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AGENDA AT A GLANCE
Session | Room | 2026/7/8 morning | 2026/7/8 afternoon | 2026/7/9 morning | 2026/7/9 afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Strategic Summit | Goldfields Theatre | 09:10-12:15 | 14:00-18;05 | 09:10-12:25 | 14:00-16:55 |
Unlocking Wind Capital Forum | Eureka 3 | 09:40-12:50 | - | - | - |
Regional Development Forum | Eureka 3 | - | 14:30-17:40 | - | - |
WindGrid Transmission Forum | Eureka 3 | - | - | 09:00-12:05 | 14:00-17:05 |
Offshore WindTECH Summit | Exhibition Bays via door 8 | 10:00-12:25 | 14:05-18:05 | - | - |
Onshore WindNEXT Summit | Exhibition Bays via door 8 | - | - | 09:30-12:40 | - |
2026 STRATEGIC SUMMIT AGENDA
DAY 1 Morning
09:10 - 09:20
10 mins
Welcome to Country
09:20 - 09:25
05 mins
Opening Remarks from the Chair
09:25 - 09:35
10 mins
[Minister’s Opening Keynote] Victoria’s Vision: Pioneering Australia’s Wind Energy Future
Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio MP
Minister for Energy and Resources, Climate Action and the SEC
Victorian Government
09:35 - 09:55
20 mins
[Keynote] National Priorities Address: Enabling Australia's Clean Energy Transformation
09:55 - 10:15
20 mins
[Keynote] Australia's Energy Transition Economics: Pathways to Net Zero at Least Cost
Paul Graham
Chief Economist Energy
CSIRO
10:15 - 10:45
30 mins
[High-Level Panel] Global Capital, Regulatory Confidence & System Readiness: Positioning Australia for Long-Term Wind Investment
-
Explore how Australia can attract long-term wind investment by aligning global capital, regulatory certainty, and system readiness. Leading industry and regulatory experts, will discuss strategies to de-risk projects, unlock financing, and accelerate the country's renewable energy transition.
Morning Break
11:25 - 12:15
50mins
[Executive Panel] Unlocking Bankable, Scalable & Future-Proof Renewable Energy Portfolio - Lessons from Decades of Success
-
Scaling with Confidence – Expanding renewable portfolios while managing risks.
-
Bankability First – What investors look for in long-term financing.
-
Storage as the Game-Changer – Turning renewables into reliable, future-proof assets.
-
Proven Success – Lessons from decades of real-world project delivery.
Moderator:
Taraz Saba
Wind Sector Lead, APAC
GHD
Panelists:
Laura Caspari
Chief Renewables Officer
ENGIE AU
Chad Hymas
Chief Executive Officer
Aula Energy
Senior Representative
Vestas
David Pollington
Managing Director
ACEN Australia
Iain Pople
Project CEO, Flagship Funds APAC
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Lane Crockett
Executive General Manager, Assets
SEC Victoria
Lunch & networking break
DAY 1 Afternoon
14:00 - 14:20
20 mins
[Keynote] From Policy to Delivery: Victoria’s Path to Australia’s First Offshore Wind Projects
14:20 - 14:40
20 mins
[Keynote] Building Australia's National Offshore Wind Framework: Regulation, Environment & Investor Certainty
14:40 - 15:30
50 mins
[Panel] Preparing for the First Offshore Wind Farm - Is Australia on the Right Track?
-
Global Benchmarks, Local Realities – What Australia can (and can’t) copy from leading offshore wind markets.
-
Policy, Permitting & Planning – Lessons from mature markets on reducing bottlenecks and de-risking projects.
-
Construction & Supply Chain – Adapting international know-how to Australia’s capabilities and infrastructure gaps.
-
Grid Connection & Energy Integration – Ensuring reliability and scalability from day one.
-
Workforce & Skills Transfer – Combining global expertise with local talent to build a sustainable industry.
Marcus Dowling
Executive Manager, Offshore Wind Development
Iberdrola Australia
Tamara Al-Hashimi
Technical Director, Offshore Wind Approvals Lead
RPS
Pelayo Rodríguez
Head of Business Development for Japan and Asia Pacific
Ocean Winds
Anil Chanana
Country Manager Australia
JERA Nex bp
Afternoon Break
16:00 - 16:50
50 mins
[Panel] Port at a Core for a Sustainable Offshore Wind Future: Needs, Gaps, and Upgrades
-
Current capacity of Australian ports for offshore wind components
-
Gaps in heavy-lift, storage, vessel access, and transport links
-
Environmental and community impacts on port development
-
Collaboration to streamline supply chains and reduce delays
-
Funding models for long-term port upgrades
-
Lessons from global offshore wind ports and local adaptation
Daniel Heley
Director Commercial and Local Ports
Department of Transport and Planning
Bart Willems
Head of Commercial Offshore Wind
Jan De Nul
Senior Representative
TasPorts
16:50 - 15:10
20 mins
[Keynote] From Baseload to Balanced Systems: How Utilities Are Delivering Firmed Renewable Power
17:10 - 18:00
50 mins
[Panel] Ensuring Grid Modernisation and Energy Security towards a Net-Zero Future
-
Accelerating Transmission Investment through Global Best Practice
-
Maintaining System Security through the Transition
-
Building Grid Resilience through Innovation and Digitalisation
-
Towards an Integrated, Decarbonised Energy System
Jacqui Bridge
Executive GM, Network Investment
Powerlink Queensland
Kav De Silva
General Manager Network Connections
ACCIONA Energia Australia
Claus Repenning
Executive Strategy
ElectraNet
Michael Choi
Chief Executive Officer
Ark Energy
18:00 - 18:05
05 mins
Summit Closing
18:00 - 19:00
60 mins
Happy Hour
19:00 - 21:00
120mins
Gala Dinner (Sustainability & Diversity Night)
