Delivering efficient, cost effective power generation from biomass

Learn from leading bioenergy experts, including:

Kyriakos Maniatis, DG TREN, European Commission
Karin Freier, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Germany
Hans Nordström, Director Fuel Strategies, Vattenfall, Sweden
Sauro Pasini, Head of Technological Development, Enel,Italy
Gerry Riley, Fuels & Combustion, RWE nPower, UK
Adrian Chatterton, Head Offshore Wind & Biomass Construction, E.ON, UK
Martin Cmiral, Environmental Products Manager, CEZ, Czech Republic
Ingemar Gunnarsson, Project Manager, Göteborg Energi AB, Sweden
Paul Romijn, Essent Energy Trading,The Netherlands
Halbart Volker, Managing Director Transport & Energy, NIBC Bank

How can biomass be integrated into mainstream power generation?

• Learn from 20+ leading bioenergy experts
• Understand the challenges in integrating biomass into the energy portfolio
• Identify the main barriers to the expansion of biomass power generation
• Find out how to develop a sustainable, secure biomass supply chain
• Hear case studies from commercially viable co-firing, dedicated biomass and biomass gasification plants
• Discover the latest technological developments for co-firing, dedicated biomass and biomass gasification

08.30

Chairman’s Opening Remarks: 
Oliver Schäfer, Policy Director, European Renewable Energy Council

Keynote session: Global Market Developments

The opening session will provide an overview of the biomass for power generation market, addressing the economic feasibilities, the main barriers to market expansion and the challenges and opportunities that utilities fact in integrating biomass into their energy portfolios.

Keynote Presentation:  Integrating biomass – with balance

• Challenges – threats – possibilities
• Different situations and structures
• Needed actions

Hans Nordström, Director Fuel Strategies, Vattenfall, Sweden

Case Study: Enel’s industrial program and the opportunity of biomass/biofuels

• Biomass utilization in coal fired boilers
• Biomass utilization in dedicated boilers
• Research activities: “agro-energy farm

Sauro Pasini, Head Technology Scouting, Engineering and Innovation Division Enel, Italy

Market Overview: Biomass for power generation

• What is the current status of biomass for power generation in Europe?
• What can be done to drive the market forward?
• A brief overview of the available technologies

Herwig Ragossnig, Bioenergy Expoert, AEBIOM

Interactive Discussion with session speakers

10.40

Session 2: Policy and Regulation: Stimulating Market Growth

Effective policy and regulation are critical to biomass market growth.  This session will bring together representatives from the European Commission and national energy agencies to address the current regulation in Europe and future directions that will encourage market growth.

Latest EU regulations for bio power generation

• Biomass in the European Commission’s renewable energy directive
• How will the recent renewable energy proposals affect the biomass market?

Kyriakos Maniatis, DG TREN, European Commission

What are the latest developments in EU legislation?

Eibhilin Manning, Policy Director, EUBIA on behalf of EREC

Creating a level playing field for successful market development

• Developing policy frameworks to facilitate increased uptake of biomass for power generation
• Regulation, subsidies, tax breaks and incentives

Erik Ling, manager director, Västerås Stift Skog Ds, Sweden

Panel Debate: Stimulating growth through effective policy and regulation

• Identifying the main barriers to expansion of biomass power generation
• Which policy options will stimulate biomass growth?     
• Government incentives
• EU ETS
• Renewable obligations

Panellists:
Kyriakos Maniatis, European Commission, DG TREN
Oliver Schäfer, Policy Director, European Renewable Energy Council
Karin Freier, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Germany
David Hollier, Energy Group, Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, UK

Networking Lunch Break

Session 3: Financing Biomass Plants 

This session will address the financing trends in the large scale biomass market, the speaker panel will give an in depth overview of what they look for when financing projects, the driving factors and strategies for debt financing.   The session will also include analysis on how companies can benefit from Kyoto mechanism co-financing opportunities.

14.20

Case Study: Financing the BMC Moerdijk biomass plant

• Identifying the main financing aspects from a lenders perspective
• Structuring deals
• Fuel supply – chicken litter
• Managing the project risk

Halbart Volker, Managing Director Transport & Energy, NIBC Bank, The Netherlands

Case Study: Project Finance for Biomass Power Plants

• What types of projects are receiving financing?
• What issues do developers need to consider before approaching financiers
• Project finance case study

Christian Grütte, Managing Partner, Leonardo Venablers S.L., Spain

Kyoto Mechanism co-financing opportunities and challenges of bio-power projects

• Practical policy on EU ETS and JI
• Examples of biomass projects financed
• Case Study: Hungarian power plants in JI

Zsolt Lengyel, Programme Advisor, Carboncredits.nl – SenterNovem

15.45

Session 4: Developing secure biomass fuel supply chains

This session will take a look at the resources available for developing secure, sustainable supplies of feedstock for biomass power plants.  What is the most sustainable way to increase biomass production in Europe?  Which feedstock alternatives are feasible as sources of fuel? How can average crop yield be increased? How can fuel quality be managed?

16.10

Case Study: Essent’s experience on sustainable supply chains

Paul Romijn, Commercial Biofuels Manager, Essent Energy Trading B.V.

Ensuring a secure supply of feedstock for power plants

• Sustainability
• Quality
• Security of availability

Frank Schilig, Internationalisation Manager Bioenergy, Ecyfys, Germany

Panel Debate: Developing a sustainable, secure biomass supply chain

• Securing the supply chain for biomass production
• Transport, storage and supply considerations
• Managing the risk
• Fuel quality management and standardisation issues

Panellists:
Graham Hilton, The Energy Crops Company
Paul Romijn, Commercial Biofuels Manager, Essent Energy Trading B.V.
Ian McChesney, Technical Director, Camco Global
Frank Schilig, Internationalisation Manager Bioenergy, Ecyfys, Germany

17.30

Chairman’s Opening Remarks:

 Eric van den Heuvel, International Manager Bioenergy, Ecofys Netherlands BV

Session 5: Co-Firing

Co-firing is currently the most cost effective method for large scale power generation from biomass, with conversion efficiencies up to 45% and a pay back period of 2 years if a supply local low-cost biomass is available.  In this session 3 leading European utilities will present case studies on their experiences to date with developing commercial co-firing plants. Latest developments in co-firing technologies will also be discussed.

Case Study: RWE nPower Co-firing case study

• Why choose co-firing?
• What are the technical challenges of co-firing in power stations?
• How are they overcome?

Gerry Riley, Fuels & Combustion, RWE nPower, UK

Case Study: Potential for Co-firing in the Czech Republic & Eastern Europe

• Successful deployment of biomass co-firing in the Czech Republic
• What challenges did CEZ face?
• What are the future opportunities for market development in Eastern Euorpe?

Martin Cmiral, Environmental Products Manager, CEZ, Czech Republic

• Case study: Scottish and Southern Energy's Fiddlers Ferry Power Station (UK); the first dedicated co-firing project in the UK

Mark Boneham, Head of Business Development, Alstom Power, UK

Advances in biomass co-firing technologies

• What are the current co-firing technologies?
• Fluidised bed combustion
• What technologies are available to improve conversion efficiency?

Ronald Meijer, Kema Consulting, The Netherlands

10.55

Session 6: Dedicated Biomass Plants

Dedicated biomass plants are smaller in size and lower in efficiency than co-fired plants.  In this session we will look at how utilities can make such plants economically feasible and what technologies are being developed to increase the production efficiency.

• Case study: Stevens Croft, Lockerbie
• Results so far
• Future developments

Adrian Chatterton, Head Offshore Wind & Biomass Construction, E.ON Climate and Renewables, UK

Increasing production efficiency for CHP plants

Advances in biomass CHP technologies

• Advances in developing energy efficient CHP technology

Lars Jagd, Stirling Danmark ApS, Denmark

13.15

Session 7: Biomass Gasification

In this closing session, we will analyse the current market conditions for biomass gasification, addressing case studies of commercial plant implementations and the latest technological developments.

14.30

Case Study: Gothenburg biomass gasification plant

• Commercialisation of biomass gasification
• Utilising low grade biomass for biogas production
• Conversion efficiencies & technologies
• Distribution strategies

Ingemar Gunnarsson, Göteborg Energi AB, Sweden

14.55

Case Study: Co-gasification power plant

• Large scale co-gasification
• Co2 reductions

Speaker to be announced

Advances in biomass gasification and the needs creating favorable conditions

• State of the art of biomass gasification
• Prospects at small and large scale
• R&D needs
• Roadmap to commercialization

Harrie Knoef, BTG, The Netherlands

Developments in Biomass Pyrolysis

• Developments in biomass pyrolysis technology
• What are the benefits of using this technology?
• Future potential

Speaker to be announced

Target Audience:

• Utilities
• Policy makers
• Biomass producers
• Waste producers
• Technology suppliers
• Banks
• Plant operators
• Consulting engineers

There are a few remaining speaking opportunities at this event. If you would like to submit a speaking proposal (presentation title, 4-5 bullet points and brief synopsis) then please contact

As a sponsor, you will benefit from:

• Networking with an international audience of biomass and energy professionals
• Extensive profiling on the website, brochure and e-marketing campaign
• Extensive on-site branding at the event

A range of sponsorship opportunities are available (gala dinner, cocktail reception, bag, lanyard, badge sponsor etc) which offer excellent branding to help promote your company to a targeted group of industry executives.

Contact to discuss your sponsorship and/or exhibition requirements.

Endorsed by: