From subsurface hydrogen disputes and aviation feasibility to the raw material limits of Net Zero, Best of Face to Face 2025 captures the most consequential debates EnergyNews.biz hosted this year.
These conversations brought together engineers, geoscientists, economists, and investors who openly challenged prevailing narratives, exposed structural bottlenecks, and questioned whether current transition pathways are grounded in physical and economic reality. Rather than consensus, these face-to-face exchanges revealed where energy thinking is colliding with geology, infrastructure, capital, and scale.
Natural Hydrogen Experts Debate Over Commercial Viability as Resource Density Questions Persist
Global hydrogen demand currently consumes close to 100 million tonnes annually for refining and ammonia production, creating a potential market for natural hydrogen if technical and commercial challenges can be resolved. A December panel discussion featuring three experts with divergent perspectives revealed fundamental disagreements about resource assessment methodologies, recovery mechanisms, and timelines to commercialization that expose the nascent sector’s uncertainty.
The Great Energy Gamble: Can Our Systems Survive the Transition We’ve Promised?
Global renewable investments topped $1.8 trillion in 2023, yet fossil fuels still supply over 80% of the world’s primary energy. In this dissonance, EnergyNews.biz staged a rare debate that cut through green gloss and industrial bravado. Karim Megherbi, renewable expert and executive at Orisun Invest, sparred with conventional energy investor and energy economist Lars Schernikau in a no-filter face-off.
Face 2 Face: Can Hydrogen Aviation Save the Skies?
The aviation industry accounts for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. As the world grapples with the urgent need to decarbonize, the sector faces mounting pressure to innovate.
Hydrogen aviation has emerged as a potential solution, but its viability remains a subject of intense debate. Can hydrogen truly revolutionize air travel, or is it merely a high-altitude dream? Bernard van Dijk and Dr. Swapnil Jagtap discussed this in our latest Face 2 Face.
Face 2 Face with the Impossible: Energy, Batteries and Fight for Survival
The global push toward Net Zero emissions is reshaping industries, economies, and societies, with electrification, renewable energy, and battery technology at the forefront of this transformation. However, the transition faces significant challenges, particularly in scaling technologies and securing the raw materials needed for battery production. A recent discussion featuring experts Cédric Philibert, Karim Megherbi, and Simon Michaux highlighted the complexities and opportunities of this transition, emphasizing the need for innovation, collaboration, and strategic policy interventions.
Face 2 Face: Transforming Mineral Supply for the Energy Transition
The global ambition to transition from fossil fuels has catapulted the demand for critical minerals into uncharted territory. Current estimates suggest that meeting net-zero emissions targets by 2050 will require a quantum leap in mineral production. Copper, the backbone of electrification, illustrates the magnitude of this challenge. In his analysis of system-wide electrification, Simon Michaux estimates that 6.1 billion tons of copper would be needed to phase out fossil fuels.
