Global energy demand rose by almost 3% last year, the fastest pace in a decade. Coupled with an ever-growing global population and around two billion people still lacking reliable access to electricity, we can expect this trend to continue for at least the next 20 years.

The facts are clear. It’s anticipated by the UN that there will be an additional 3.2 billion people living in cities by 2050. Over 80% of the world’s population live in developing nations, and they expect access to electricity – the fuel of the future. Global power consumption will more than double in this time.

A robust global economy, continued investments in the sector, and other signs of transformation such as greater regional heating and cooling capability are all factors contributing to this increase in demand. This demand results in extraordinary pressure not only on the global supply of energy but also on the health of our planet. As global CO2 emissions continue to rise, the need to balance energy efficiency and sustainability has increased.

DP World helps energy companies transport their cargo more sustainably throughout the global supply chain by using highly customised solutions that are transparent, controllable and cost-efficient. At the World Energy Congress (WEC) 2019 this week, I am excited to showcase these solutions and the work we’re doing to optimise the global energy supply chain.

Through our subsidiary P&O, we are equipped to provide premier maritime solutions across seven continents. Our versatile fleet allows us to offer a wide range of services to our energy clients.

From our project in the North Sea, where an 18,000 tonnes HVDC converter platform will transmit electricity from connected offshore wind farms to mainland Germany, providing renewable energy to one million German homes a year, to our work in the Tengiz Oil Fields in the Caspian Sea, where we transport cargo through the shallow and narrow Russian inland waterway systems.

To meet these logistical challenges, we’ve deployed a unique fleet of energy-efficient Module Carrying Vessels – all with diesel-electric propulsion to limit the environmental footprint. The vessels are equipped with IoT technology, transmitting real-time data to ensure operational efficiency and on-time delivery.

As experts from around the world gather in the UAE this week to discuss critical developments in the energy sector, we will offer our contribution to shaping an agile global energy supply chain. We want to ensure the world will be seamlessly connected so that it can meet the needs of the energy sector, efficiently and sustainably.