ADNOC CEO Sultan al-Jaber at the ADIPEC opening ceremony
Letter from Abu Dhabi: AI and the new energy guzzlers
The energy sector will need all viable technologies to meet surging demand as AI and datacentres drain power grids
This year’s ADIPEC conference took place against a backdrop of acute geopolitical risk for global energy markets, from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to trade tensions and a contentious US election with potentially big ramifications for the industry. But it was hard not to conclude that an even bigger disruptor was the showstopper in Abu Dhabi: AI. This technology’s influence over energy supply and demand is growing at a rate that threatens to wrongfoot swathes of the industry. “This is probably the biggest revolution that we will see in our careers on productivity and enhancement” Auchincloss, BP AI and datacentres are the new energy guzzlers. They are already driving up e
Also in this section
27 May 2025
EU Parliament and Council both agree to exempt bulk of importers from paying a carbon tax on goods imported into the EU
27 May 2025
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage needs stable policy, investable frameworks and coordinated infrastructure if it is to be developed at scale
19 May 2025
The two Gulf states are combining fossil fuel production with ambitions to become leaders in low-carbon energy
14 May 2025
Deal with Calpine shows oil and gas major ExxonMobil has no intention of curbing its CCS ambitions, despite US policy risks and broader scepticism over the energy transition
