented at various academic and industry conferences; he also holds many patents for his work on specialty polymer films. His complete profile can be viewed at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rbbalaji.