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Argus Biomass Conference

London, UK
1-3 April 2025
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2025 Agenda

1 April 2025

09:00 - 09:55

Doors open for main conference day one

09:55 - 10:00

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Market pulse: Producers, policies and growth potential

10:00 - 10:45

Biomass power industry in Europe: How is biomass helping to meet electricity needs across the continent?

- What is the effect of employing different renewable energy sources on energy production capacity?
- How is the regulatory landscape affecting biomass trade for European utilities and end-users?
- What is the approach of data centers to relying on green electricity – how big of a role can biomass play?

Speakers Include:

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David Sanderson

Biomass Fuel Contracts Manager
E.ON Business Heat & Power Solutions
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Christian Joore

Head of Biomass & Freight
Vattenfall
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Samantha Smith

Head of Biomass
Renewable Energy Association
Soren Alsing

Søren Alsing

Head of Fuel, Bioenergy and Thermal Power
Ørsted
10:45 - 11:15

Argus global market outlook on industrial pellets in 2025

- Balancing markets between net zero 2050 targets and biomass industry concerns
- Where will the next supply come from when the forecast plateaus in 2026 for industrial pellets?
- What is the significance of “added value from biomass through cascading principle”?

Speakers Include:

Erisa Senerdem

Erisa Senerdem

Editor, Biomass
Argus
11:15 - 11:45

Morning coffee break

11:45 - 12:30

How the EUDR and other Sustainability Regulations will impact consumer markets?

- What implications will it have on trade within and with Europe? Is supply going to become expensive?
- Burden of proof – how can producers trace the emissions cycle? What are the mechanisms available?
- How to optimize the business model amidst disruption, inflation, and high cost of supply?

Speakers Include:

Helena Mansilla

Helena Carpintero Mansilla

ESG Hub EMEA EUDR CoE Lead
Peterson Projects and Solutions
Carsten Huljus

Carsten Huljus

Chief Executive Officer
Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP)
Peter Kristensen

Peter Kristensen

Director of Bioenergy Sustainability, Orsted
12:30 - 13:00

Keynote panel: Producer’s perspective on exploring competitive strategies within biomass market beyond 2027

- What are producers' goals post 2027 and how will they reach net zero targets?
- What can producers do to adapt to the regulations and what policy support do they expect from the regulators?
- What does the production capacity look like and what are the big obstacles in the coming months?

Speakers Include:

Mait Kaup

Mait Kaup

Chief Executive Officer
Warmeston
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Erica Edfeldt Wehtje

CTO
Solör Bioenergi Holding AB
Freddie Staermose

Freddie Staermose

Vice President, Generating Fuels and Dry Bulks
Argus
13:00 - 14:30

Women’s networking and lunch

Hear from leading women in business regarding their personal experiences of growth within the market and in business

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Samantha Smith

Head of Biomass
Renewable Energy Association
Amparo Arellano

Amparo Arellano Gil

Senior Expert
SURE
Irene di Padua

Irene di Padua

Policy Director
Bioenergy Europe
14:30 - 15:00

DESNZ on UK's Biomass Strategy 2023 focuses on biomass as a low-carbon energy source

- How has the government actions for strengthening sustainability criteria covering biomass use impacted the industry?
- What are the key challenges that industry faces today and what steps are being taken?
- What are the lessons and plans ahead, how can the industry prepare for it?

Speakers Include:

Freddie Staermose

Freddie Staermose

Vice President, Generating Fuels and Dry Bulks
Argus
15:00 - 15:30

Heat outlook 2025: Key trends, cost implications and growth potential

- How do we plan to recover from last year's low demand and what are the current driving factors for growth in the sector?
- What are the most pressing concerns and latest innovations to scale up biomass and CHP technologies globally?
- CHP facility: How can this cost-effective technology be optimized to meet global heat and electricity demand?

Exploring and expanding feedstock synergies

15:30 - 16:00

Heat treated pellets vs white pellets: What does the market want?

- What are the advantages of torrefied and steam explosion processes to produce advanced pellets?
- Will black pellets ever take over the commercial opportunities of white pellets and how?
- How can we overcome the technological challenges of producing black pellets?

Speakers Include:

William Strauss

William Strauss

President
FutureMetrics
Dominique Kuehner

Dominique Kuehner

Industry Director, Biofuel
Andritz
Patrick lapointe

Patrick Lapointe

CCO, Airex Energy
Michael Wild

Michael Wild

President
International Biomass Torrefaction and Carbonization Council IBTC
16:00 - 16:35

Evening coffee break

16:35 - 17:15

Roundtable hour

- Woodchips
- Premium pellets
- Treated pellets
- Certification

17:15 - 19:00

Networking reception sponsored by Drax

2 April 2025

09:55 - 10:00

Chairperson opening remarks

09:00 - 09:55

Doors open for main conference day two

10:00 - 10:40

Keynote by Drax

Renewable energy around the world

10:40 - 11:15

Spotlight on LATAM: What are the different clean renewable energy sources in the region how to factor in SAF demand?

- Ethanol sourcing to exporting: How to track and prove credibility to meet global standards?
- What is the scope for Latin export of woody biomass residue and what role can it play in the supply of biomass?
- Understanding the increased demand for SAF and carbon removals

Speakers Include:

Vinicius Ferreira Campos

Vinicius Ferreira Campos

Commercial Director
Braspine
Thais Sousa

Thais Sousa

Business Development Manager - Fertilizers, Mining and Agriculture, Brazil
Argus
11:15 - 11:45

Morning coffee break

11:45 - 12:20

Powerhouses of the Nordics and Baltics: How do the regional market leaders balance production costs and sustainability goals?

- Examining raw material availability, costs, and competition for the woody raw materials from the chemical and biofuels industries
- What do you need to know about the sourcing of wood biomass and the risk of deforestation?
- Next steps: Understand the balance between hydropower and solid biomass use in power and fuel generation?

Speakers Include:

Henrik Brodin

Henrik Brodin

Head of Energy Transition
Sodra
Johan Vinterback

Johan Vinterbäck

Program Manager
Swedish Energy Agency
12:20 - 13:00

How can you fireproof your feedstocks in biomass storage and handling: A guide

- How to keep from burning down your wood pelleting operation?
- Biomass producer and utility perspectives: What have we learned from the recent fire incidents?
- Is the biomass industry taking sufficient action to prevent future incidents?

Speakers Include:

Gordon Murray

Gordon Murray

Executive Director
Wood Pellet Association of Canada
12:45 - 14:00

Speed networking and lunch

14:00 - 14:45

Global panel discussion: Discovering and diversifying imports and exports across APAC region

- Navigating regulations and trade barriers: How can Europe broker more trade deals with APAC?
- How have the trade flows of biomass into and out of Asia evolved in the past two years?
- How is agri-biomass faring for steel industry and how does it impact the biomass demand and consumption in the region?

Speakers Include:

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Fabien Mehu

Head of Biomass & Freight, ENGIE
Mads Thomsen

Mads Thomsen

Director- Trading, CM Biomass
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Martin de Wolff

Head of Biofuel Trading
RWE

Biotechnology solutions and future

14:45 - 15:30

Technology, innovation and finance: Getting to drips with biotechnology trends in 2025

- What investments are required for technologies to fund future solutions?
- What are the breakthroughs in feedstock pre-treatment and processing for the scalability of biomass?
- How can financial institutions better assess the creditworthiness of biomass projects?

Speakers Include:

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Samantha Smith

Head of Biomass
Renewable Energy Association
John Teal

John Teal

Vice President
TSI
15:30 - 16:15

Evening coffee break

14:45 - 15:30

Big debate: How can the industry leaders' view on market movements and mood motivate your business?

- Did we successfully attain the rebranding of the biomass sector?
- What do the fluctuation in consumption patterns, new avenues, stricter regulations and a solemn mood tell us for 2025 and beyond?

Speakers Include:

Michael Wild

Michael Wild

President
International Biomass Torrefaction and Carbonization Council IBTC
Christian Rakos

Christian Rakos

President
World Bioenergy Association
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Manolis Karampinis

Director- Business Development & Membership
Bioenergy Europe
16:45 - 17:00

Closing remarks

17:00

Awards ceremony and drinks reception

Judged by an expert panel of industry leaders, winners will be announced at the exclusive awards ceremony on 2 April at the Argus Biomass Conference (1-3 April, QEII Centre, London, UK).

3 April 2025

09:00 - 09:50

Doors open

09:50 - 10:00

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Scaling CCUS and BECCS towards net-negative

10:00 - 10:45

Case study: What will it take for BECCS to become a commercial game-changer?

- How and when will these projects become commercially viable? Are there alternatives to bridge the gap until then?
- Understanding and tracking future biomass procurement strategies
- How can BECCS create value through carbon credits and what impact will it have on the financial viability of traditional biomass operations?

Speakers Include:

Dominic Rassool

Dominic Rassool

Senior Business Development Lead – Europe
Global CCS Institute
Adam Nye

Adam Nye

VP Global Carbon Markets
Argus
10:45 - 11:30

Morning coffee break

11:30 - 12:00

Unravelling industrial carbon removals and storage policies

- What policy inputs do we need for biomass power assets looking for alternatives?
- How do the policies – EU ETS, CDR, CRCF and RED III interact and what are the key takeaways?
- What is the long-term viability of CCUS-powered biomass in achieving net-zero emissions?

Speakers Include:

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Katarzyna (Kasia) Wilk

Head of Public Affairs and Policy, EU and Asia Head of Public Affairs and Policy, EU and Asia,
Drax Group
Henrietta Moon

Henrietta Moon

Co-Founder and CEO
Carbo Culture
Irene di Padua

Irene di Padua

Policy Director
Bioenergy Europe

Green feedstocks and low-carbon biomass future

12:00 - 12:45

Keynote panel on hard-to-abate industries: How can biocarbon production bridge the gap and sustain the supply chain?

- Are steel, aluminum, cement and other decarbonizing sectors looking for compliance carbon markets?
- The promise of green steel: With increased consumer demand and investments, how can we ensure the process and result is entirely sustainable?
- How does the efficiency and feasibility of biocarbon, and biochar compare to other sources of energy?

12:45 - 14:00

Speed networking and lunch

14:00 - 14:30

What role can biochar and biocarbon play in decarbonizing sectors while sequestrating carbon?

- In the context of net zero targets due in 2050, are sectors rapidly moving from pellets to biochar?
- From procuring high-quality, sustainable raw material to certifying and validating biocarbon, what are the real time projects and challenges?
- Who’s certifying such projects? What should the producer and end-user know about the life cycle of the project?

Speakers Include:

Tobias Brink

Tobias Brink

Head of Business Development
Envigas
Yoshida Hinako

Hinako Yoshida

Trader
Hanwa Co., Ltd
Michael Wild

Michael Wild

President
International Biomass Torrefaction and Carbonization Council IBTC
14:30 - 15:00

Agri biomass landscape: How can agricultural biomass close the loop for a sustainable bioeconomy?

- Understanding the scope of agricultural residue for advanced uses of power generation and sustainable biofuels
- What are the sustainable feedstocks available and what are the challenges in procuring them?
- Which industries are off-taking such sources?

Speakers Include:

André Paula Santos

André Paula Santos

Head of EU Policy
Nuseed
Amparo Arellano

Amparo Arellano Gil

Senior Expert
SURE
15:00

Close of conference

Leading technology providers showcase cutting edge solutions in biomass and carbon for industries facing decarbonisation challenges.

1 April

10:45

Drax showcase video on BECCS – carbon removals at world-changing scales

- Negative emissions essential for fighting the climate crisis
- Clean economic growth — preserving and creating jobs
- Reliable renewable electricity to support the grid as more wind and solar are connected

13:00

Women in biomass networking

Hear from leading women in business regarding their personal experiences of growth within the market and in business

Speakers:
Irene di Padua, Policy Director, Bioenergy Europe
Amparro Arellano, Standard and Certifications Director, RSB
Samantha Smith, Head of Biomass, Renewable Energy Association

13:30

CM Biomass: Pioneering renewable energy through biomass innovation

- What technologies is CM Biomass utilizing to improve biomass processing, storage and transportation efficiency?
- What are the key technological barriers to scaling biomass innovations?
- How to enhance pelletization and drying to improve energy output of biomass for large scale energy production?

2 April

10:30

Peterson Projects and Solutions (Europe): Unlocking traceability solutions and optimizing biomass production and operations

- How do certification programs and Peterson’s supply chain solutions ensure sustainability, traceability and compliance in the biomass sector across Europe?
- What are the developing technologies and methodologies to monitor, verify and optimize carbon emissions reduction projects within the biomass industry?
- What strategies and services ensure minimizing environmental, financial and operational risks in biomass production and logistics?

13:00

Andritz: Global Energy Transition – An equipment supplier perspective

- Global Energy Transition – The Green Transition is Different?
- Are white pellets here to stay? Are advanced pellets a short-term opportunity to meet demand?
- What’s beyond solid biofuels?

13:30

Engie: Commercializing biomass technologies with higher CO2 reductions

- How are Engie’s waste-to-energy systems and advanced biomass conversion processes driving sustainable energy solutions across global market?
- What are Engie’s R&D priorities and upcoming innovations?
- What strategies can be employed to scale up biomass projects while addressing challenges of feedstock, economy and regulatory compliance?

3 April

11:00

Torrefaction and thermally treated biomass applications

- How can biomass be used outside of power and heat applications?
- How to optimize biomass for the end-user?
- Technology - the best choice for biomass, location, and use.