3rd - 4th JULY 2019 | NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK | Register now

DAY 1: 11th JULY

With biomethane an ideal solution for decarbonising public transport and reducing air pollution, many cities around the world have introduced biomethane buses to their fleets. This session will provide case studies to demonstrate the environmental and commercial benefits of biomethane buses.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Barry Evans, Chairman and Managing Director, Gas Alliance Group
  • Gary Mason, Engineering Director, Nottingham City Transport
  • How buses and wastetrucks pave the way for heavy transport on biogas in Norway
    Øystein Ihler, Senior Strategy Advisor, Waste-to-Energy Agency, City of Oslo

Plant efficiency starts from what is put into the digester at the beginning of the process; this session will look at ways to optimise feedstock to increase yields and reduce processing times, whilst also producing better-quality gas and digestate.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Jess Allan, Environment and Regulation Manager, ADBA
  • Optimising your AD plant – keeping your bugs happy
    Avril Banks, Director at Ab-En Ltd (Environment & Energy) and Chair of CIWM Biowaste SIG
  • The effects of grit contamination in AD feedstocks
    Kevin Mooney, Waste Water Sector Manager, CD Enviro
  • Silaging like pros -minimising losses, maximising biogas yields
    Dr. Melanie Hecht, Key Account Manager, Schaumann BioEnergy GmbH

Many believe that decarbonising transport in the UK will require a transition to biomethane vehicles. One of the main barriers to this is the absence of adequate refueling infrastructure. What can be done to encourage the installation of more biomethane fueling stations?

Speakers:

  • Chair: Mike Foster, Chief Executive, Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) 
  • Martin Shannon, Commercial Manager, Regulation and External Affairs, Cadent
  • Small scale bio-LNG solutions
    Yannick Rouaud, Industrial Cryogenics Market Manager, Air Liquide Advanced Technologies
  • Tony Griffiths, Sales Director, Gas Alliance Group
  • Gert-Jan Rap, International Sales Manager, Hexagon xperion GmbH

Climate change and related extreme weather events will have an enormous impact on humanity and the environment worldwide. What specific impacts may climate change have on the AD industry? Will increasing floods require changes to tank infrastructure? Will land spreading be affected?

Speakers:

  • Chair: Dr. David Tompkins, Head of Knowledge Exchange & Innovation, AquaEnviro
  • Tina Benfield, Technical Manager at Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM)
  • Dr. Jonathan Scurlock, Chief Adviser, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, NFU
  • Amaya Arias-Garcia, Technical Director, Goals Project Management & Engineering support

We know that AD can help achieve nine of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, but what steps need to be taken for this to happen?

Speakers:

  • Chair: Dr Sarika Jain, Focus Sustainability and Lead Author of “The contribution of Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2016)” Report.
  • Alex Marshall, Group Marketing & Compliance Director, Clarke Energy
  • Ricardo Cepeda, Ricardo Cepeda-Márquez, Technical Lead – Food, Water & Waste Programme, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, tbc
  • Bioenergy for Sustainable Energy Access in Africa, unlocking productive use energy access within the region
    Angus Vantoch-Wood, TEA Programme Manager, Carbon Trust
  • The role of AD in a CE transition and how this contributes to the SDG’s
    Freek van Eijk, Director, Holland Circular Hotspot and Advisory Board member of WBA

The UK, like many other countries, has commitments, targets and regulations in place to reduce pollution. Two potential pollutants associated with AD and the application of digestate to land are nitrate and ammonia, both of which are the subject of policy and regulatory attention. This session will explore the rules currently implemented in the UK to reduce ammonia emissions to air and protect areas designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. The session will also consider available technologies and practices, examine their effectiveness and ask how they could be improved in the future to ensure the AD sector maximises its environmental benefit.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Jess Allan, Environment and Regulation Manager, ADBA
  • Professor Tom Misselbrook, Principal Research Scientist, Rothamsted Research
  • Where and how to reduce ammonia emissions from digestate.
    Dr Stephen Temple, Director, J F Temple & Son
  • Alice Bayfield, Project Coordinator, QUBE Renewables Ltd
  • Dr Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, Associate Professor of BioResource Systems, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds

DAY TWO: 12th JULY

Once an AD plant starts generating profits, it makes sense to refinance it to secure lower interest rates. In this session experts will provide advice on how to navigate the intricate but rewarding practice of refinancing, as well as on how to successfully sale an operating plant.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Mark Heuff, National Director – Energy and Infrastructure Advisory, JLL
  • Stefan Rattensperger, Director, Investec Bank
  • Valuing an AD plant
    Cath Anthony, Partner, Bidwells
  • William Mezzullo, Head of AD Asset Management, John Laing Environmental Assets Group
  • Jonathan Eves, Partner, Burges Salmon

We have all heard of the circular economy, but what does it mean really? This session will feature case studies demonstrating how the circular economy can be applied to everyday life and business.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Mark Hilton, Head of Sustainable Business, Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd
  • Richard Stark, New Product Development and Innovation Manager, AB Agri
  • Freek van Eijk, Director, Holland Circular Hotspot and Advisory Board member of WBA
  • Rob Bresler, Technical Director, Ditto Sustainability

Wastewater plants are becoming more and more reliant on pre-treatment, but what are the true pros and cons of using it on site? This session will focus on the two technologies available today, thermal hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis, which panel members will examine and compare, shining a light on the benefits of these technologies in improving performance and efficiency. The speakers will also look at how the waste stream produced by pre-treatment separation technologies can be further treated to clean and dewater the material, reducing disposal volumes and costs. Panelist will also highlight how those technologies can easily be retrofitted.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Ollie More, Head of Policy, ADBA
  • Paul Fountain, Senior Process Expert Biosolids, Thames Water Utilities
  • Dr Lindsey Gove, Biosolids Scientist, Anglian Water Services Ltd
  • Physical pre-treatment to reduce wear and minimize waste disposal.
    James Tucker, Industrial Business Development Manager, HUBER Technology

Speakers:

Jenny Hill, Head of Buildings, Industry and Bioenergy, Committee on Climate Change

Recently we have seen the development of new best practice and certification schemes in the AD industry, which will help AD be a responsible and trusted sector. This panel will look at why different countries are developing such schemes. What are the similarities and differences between approaches in Europe and the US?

Speakers:

  • Chair: Jess Allan, Environment and Regulation Manager, ADBA
  • American Digester Operator Training and Best Practices Guide
    Patrick Serfass, Executive Director, American Biogas Council, (ABC)
  • Best practice, it’s essential
    Carl Gurney, Renewable Energy Director, Jelf Insurance Brokers

The UK electricity network is undergoing considerable change that will impact the price paid for renewable electricity generation. Join this session to hear from experts on the reforms being proposed, how they may affect your revenue, and the innovative solutions that will help you get the most from the power you generate.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Dr Thom Koller, Policy Manager, ADBA
  • Options for selling your energy locally
    Ray Arrell, Senior Project Manager, Regen SW
  • Private wire power purchase agreements (PPAs)
    Stuart Urquhart, Legal director, TLT Solicitors
  • How to make the market work for your PPA
    Tom Matthews, Senior sales Manager -PPA+FIT, Good Energy

At a time of rising regulatory charges and continued scrutiny of the environmental risks of AD plants, this session will tackle the most pressing issues in this area, including loss of containment, odour, and emissions to air. A must-attend session for all operators, the expert panel will provide top tips for managing these risks – helping you protect your business as well as the environment.

Speakers:

  • Chair: Nick Sauer, Senior Advisor (Odour), Environment Agency (England)
  • Odour risks and proportionate, cost-effective controls
    Nick Sauer, Senior Advisor (Odour), Environment Agency (England)
  • Professor Sandra Esteves, Professor, University of South Wales
  • Environmental Risk – Foaming, Spills and Gremlins
    David Woolgar, Consultant, David Woolgar Consulting
  • Containment Engineering – What is “Fit for Purpose”
    Darren Bland, Director, Containment Quality Associates International
  • Environmental insurance – why you need to get it right
    Carl Gurney, Renewable Energy Director, Jelf Insurance Brokers
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