Argus Biomass Live - Virtual Conference

• Updates on SBP standards
• Key issues and challenges for producers and how to overcome them
• Ensuring long-term sustainability in the supply chain

• Which factors are currently affecting the value of wood pellets? (Pellets)
• How do pellet prices compare to other fuels?
• How much price volatility is to be expected next year?

April Poore, Editor, Argus

• Which new regions are emerging as key supply sources? (Wood chips)
• Pinpointing the key demand drivers of wood chip consumption
• Will a liquid spot market develop?

Krister Rosenqvist, President, Cleantek Trade 

• Updates on Japan’s FIT scheme
• What’s next and what can companies expect?
• Future of biomass as part of Japan’s renewable energy strategy

• Overview of sustainability standards for palm-based biomass (e.g. PKS, EFB) supply into Japan
• Considerations and key criteria for certification
• Next steps for certification scheme selection

• What are the changes to Korea’s renewable energy policy and the implications for biomass?
• How has the balance between domestic and international supply altered?
• Will the low price of RECs continue to prove a barrier to demand growth?

• How are traders currently navigating volatility in the post-Covid market? 
• How would the introduction of hedging change trading strategies? 
• Will there be scope for an increased flow of trade between Europe and Asia, and what might this mean for European traders? 

Confirmed panelists:

Henry Pease, Biofuels Trader, RWE Supply and Trading

Johan Mertens, Biomass Trader, Engie

April Poore, Senior Editor, Argus

Mark McConnell, Biomass Asset Trader, Drax

William Strauss, President, FutureMetrics

• How have the increased seasonality and price volatility affected procurement strategies?
• How much appetite is there in the market to actively manage price risk?
• What is the outlook for the derivatives market in the Covid environment? 

Confirmed panellists:

Robert Seehawer, Senior Expert - Business Development, EEX

Neil Eckert, Chairman, IncubEx

Ralf Dickgreber, Global Head of Biomass and Shipping, Engie 

Alf van Weereld, Head of Biomass Sourcing and Trading, Uniper

Francois Megret, Derivatives Broker, Tradition 

Freddie Staermose, VP Generation Fuels and Dry Bulks, Argus

• How can high-capacity pellet mills change the production process? 
• To what extent are they successful in driving down production costs? 
• How are new technologies affecting the versatility of pellet quality? 

• Analysis of the new legislation and potential impact on consumption
• What is motivating EEA states to beyond RED II, at the risk of reducing liquidity in the market?
• Is the bioenergy industry failing to justify its sustainability credentials to politicians and the public?

Confirmed panellists:

Timo Gerlagh, Advisor Bioenergy,  RVO

Peter Kofod Kristensen, Senior Manager, Bioenergy Sustainability, Orsted

• To what extent has the economic fallout from the crisis affected the supply and demand landscape?
• How can different actors along the supply chain work together to hasten a recovery?
• Should countries start stockpiling national reserves of bioenergy products?

Soren Alsing, Head of Fuels, Orsted
Kristaps Knesis, Biomass Cogeneration Process and Purchasing Manager, Fortum
Nicole Van Klaveren, Business Manager Dry Bulk, Port of Rotterdam
Jens Wolf, VP Commercial - General Manager Europe, Enviva

• Reviewing existing port infrastructure to support biomass handling - Are they sufficient to support the expected growth in demand?
• What improvements are needed?
• Outlook for biomass logistics

Dato Azman, Chief Executive Officer, Northport

Takeshi Maruo, Manager -Coal and Biomass Team, Bulk Carrier Division, NYK Group

• How do the four main biomass fuel types stack up against each other? (sustainability, price, cost, viability etc)
• What are the relative advantages of one fuel over the other? Risks versus reward
• What is the next generation fuel, where will it come from, and when?

SESSION ONE:

Changes in PKS procurement methods with new sustainability requirements

Hiroaki Goto, General Manager, eRex Singapore

SESSION TWO:

PKS market adjustments in Asia: Adapting to COVID challenges

Claire Pickard-Cambridge, Solid Fuels Manager Asia, Argus

• How can smaller Russian producers adapt their business models to become a key supply source for European customers?
• How are Russian producers trying to overcome negative perceptions related to politics or certification standards?
• What are the advantages that Russian producer could offer a biomass procurement officer, ahead of other jurisdictions? 

Roeland Reesinck, Energy Transition Specialist, Nova Bioenergy 

Rens Hartkamp, Founder, BiomassConsult

Alexander Smotrov, Practice Lead - CEE, Russia and Eurasia, Global Counsel

• What role will waste wood continue to play in traditional Northern European powerhouses once government subsidies are phased out?
• Which new European markets are ramping up their capacity to incorporate waste wood into their fuels mix?
• How does the waste wood market interplay with that of virgin wood? 

Andy Hill, President, Cynosure Partners

Lauma Kazuma, Head of Market Analysis, SUEZ Trading Europe

Markus Sussmann, Head of Special Projects, Danpower GmbH

• What are the current demand dynamics for stoves in; Italy, France, UK, Austria, Germany?
• How has the coronavirus crisis affected market conditions?
• What other trading challenges are facing producers?

Christian Rakos, CEO, proPellets Austria

Stefan Ortner, Managing Director, ÖkoFEN

Florian Singer, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing, Pfeifer Group

Edvardas Karzinauskas, CEO, Redal

• What are the benefits of utilising biomass over other traditional resources and operations?
• What can we expect for the future of the industry and requirements from industrials?
• How do you view feedstock security and what methods are in place for a consistent supply?

Cordula Mock-Knoblauc, Director Renewables and Sustainability, BASF

Richard Bourdon, Climate and Energy Transition Manager, Solvay

John McFarlane, Biomass Trader, Bulk Trading 

• Understand bark beetle epidemics in a global perspective
• How is forestry management seeking to combat these epidemics?
• What are the short-term and long-term consequences for producers of pellets or wood chips?