Energy is a challenge for the entire humanity, not just any particular country. As the global population, which stands at 7 billion today, grows to 9 billion by 2050, and the demand for energy rises by 200%, there will be tremendous pressure on resources, more so, in developing countries like India where energy use will grow substantially with population and GDP, also fuelled further by rapid urbanisation. Estimates suggest that in India, the demand for energy will rise 400% during this period.

The fourth edition of Shell Lubricants Global Lecture Series held recently at IIM Bangalore brought together industry and academia to envision and deliberate on the theme of "Preparing for the Future Energy shifts in Industry & Transport". The first three editions of the series were held at Imperial College, London; Tsinghua University, Beijing; and IIT Madras (March 2014). Shell is one of the most diversified international oil companies in India's energy sector. It is a major private sector supplier of crude products and chemicals to India.

Leading experts from automotive, power, construction, mining and manufacturing industry in India along with IIM Bangalore faculty and students were among those who attended the event, which is proposed to be an annual fixture. The distinguished panel of speakers included Mr M Rajagopalan, Marketing Development Director, Wartsila India Ltd; K S Venkatagiri, Executive Director, CII; Mr P Panda, Sr VP (Product Development), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd; Mr K K Gandhi, Executive Director (Technical), Society of Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM); Dr S Gomathinayagam, Director General, National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE); and Mr Rajendra Petkar Head - Power Systems Engineering, Tata Motors, to name a few.

Addressing the gathering, Nitin Prasad, Managing Director, Shell Lubricants India, said, "This year the focus is on highlighting the connect between global energy efficiency and adoption of fuel-efficient practices on a daily basis. We believe that the right set of lubricants, can not only bring efficiency to an industrial unit but in due course of time, to an entire industry. We are very happy to see the positive response from the industry professionals as well as the academia on the initiative."

Mr Prasad presented an interesting Mountains Vs Oceans perspective where the former represents a view from the top, which is policy driven and hence ideal, whereas the latter is a view from the horizon and for that reason, closer to reality. Taking about energy, while the policy driven view envisages natural gas to become the backbone of global energy system with a profound shift in transportation and infrastructure and the attendant benefit of moderated CO2 emissions, the realistic view suggests the domination of liquid fuels and coal and rather than gas, solar power could emerge as the new backbone while carbon emissions would remain high. "But tomorrows success depends on how well business, government and civil society collaborate today," he added.

Dr Cameron Watson, General Manager of Shell's OEM and Direct Sector Technology, while commenting on Shell's technical partnerships in India and abroad, said, "The scale of our energy challenges is such that a run-of-mill approach cannot make a difference. At Shell, we aspire for continuous improvement in efficiency; by taking an innovative and collaborative approach towards our products. We actively invest in R&D and creating collaborative platforms and avenues for our leading OEMs and academic institutions. Such initiatives help keep us abreast with the trends specific to various sectors, their consumers and to the global energy scenario."

Dr Watson mentioned how efficiency in industry, transport, appliances and lighting has doubled over the last 50 years, but the point is whether it can double again or better over the next 50 years. While stating the obvious - the role of lubricants to reduce friction and improve efficiency, Dr Watson state that protection against wear reduces downtime and improves productivity and the importance of lubricant as a critical equipment design parameter that must be factored in to enable new technology developments in industry. In this connection Dr Watson mentioned former F1 driver Gordon Murray's work in designing futuristic automotive concepts, notably the small city car T25 where Shell is a partner. "Technology is a scary thing with many gaps," he said, and went on to add, "Lubrication is an important factor in bridging these gaps."

"The global energy landscape today is marked with numerous challenges. Depleting resources, increased energy demand and wasteful use of fuel are some of the key concerns that tend to lower the output of our industries, equipment and machinery. Lubricants are an important element in the larger picture of energy efficiency. Keeping this in mind, at Shell, we give complete consideration to the energy scenarios and carefully design our lubricants," said Dr Felix Guerzoni, Global Product Application Specialist, Shell Global Solutions. He also mentioned how technology is now facilitating equipment with a smaller footprint. "Smaller sumps mean less oil. We are addressing issues like how to increase the lifespan of that oil. Also addressing other issues like smart grid technologies, power transfer efficiency and to this end, working with various power generation equipment manufacturers including wind power equipment manufacturers."

Dr Guerzoni also mentioned the gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant, a joint development by Shell and Qatar Petroleum that produces cleaner-burning diesel and aviation fuel, and oils for advanced lubricants, naphtha used to make plastics and paraffin for detergents. A result of over 40 years of R&D involving over 3,500 Shell patents, the Pearl GTL plant includes systems to capture energy given off during the processes, converting it to steam that drives the plant's compressors and generates electricity.

On the technological aspect, Mr Akhil Jha, Vice President - Technical, Shell Lubricants India said, "The global energy scenario today is influenced by multiple factors, both technological and non-technological. Some of these issues are product and hardware technologies, application and process engineering, rapidly increasing demand and shrinking supply base of conventional sources of energy. Political, economic, social and environmental factors also cast an influence on these. A comprehensive thought leadership forum such as Shell Lubricants Global Lecture Series, provides the best of the minds from diverse sections of the industry to come together and debate future possibilities to address these challenges."

Among the various experts who spoke on the occasion, Mr K S Venkatagiri, ED, CII, made a presentation about what distinguishes World Class companies from merely Good companies and cited the example of the Reliance refinery at Jamnagar. He stressed the fact that pioneers who take the risks reap the benefit of cheaper costs whereas once the technology is proven, the cost increases, adding to the burden. He also cited the example of India's cement industry, which has done exceptionally well on the energy conservation front merely by adapting available technologies without reinventing the wheel.

Mr M Rajagopalan of Wartsila India Ltd, dwelt on the problems of integrating renewable energy (solar and wind) into the 24/7 grid concept and elaborated on the need to evolve flexible solutions to this problem. This is especially relevant as power evacuation is a serious problem facing the sector today.

Mr K K Gandhi of SIAM had a word of caution about the government's expressed intention to skip BS V emission norms in favour of early adoption of BS VI, and explained how this leapfrogging could cause several problems in general, safety issues in particular. This is also relevant in absence of proper and uniform fuel quality across the country. Professor Padmini Srinivasan of IIM Bangalore, hosts of this year's lecture, said, "Events such as these provide students a great platform where they get a chance to interact closely with industry experts. The agenda of this year's lecture series has been of great interest to students and faculty."

The Shell Technology Centre Bangalore (STCB), is one of the group's three global hubs for technology and employees over 1000 scientists. Apart from supporting Shell's interests in India, the STCB seeks to deliver advanced technical studies, projects and services for Shell around the world as well. A new facility being set up at an estimated USD 500 million will add the capability to create new lubricants and next generation products. When completed in the near future, the STCB would employ a total of 1500 scientists and engineers. Overall, the company has over 3000 staff in the country, and besides the STCB, a financial business services centre. It also operates a joint venture LNG receiving and re-gasification terminal, and earlier this year, has signed MOUs for a floating LNG terminal in the country. Shell also has a downstream business marketing fuels, lubricants and specialty products.