The World Biogas Association (WBA) is pleased to bring to the global biogas community:
The World Biogas eFestival
The World Biogas eFestival is a unique series of online interactive presentations by an international line-up of eminent speakers sharing their expertise and facilitated networking to achieve the common goal of:
- highlighting the use of biogas worldwide,
- sharing best practice,
- discussing new innovations,
- understanding the barriers preventing growth and policy contexts,
- identifying potential solutions,
- addressing questions around technological challenges and opportunities.
In addition, building on its 2019 report, The Global Potential of Biogas, the discussions and case studies presented at the World Biogas eFestival will contribute to developing a clear pathway to deliver the industry’s potential to reduce global emissions by 12% by 2030, and will feed into the next WBA report, Biogas: Pathways to 2030, which will be launched at the World Biogas Summit 2020, 7-8 October at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.
This is also an opportunity for us to celebrate our great industry, which contributes to human and environmental health, well-being, the growth of sustainable economies, from villages to cities, from farms to factories globally.
The programme is being updated continuously as new speakers join and new content is added. Regular updates will be available on or website and emailed to our mailing list.
All times are given here as BST (UK time)- regular comfort breaks will follow each session.
8.30 – 9.30 BST
Networking
9.30-9.45 BST
Welcome from President of the World Biogas Association, David Newman
9.45-11.30 BST
The EU Green Deal- the transition of the European Economy
The EU is home to some of the largest biogas industries in the world, but it still has a long way to go to deliver its full biogas potential. Will the EU Green Deal create the policy framework necessary to unlock investment into the sector and deliver the industry’s decarbonisation potential across the EU member states by 2030?
Confirmed speakers:
Rebecca Groen, Director Biofuels, SHV Energy (Chair)
Harmen Dekker, Managing Director, European Biogas Association
Janez Potocnik, former EU Commissioner, Co-Chair of UNEP International Resource Panel
Alberto Rocamora Garcia, Policy Officer, Bioenergy Europe
Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Energy Director, IFRI Centre for Energy & Climate
11.30 – 12.00 BST
Networking break
12.00 – 13.30 BST (13:00 – 14:30 CET)
The global view: Finance, Global Economics, and Sustainability in the post virus world
Building an industry capable of capturing and recycling all the organic wastes society produces into green energy, natural fertilisers and other valuable bioproducts will require trillions of dollars of investment. In a world ravaged by Covid-19, but facing the far bigger challenge of climate change, how can we ensure the industry can attract the investment needed to deliver its full potential, including the creation of 12-15 million green jobs?
Confirmed speakers:
David Newman, President, World Biogas Association (Chair)
Marc Sadler, Practice Manager, The World Bank
Mohamed Bernannou, Adviser to the Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Morocco
Conor Barry, Team Lead, Strategy Development, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
13.30 – 14.00 BST
Networking break
14.00- 15.30 BST (16:00 – 17:30 CAT)
Building biogas in Africa: delivering deployment in diverse markets
The development of biogas markets in Africa is very diverse, bringing a range of opportunities and challenges. This session will explore this diversity, as well as look for commonalities that can facilitate growth across the region to deliver sustainable development and unlock the many benefits biogas has to offer.
Confirmed speakers:
Thomas Minter, CEO, Malaby Biogas, WBA Founder Member (Chair)
Alberto Borello, General Secretary, SABIA (Southern African Biogas Industry Association)
Hassan El Bari President, Moroccan Association of Solid Waste
Annelize van der Merwe, Director: Green Economy Industries, Investment South Africa, Department of Trade & Industry, South Africa
Luca Tasciotti, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Greenwich (Rwanda)
15.45 – 16.45 BST (19:45 -20:45 GST)
Case studies from around the World
Confirmed speakers:
Suad Said Al Hosni, Strategic Development Sector, Sultanate of Oman
Raphael Thies, Krieg + Fischer Ingenieure
Keith Douglas, Bowman Power
Jørgen Fink, Nature Energy
16.45 – 17.30 BST
Networking break
17.30 Close Day 1
8.30 – 9.30 BST
Networking
09.30 – 11.30 BST
Scandinavia, a blue print for sustainability ?
The biogas industries of Scandinavia are showcases of industry best practice in many areas, but how did they achieve such positive sustainability outcomes? This session will explore how these improved sustainability outcomes were achieved and the models, focusing on a strong financial business case, that got them there.
Confirmed Speakers:
Johnny Stuen, Technical Director, Waste-to-Energy Agency, City of Oslo (Chair)
Susanne Lindeneg, Senior Advisor, Waste and Resources Department, Copenhagen Municipality
Ole Hvelplund, Chief Executive, Nature Energy
Bruno Sander Nielsen, COO, Danish Biogas Association
11.30 – 11.45 BST
Networking break
11.45 – 13.45 BST
Treating food waste in Europe: sharing experiences and preparing for separate collection by 2023
As the EU looks ahead to 2023 when all members states must implement separate collection of household food waste, the European AD industry must ready itself for the generation of new food waste feedstock. The effective implementation of this policy in the EU, and similar policy in the rest of Europe, is vital to ensuring that this valuable feedstock is treated in the optimal way – through AD. This session will explore lessons learnt from countries at the forefront of food waste recycling to understand how to effectively deliver these policies, and will look at the barriers to effective introduction to collectively identify solutions.
Confirmed speakers:
Rebecca Thompson, Senior Policy Manager, WBA (Chair)
Marco Ricci-Jürgensen, Senior-Expert, CIC – Italian Composting and Biogas Association, Italy
Dr Andy Rees OBE, Head of Waste Strategy Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division, Welsh Government
Mark Newby, Business Development UK, Botres Global
Percy Foster, Managing Director CRE’ Compost and Biogas Association, Ireland
Ricardo Castro, Research Director, Ecoparc of Abrunheira, Tratolixo , Portugal
Javier Cervera Alonso, Director of Business Development, Genia Global Energy, Spain
Martin Steiner TBU Environment Consultants and Florian Amlinger, Director of Compost – Consulting & Development, Austria
13.45 – 14.30 BST
Networking break
14.30 – 16.00 BST (09:30 -11:00 CST)
Emerging Latin American biogas markets
Budding biogas industries are now emerging across Central and South America. This session looks at the conditions necessary, including policy drivers, that are supporting this growth, the barriers to further rapid deployment and potential solutions required to deliver the industry’s full potential in these regions.
Confirmed Speakers:
David Newman, President, World Biogas Association (Chair)
Jorge Hilbert , Profesional asesor de nivel internacional en Gestion de actividades de Innovación, INTA (Argentina)
Gabriel Kropsch, VP, Abiogas – the Brazilian Biogas Association
Rafael González, CEO, Cibiogas
Marta Kamola-Martines, Head of Biogas, Strategy Department, Engie
16.00 – 16.15 BST
Networking break
16.15 – 17.15 BST (11:00 – 11:30 CST)
Case studies from around the World
Matteo Brambilla, BioBang
Nina Wohlfahrt, Biogest
Benjamin Berg, Cryo-Pur
Jan Moestedt, Tekniska Verken
Montserrat Lluch Cuevas, ÖKOBIT
Felipe Souza Marques, CIbiogas
17.15 – 17.45 BST
Networking break
17.45 Close Day 2
8.30 – 9.30 BST
Networking
09.30 – 11.00 BST (17:30 – 19:00 ACT)
Biogas potential in India
India imports massive amounts of oil and gas. Through the Swachh Bharat Mission the government is seeking to create fuel locally to offset oil imports, and biogas has huge potential within this role. This session will hear from various organisations seeking to develop this potential.
Confirmed speakers:
Atma Ram Shukla, President, Indian Biogas Association (Chair)
Gangagni Rao Anupoju, Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT)
Alex Marshall, Group Marketing and Compliance Director, Clarke Energy
11.00-12.30 BST (19:00 – 20:30 ACT)
Biogas potential in Asia and the Pacific
In this session we will hear from operators, associations and policy makers from across Asia. The potential to reduce CO2 in South East Asia alone could be as much as 1 billion tonnes with its palm oil business providing almost 90% of the global supply. If biogas digesters were able to treat the 126 million tonnes yearly of the POME biproduct the carbon savings would be huge. This region has enormous biogas potential and this session will explore the opportunities and the barriers that must be overcome.
Asia and the Pacific:
Vincent Choy, Secretary General, Asia Pacific Biogas Alliance (Chair)
Takuya Matsubara, Representative Director, Epower Corp / Japan Biogas
Dr. Dong Renjie, Professor, China Agricultural University
Craig Jamieson, Director, Straw Innovations Ltd, (Philippines)
Pruk Aggarangsi Ph.D. Director Energy Research and Development Institute Nakornping, Chiang Mai University
M Abdul Kholiq, Chairman of Indonesian Biogas Association
Mr. Novrizal Tahar, Director Waste Management, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia
12.30 – 13.30 BST
Networking break
13.30 – 15.45 BST (08:30 – 10:45 CST)
The USA, and Canada policies, perspectives, challenges and progress
Recent research from UCLA has shown the US has vast potential for producing RNG from waste, with the potential to generate 3.1-3.8 exajoules of renewable energy each year using currently available waste resources. This is enough to power the states of Washington and Oregon. Is America ready to harness this huge resource?
This session will also look at the situation in Canada: the similarities and differences as well as some of the challenges, successes and future potential in utilising biogas production to combat waste and reduce GHGs.
Confirmed speakers:
Patrick Serfass, Executive Director, American Biogas Council (Chair)
Chellie Pingree, Congresswoman, United States House of Representatives
Robert DiDiodato, VP – Business Development, Anessa, and Jennifer Green, Executive Director, Canadian Biogas Association, Canada
Chris Maloney, Global Head, Organics Division, Eisenmann Corporation
Enrico Calzavacca, Chief Technology Innovation Officer and Biomethane Technical Manager, AB
Kurt Sorschak, CEO, Xebec
15.45 – 16.00 BST
Networking
16.00- 17.30 BST (08:00 – 09:30 PST)
Deep dive into the Californian biogas industry
The world’s fifth biggest economy has said biogas has the greatest potential for delivering net zero – and delivery will cost less than 0.5% of the state’s annual GDP. This session will explore the huge opportunity this presents, and how they intend to overcome the barriers to significant industry growth.
Confirmed speakers:
Roger Aines, Global Security Directorate, Energy Program Chief Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Chair)
George Minter, Energy and Environmental Affairs Consultant
Rebecca Boudreaux, President, Oberon Fuels
Michael T Bakas, Executive Vice President Distributed Energy Systems of Ameresco
17.30 Close Day 3
8.45 – 9.45 BST
Networking
9.45-10.45 BST
The nuts and bolts
It is vital that as we develop the global biogas industry, it grows in line with industry best practice, utilising the best operational knowledge from around the world. This session will look at equipment throughout the industry supply chain, from CHP engines and pumps to heat exchangers, flaring, monitoring and testing equipment.
Confirmed speakers:
Sam Hinton, Technical Adviser, WBA (Chair)
Dr. Kevin Monson, International Sales Manager, Weltec Biopower
John Booth, Sales Development Manager, Wangen Pumps
10.45 – 11.00 BST
Networking break
11.00-12.00 BST
Biogas upgrading and CO2 valorisation
As we look to the future of our industry, capture and use of bio-CO2 could bring us from a carbon neutral to a carbon negative technology. This session will explore the growing prominence of biomethane in our industry, as well as latest innovations in CO2 valorisation.
Confirmed speakers:
Sam Hinton, Technical Adviser, WBA (Chair)
Felix Grass, Manager Sales & Business Development Europe, Hexagon Group
Stephen McCulloch, Business Director UK & Eire, DMT Environmental Technology
12.00 – 12.15 BST
Networking break
12.15 – 13.15 BST
Case studies from around the world
Jidesh Haridas, GPS Renewables
Wim J. van Nes, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
Jo Clayton, QUBE Renewables
Duncan Cook, SGN Commercial Services and JV Energen
14.15-16.15 BST
Incorporating biogas into climate action plans
Members of the Paris Climate Agreement, of the C40 Cities, and of many other international agreements on climate change, must publish action plans on how they intend to deliver their emissions targets. It is vital that biogas is included in these plans, because there is no net zero without biogas. This session will explore the role of major international organisations in encouraging their members (including nations and cities) to grow their biogas industries, treating food waste, farm wastes and sewage, to prevent methane emissions, displace fossil fuels, and produce a renewable biofertilizer.
Confirmed speakers:
David Newman, President World Biogas Association (Chair)
Ricardo Cepeda-Márquez, Technical Lead – Food, Water & Waste Programme, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
Sandra Mazo-Nix, Coordinator – Waste Initiative, Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat and Catalina Etcheverry, Coordinator – Agriculture Initiative, Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)
Tomoo Machiba, Deputy Director, UN Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN)
CTCN Case Study: Jaime Martí Herrero, Universidad regional Amazónica Ikiam (Ecuador) and International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE, Spain) “Biogas technology applications for small and medium farmers in Latin America”
16.15 – 16.30 BST
Networking
16.30-16.50 BST
Outlook for biogas and biomethane: Prospects for organic growth, a World Energy Outlook special report.
Pharoah Le Feuvre, Energy Analyst, IEA
Pharoah will give us an overview of the report, which examines the potential for supply and demand up to 2040 and assesses the potential role of these gases in transforming the global energy network. “The case for biogas and biomethane lies at the intersection of two critical challenges of modern life” – the need to process ever increasing quantities of organic waste and the necessity of reducing GHGs. The report also looks at how policy makers and the industry can meet the challenges and utilise the opportunities in developing this sector.
16.50-18.00 BST
Conclusions, Closing remarks and networking drinks
**All delegates, whether you have day passes or unlimited passes, will be e-mailed a link to join this session**
This session marks the end of the World Biogas eFestival and will look at the conclusions from the packed agendas of the previous four days. We will discuss WBA work going forward, including how the discussion from the festival will feed into the WBA’s next report, Biogas: Pathways to 2030, and how we move forward together. And we will conclude with a BYOB drinks reception at your desk!
Confirmed speakers:
Chief Executive of WBA, Charlotte Morton
Chair of the WBA’s PITC committee, Dr. Keith Simons, Principle Scientist, SHV
Senior Policy Manager of WBA, Rebecca Thompson
Pharoah Le Feuvre, Energy Analyst, IEA
18.00 Close of World Biogas eFestival 2020
The World Biogas eFestival will feature geographically-focussed sessions with presentations and panel discussions looking at the status of the biogas industry in a specific region, reviewing its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities that it offers and the challenges that it faces. The World Biogas eFestival will also address topics relevant to the industry worldwide, such as food waste collections and quality, upgrading to biomethane, digestate output and treatment and safeguarding health and safety in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Who will take part
The World Biogas eFestival will bring together representatives from national associations, governments, policy makers, suppliers, operators and consultants from all around the world.
Delegate pricing:
Delegates will have the opportunity to purchase a full conference pass or purchase delegate passes for specific days. REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE HERE
The online platform this event will be using is called REMO.
Upon entering the event, you will see a 2D map of a conference room with roundtables, some are themed around a conversation or event and some are purely for networking.
You have the ability to jump from table to table to enter in each face to face conversation with the table or network with a specific person.
When the presentations begin you are able to engage on the general chat, or submit questions for Q&A. The presenter might even invite you up in to the presentation to engage directly in the conversation.
This platform is designed for online networking and interaction.
