• WPC 2024
  • March 18-22, 2024

Stephen Li

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Research Director, Biofuels

Stephen is a Research Director at S&P Global Commodity Insights and oversees the Biofuels Value Chain Service (BVCS) focused on providing long-term views on biofuels and low carbon synthetic fuels supply and demand, pricing and plant economics to inform client investments and strategic planning.

Stephen has strong expertise in the oil and refined products markets, having spent close to 10 years in consulting with IHS Markit providing commercial and market due diligences for M&A and financing of refining and fuel storage and distribution infrastructure. He has advised a very broad range of clients encompassing major IOCs, NOCs, multilateral development banks, major commercial banks, private equity, asset managers and commodity traders.

Prior to joining IHS Markit in 2012, he was a consultant at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering consultancy, where he managed technical-economic project appraisals and feasibility studies relating to upstream oil & gas plants and refinery upgrades.

Stephen holds a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton and a Master of Philosophy in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Panasonic Trust Fellow. 

Sessions With Stephen Li

Thursday, 21 March

  • 10:30am - 12:00pm (CST) / 21/mar/2024 03:30 pm - 21/mar/2024 05:00 pm

    Decarbonization Pathways

    Session 2: Decarbonization Pathways

    10:30 AM: Session Introduction - Kurt Barrow, Head of Oil Markets, Midstream & Downstream Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights

    10:35 AM: Decarbonizing the petrochemical sector: How can sugarcane help address its climate commitments? - Paula Kovarsky, Vice-President for M&A, Sustainability and Chief Strategy, Raízen.

    10:55 AM: Renewable Naphtha Supply Dynamics from "By-Product" to 'Co-Product' - Stephen Li, Consulting Director, Biofuels, S&P Global Commodity Insights

    11:10 AM: Taking stock of global EV adoption: What’s working and what are the obstacles? - Jeff Meyer, Director, Energy and Mobility, S&P Global Commodity Insights. 

    The global EV market is expanding, led by earlier adopters swayed by environmental considerations, the “cool factor” of the vehicles, and government incentives. Yet some incumbent automakers have signaled caution about broader consumer acceptance, and stakeholders are increasingly aware of the lingering challenges of affordability and ease of public charging. This session will address questions including

    In which markets is EV adoption leading and lagging – and why? What are the prospects for EVs in both advanced and developing markets? How acute will battery raw material supply challenges be, and how will companies navigate the geopolitics of battery supply chains?

    11:25 AM: Clean Hydrogen and Chemicals: How will technology and policy impact markets? - Brian Murphy, Senior Analyst, Hydrogen and Low Carbon Fuels, S&P Global Commodity Insights.

    Hydrogen is a key component of the chemicals ecosystem, operating as both a feedstock and byproduct revenue stream. Globally, interest in clean hydrogen is now translating into clear policy in the form of new regulations and subsidies that will have downstream effects on chemicals markets. In this session, we will discuss the role of hydrogen in the refinery and beyond, how new technologies and policies are driving clean hydrogen market development, and potential effects on global chemicals markets in the coming years.

    11:40 AM: Q&A