News | Energy Efficiency

http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/biofuel-biomass/collaboration-in-supply-chain-key-to-low-carbon-technology-development-says-bp.html

Giving an increased importance to collaboration in the supply chain will accelerate the adoption of renewable energy technologies, according to a leading member of BP.

Dr Robert Sorrell said that the energy landscape is changing rapidly and the efficacy of this transition will depend on the quality of the relationships between business, government and research.
‘There needs to be a heavy emphasis on the importance of value chains,’ Sorrell said while speaking at the European Future Energy Forum.
‘By putting the right partnerships in place, we are able to access the key technologies along the value chain.’
BP has been focused on cementing its downstream supply chain in the biofuels space through a number of joint ventures and the acquisition of Verenium’s cellulosic ethanol technology.
‘We were faced with the fact that we had limited in-house capability,’ he said.
Sorrell said the industry is still maturing and as such business models are still being formed and government intervention will play an important role.
‘By identifying and forming the right partnerships we are able to accelerate the development of the technology value chain,’ Sorrell said.
‘In the alternative energy space, the real competition has yet to be defined therefore the business models are immature and innovation.
To speed-up time to market of new technologies further, businesses should form clusters around leading cleantech universities, he said.