Argus Methanol Forum

• What other regions are following the U.S’ lead after the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act?
• What is the status of low carbon fuels policies globally and how will they serve to help further scale up methanol? 
• What exiting and future policies will serve to create new markets for methanol? 

• What are the short-term and long-term crude and natural gas market prospects? What does this mean for price?
• What is the likely trajectory for China’s recovery in 2024 and implications for key commodities? How feasible is the development of regional self-sufficiency in strategic commodities?  
• Towards energy transition - How is energy price inflation changing perceptions of the optimal future fuel mix? What does it mean for the emerging markets that drive energy & commodity demand growth?
• Does the impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis hinder or invigorate Europe’s energy transition? 

Speakers:
Mark Ostwald, Chief Economist and Global Strategist, ADM Investor Services

• Where can we expect industry pricing to head over the next few years? 
• What are the drivers of the market, on both the global and domestic front?
• Supply and demand - what is the overall capacity versus demand growth? 

• How competitive is the process vs Naphtha based economics? 
• How will the availability of light cracker feedstocks impact future MTO projects?
• Will existing MTO plants be competitive versus imports from North America and Middle East?
• As methanol production in China increases, what impact will this have on southeast Asia? Will Middle East exports to the region increase? And will Chinese exports begin trickling down south? 
• How will China navigate decarbonisation amid a slowing economy and volatile markets? To what extent are methanol-fueled transportation fleets expected to grow in China?

Speakers: 
Becky Zhang, Methanol & Olefins Editor, Argus

• What are the feedstock economics for both renewable diesel and biodiesel? What is the supply and demand outlook over the next few years?
• What countries around the world are increasing the use of renewable diesel and the use of biodiesel? 
• How would renewable diesel affect D4 RIN compliance in the US?

Speakers:
Scott Fenwick, Technical Director, Clean Fuels Alliance America

• How can we integrate DME into the LPG supply chain and create more opportunities for the methanol industry?
• What do these pathways to de-fossilisation mean for the LPG industry? 
• With primary applications being propane supplement in cooking gas, aerosol and chemical feedstock, how will DME expand in the sectors of transportation fuel and electric power generation?

• Will Bio-MTBE see demand growth in the future and what countries have plans to include it in their gasoline pool?
• Is direct methanol blending into gasoline a promising new demand sector in the Asia-Pacific region? 
• With EV’s taking more market share from traditional vehicles what is going to be the demand for gasoline in the next few years and how will this affect MTBE production?

Speakers:
Roel Salazar, Methanol Derivatives Consultant, Argus

• What can existing brown and grey methanol plants do in order to green up their processes?
• How is the bio-methanol value chain developing? What is the pricing of bio-methanol vs its cost of production in comparison to grey methanol?
• Renewable natural gas and biomass as a biobased feedstock for methanol production – What is the outlook on availability of RNG and biomass? What is the competition landscape for RNG and biomass with other sectors? 
• How can we scale up bio-methanol? What technologies are available and will bio-methanol be used in the chemical industry?
• On the capital side, what are the elements that investors need to see to make a successful decision to invest in a facility? How are investors supporting the development of these projects?

Speakers:
Oscar Sastron, Renewable Fuels Commercial Strategy Senior Manager, Repsol
Jose Quevedo, Principal Consultant, Hydrogen & Low Carbon Fuels, DNV
Denis Arguin, VP Strategic Relations, Enerkem
Cliff Keeler, VP Business Development, SunGas Renewables

• Where is renewable power mostly available? Where are the most lucrative areas for renewable power projects to succeed? 
• What's the appetite in terms of projects getting financed?
• How can we secure investment through the value chain, including technology development, infrastructure, and deployment?
• What is the current pipeline and CAPEX for electrolysers?

Speakers:
Steve Szymanski, Vice President of Sales, Americas, NEL Hydrogen
Kristjana Kristjánsdóttir, Chief Commercial Officer, CRI
Michael Macdonald, Chief Manufacturing Officer, HIF Global
Andre Gafford, Lead Sourcing Manager P2X America, Orsted
Ameet Kakoti, Proposal Manager Ammonia & Methanol, Topsoe
Moderator: Larry Navin, Senior Director for Government & Public Affairs, Methanol Institute

• What are the challenges associated with the production, handling, and consumption of hydrogen? How can methanol help overcome these challenges?
• Is methanol or ammonia the favoured hydrogen carrier? Will methanol become a universal fuel for future fuel cells?
• How can hydrogen be released from methanol to be used in fuel cells? What are the megatons of hydrogen transported using methanol as a energy carrier?
• How can we replace diesel generators for power applications through the hydrogen and methanol route? 

Speakers:
Stephen Crolius, President, Carbon Neutral Consulting
Robert Schluter, Managing Director, e1 Marine
Matthias Stein, Director Chemicals Market, Air Liquide 
Moderator: Larry Navin, Senior Director for Government & Public Affairs, Methanol Institute

• What is the current timeline for the wider adoption of methanol as a marine fuel compared to other low carbon marine fuels? 
• How can we diversify the different types of methanol products bio/e/blue in the marine space?
• How much green premium are shipping companies and their customers willing to pay for alternative fuels? 
• What new regulatory or market-based incentives are on the rise within the US to enable the uptake of methanol as a marine fuel? What does US inflation reduction act mean to total investments going into fuel production?
• Which ports could offer methanol for bunkering in 2024? Can it be supplied via barges? How are they preparing and handling methanol? 

Speakers:
Peter Harders, Global Director Operations & Strategic Development, Valenz
Vasileios Tzelepis, Lead Technical Consultant, Business Consultancy, Lloyd’s Register
Carlos Torres, Global Head Physical Operations, Dan-Bunkering  
Simon Hettig, Technology Manager, Alternative Fuels, Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Moderator: Stefka Wechsler, Marine Fuels Editor, Argus