Green Hydrogen vs. Energy Storage: Which is the Better Opportunity for Portugal?

Originally from Brazil, Lorena Nieuwenhoven completed a double major degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2019. She then deep-dived into the area of renewables and sustainability, helping expand the penetration of solar energy in the Iberian markets through her work as a Project Manager for Solarplaza. Apart from her work in the Spanish and Portuguese markets, Lorena has also spearheaded topical conferences related to Green Hydrogen and Hybrid Renewables.

Manuel is a senior professional with 30 years of international experience, in various sectors of activity, most of them in power and energy. Manuel spent eight years in Southern Africa as Managing Director of EFACEC Mozambique and South Africa. He led the local teams in projects across all business units, servicing for energy systems (Cahora Bassa dam revamping, 2 GW) and negotiating substations EPC (total installed capacity over 1000 MVa) and renewables (PV 40 MW). Manuel was part of Siemens T&D between 1991 and 1999. He worked in Portugal, Macau and Germany, first as Sales Manager and later as Site and Commissioning Manager at the first CCGT plant in Portugal (990 MW). Manuel was also director of companies on wood and sheet metal machinery markets. Manuel holds a PhD in Sustainable Energy Systems  (FEUP / MIT Portugal program), MBA from Oporto Business School, Executive MBA from ESADE Barcelona and BSc in Electrical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. He is an invited Professor and co-author of various peer reviewed publications.

Since 2011, Pedro Almeida Fernandes is Head of Power Generation & ENEL Green Power in Portugal at Endesa. Pedro has a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, of the Lisbon Technical University, and has worked as a Management Consultant, at Roland Berger, prior to joining Endesa in 2006, where he has also had roles in Regulation, and Business Development.

Mechanical Engineer and MsC in Energy (FEUP), currently finishing his PhD in Engineering and Public Policy (FEUP/Carnegie Mellon University) with research in the area of regulatory models of the hydrogen economy, namely in the integration of energy systems as a mechanism to accelerate the process of decarbonization. He started his career in engineering consulting at afaconsult, developing power system projects in industry and services. In 2010, he started working at EDP Gás, where he developed projects to transform the organization in the area of operations management. In 2014 he assumed responsibility for an O&M Center within a gas distribution company, having gained international experience in the implementation of Dispatch Management Systems projects at Naturgas in Spain. Since 2016, Deputy Director in the Engineering and Development at REN Portgás, he was responsible for network and engineering planning, developing and operationalizing the innovation and R&D policy, as well as the architecture and implementation of the Decarbonization and Digitalization strategy of gas assets. Since January 2022 in a new corporate area of REN, accountable for the Group's renewable gas development strategy, namely asset compliance projects and development of new undertaking in H2 (Agenda H2 Green Valley under the PRR). Since 2021 on the Board of Future Energy Leaders Portugal, program of the World Energy Council (A.P. Energia). Senior member, Specialist in Energy and member of the National College of Mechanical Engineering at Ordem dos Engenheiros. Portuguese representative at the Programme Standing Committee Member in World Energy Council.