MEI Seminar Series
The Melbourne Energy Institute invites you to a new seminar series exploring the future energy system and the technologies shaping the global transition to net zero.
Bringing together leading researchers and industry experts, MEI’s Powering the Future seminar series will explore the key technological, political and societal developments shaping the energy sector.
Designed for energy industry professionals, government stakeholders, students, and academics, the seminars aim to foster informed discussion across technical, economic and policy dimensions of the energy transition. Each session will be delivered in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend in person or join online.
As the only Australian institute currently hosting a dedicated series focused specifically on future energy systems and emerging technologies, the Melbourne Energy Institute provides a unique platform for evidence-based dialogue on what lies ahead: not only the innovations themselves, but how they can be deployed at scale to deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.
Note: The views and opinions expressed are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Melbourne Energy Institute and The University of Melbourne.
The Melbourne Energy Institute welcomes broad discussion. Please engage respectfully and considerately with all perspectives.
Seminar Series: Powering the Future
Topics and dates
| Seminar topic | Month |
|---|---|
| Seminar #1: Sustainability of mining energy transition minerals | 19 March 2026 |
| Seminar #2: Solar power and the energy transition | 29 April 2026 |
| Seminar #3: Offshore wind Development in Australia — Ingredients and spices | 28 May 2026 |
| Seminar #4: Carbon capture in the Asia-Pacific: Progress, policy and the path to net zero | 18 June 2026 |
| Seminar #5: Enhancing grid resilience towards net zero | 19 August 2026 |
| Seminar #6: The future of the Australian car market — Policy, competition and electrification | 17 September 2026 |
| Seminar #7: State of play for fusion energy | October |
Past series
Since 2018, the MEI Seminar Series has aimed to give participants a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary overview of the energy sector as it faces the challenges of reliability, affordability and reducing emissions. Each year, the focus turned to one of our primary energy vectors, cycling through the major topics of electricity (in 2018, 2021 and 2024), natural gas (2019, 2022 and 2025) and energy commodities (2020 and 2023). Seminar recordings are available from 2021 onwards.
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View recordings and slides from MEI's Energy Systems Seminar Series focused on the gas supply chain:
Seminar #1: Conventional and unconventional gas
Seminar #2: Gas markets and gas retailing
Seminar #3: Liquefied natural gas and exports
Seminar #4: The role of natural gas pipelines in the evolving energy system
Seminar #5: Green hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas
Seminar #6: Blue hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas
Seminar #7: Short and long-term options for LNG plant decarbonisation
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View recordings and slides from MEI's Energy Systems Seminar Series focused on the electricity supply chain:
Seminar #1: System overview - from generation to customer
Seminar #2: Transmission and distribution networks
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View recordings and slides from the MEInetwork22 Seminar Series focused on energy commodities:
MEInetwork23 Seminar #1 - Crude oil and product supply chains
Presented by Nicholas James, Viva Energy, 9 May 2023MEInetwork23 Seminar #2 - Uranium mining and refining
Presented by Neilesh Syna, ANSTO, 8 June 2023MEInetwork23 Seminar #3 - Energy commodity trading
Presented by Keith Handbury, Shell, 6 July 2023MEInetwork23 Seminar #4 - New energy commodities and critical minerals
Presented by A/Prof Mohan Yellishetty, Monash University, 10 August 2023MEInetwork23 Seminar #5 - Fiscal policy to support future energy commodity exports
Presented by Prof Ross Garnaut, University of Melbourne, 7 September 2023 -
View recordings and slides from the MEInetwork22 Seminar Series focused on the gas supply chain:
Seminar #1 - Conventional and unconventional natural gas. Presented by Mr Steve Henzell, Senior Technical Advisor at Advisian, 10 May 2022.
Seminar # 2 - Gas markets and gas retailing. Presented by Mr Matthew Clemow, Group Manager for Gas Operations at the Australian Energy Market Operator, 7 June 2022.
Seminar #3 - Liquefied natural gas and export. Presented by Ms Carolyn Au, Operations Manager at Shell, 5 July 2022.
Seminar #4 - Natural gas and hydrogen transmission and distribution. Presented by Mr David Norman, Future Fuels CRC; Mr Steve Davies, Australian Pipelines and Gas Association & Mr Robert Davis, Senior Engineer - Low Carbon Future, Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, 30 August 2022.
Seminar #5 - Green hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. Presented by Mr Michael Bielinski, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Energy, 13 September 2022.
Seminar #6 - Blue hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. Presented by Associate Professor Simon Smart, University of Queensland and a Project Director for the Net Zero Australia study, 18 October 2022.
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View recordings and slides from the MEInetwork21 Seminar Series focused on the electricity supply chain:
Seminar #1 - System overview: From generation to customer. Presented by Tom Walker, Senior Economist with the Australian Energy Market Commission, 17 June 2021.
Seminar #2 - Transmission and distribution networks. Presented by John Theunissen, Manager DER Integration at AusNet Services, 29 July 2021.
Seminar #3 - Wholesale markets. Presented by Paul Austin, Group Manager Market Insights at the Australian Energy Market Operator, 19 August 2021.
Seminar #4 - Financial markets. Presented by Rob Koh, Lead Research Analyst for Australian Utilities, Infrastructure and ESG at Morgan Stanley, 16 September 2021.
Seminar #5 - Retail markets. Presented by Nick Sissons, Head of Emerging Technology at Hydro Tasmania, 21 October 2021.
Seminar #6 - Demand response and virtual power plants. Presented by Prof Pierluigi Mancarella, Energy Systems Program Leader, MEI, 18 November 2021.
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In 2020, the MEInetwork20 Seminar Series focused on internationally traded energy commodities, including fossil, nuclear, and emerging clean energy exports.
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The 2019 seminar series covered the current state and future of Australia’s natural gas supply, transport, use and export. The prospects of hydrogen displacing natural gas were also discussed.
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The MEInetwork was started by MEI in 2018, with a series of seminar that led participants through the electricity supply chain.