Argus Methanol Forum

Breakfast and registration

Chairperson’s introduction and opening remarks

Dave McCaskill

Vice President, Methanol and Derivatives Service

Argus

Global market fundamentals on pricing expectations and volatility in oil and gas

• Energy price backdrop – how will gas & oil prices trend in the short & medium term? What are the market prospects?
• What logistical challenges have impacted methanol imports and exports amidst red sea disruptions?
• What is the likely trajectory for China’s recovery in the next few years and implications for key commodities?

Chuck Venezia

SVP Chemical Markets

Argus

Argus’ global methanol outlook and snapshot: what is the future of traditional methanol and how do we create new demand?

• What are the upcoming downstream derivatives new capacity outlook and trade flows? Evaluating the changing demand patterns in conventional downstream users (Olefins, MTBE, formaldehyde, acetic acid, biodiesel)
• What is the overall capacity versus demand growth for key derivatives? Where can we expect industry pricing to head over the next 5 years?
• What is the state of domestic methanol supply and demand in Europe? What is the status of methanol prices in Europe?

Dave McCaskill

Vice President, Methanol and Derivatives Service

Argus

Victoria Baghdjian

Head of European Methanol

Argus

Coffee break

Will we see more low carbon methanol in the chemical and plastics industry to produce low carbon products?

Clean methanol as a feedstock for bioplastics and sustainable chemicals

• How can chemical companies increase low carbon inputs going into their supply chain? What low carbon methanol products are likely to take off in the chemicals and plastics industry?
• With RED III and other global regulations, how will the landscape for low carbon methanol for chemical applications develop? Will we see competition between the chemical industry and other industries such as the aviation, marine and on-road transportation?
• Will there be an increase in regulatory requirements for the chemical industry to decarbonise in North America as we are starting to see mandates in Europe? How will this impact methanol derivative production?

Enric Montserrat

Director Intermediate Chemicals Division

Ercros

Matthias Schwab

Head of New Business Development & Sustainability

BASF

Steven McGinn

Senior Reporter

Argus

Using methanol to build a low carbon future: developing the supply chain and mobilising methanol in new ways

Supply chain logistics, infrastructure & renewable power availability
• Optimising infrastructure - how can we ensure methanol is available to customers where they need it and when they need it? How can we distribute low carbon methanol efficiently across the globe?
• What regions are we seeing the most development for low carbon methanol projects? Are they feasible projects that will further progress?
• How will the methanol market evolve whilst moving away from a wholesale commodity product to low carbon methanol? How will it influence trade flows, distribution and pricing methodology?
• Where is renewable power available globally? What advantages and disadvantages do certain states in the US have when it comes to renewable development? Where can renewable power projects succeed in the US?

Jess Cole

Chief Financial Officer

Nacero

Nelson Vasquez

North America Business Development Lead

Hinicio

Amanda de Jager

Senior Licensing Manager

Topsoe

Nick Gazzillo

Renewable Natural Gas Trader

STX Group

Hassan Modarresi

Head of Section, Technical Director

COWI

Gregory Dolan

Chief Executive

Methanol Institute

Networking lunch break

Is Methanol-to-Jet ready for take-off? – where are we on technology, pricing and availability?

• What are the different pathways to produce SAF and what is MTJ’s position?
• Demystifying the technology risk for the Methanol-to-jet process.
• Looking at the pricing of the Methanol-to-jet pathway vs other pathways. Is it economical?
• Will we see significant increases in methanol production in the next 5 years satisfying both the burgeoning interest in the shipping and aviation sector? Is there more money to be made in SAF sector compared to the shipping industry?

Matthew Cole

Technology Manager, Methanol to Jet

Honeywell UOP

Investor perspectives: financiers’ attitude towards financing the methanol world

• Investors want to support the energy transition, but they are still risk adverse. How do we get investors comfortable with scale up and perceived risks of renewable feedstocks to fuel conversion projects at large scale?
• Current views of the ESG bond markets and the relevance for financing low carbon methanol projects. How are other financial institutions and investors supporting the development of projects?
• Considering the cost to produce low carbon methanol, how could a low carbon methanol price premium be structured to encourage investment and innovation in the sector?

Zina Skoufa

Managing Director, Methanol

Johnson Matthey

Shoko Arai

Director Project Finance

Mizuho Americas

Ben Padilla

Executive Director

FPG AIM

Coffee break sponsored by Topsoe

What are the specific properties and certification that methanol needs to have to be awarded as a ‘green’ product?

• What does this mean for producers and consumers? Is there a transparent way of measuring the carbon intensity?
• Lifecycle carbon analysis – the ecosystem on what qualifies as bio and e-methanol?
• What are the challenges and opportunities when it comes to certification and how does it tie into regulation? What certification programmes are available and how is the whole value chain certified as well as the measure of the CO2 footprint?

Dario Formenti

System Manager Sustainable Fuels

International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)

Chairperson's closing remarks

Gregory Dolan

Chief Executive

Methanol Institute

Networking drinks reception

Taking place in the foyer, Hyatt Regency Houston/Galleria

Registration and breakfast

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Larry Navin

VP External Affairs

Methanol Institute

An exploration of methanol technological innovations – upstream and downstream technology

(A series of product-related presentations from innovative companies sharing their technologies)

• Johnson Matthey technology focus
• Using captured and recycled CO2 as a primary feedstock for producing green and blue methanol
• Commercializing a modular, rapidly scalable technology to convert stranded gas into low-carbon methanol.

Speakers Include:

Saifur Khan

Commercial Licensing Manager

Johnson Matthey

Jeff Brimhall

Chief Financial Officer & Co-Founder

HYCO1

Louise Hannecart

Director of Business Development & Strategy

M2X Energy

Methanol as a marine fuel: matching global supply with global demand

• What is the progress of methanol fuelled vessels? Where are we on ship orders for methanol?
• What is the current timeline for the wider adoption of methanol as a marine fuel compared to other sources of clean energy such as ammonia, bio-LNG and hydrogen?
• Last mile logistics – terminal, infrastructure, and storage potential for bunkering clean methanol in North America?

Speakers Include:

Anita Gajadhar

Executive Director Marketing, Logistics and Shipping

Proman

Yasuhiro Sazuka

President

Mitsui O.S.K Lines (Americas)

Les Gingell

VP Marine Sales

MAN Diesel

Oleksiy Tatarenko

Senior Principal, Climate-Aligned Industries

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

Peter Keller

Chairman

SEA-LNG

Denis Arguin

VP Strategic Relations

Enerkem

Coffee break

Global policies, incentives and regulations: what to look out for?

• How will they create opportunities for the market? What market parameters or policy variables will be major determinants of the market shares of grey, blue and green methanol in the next 5 years?
• How can the methanol industry help one another to generate grant funding for new technology or new ways of creating methanol derivatives?
• What challenges will conventional European methanol producers and consumers face as the region reduces their carbon footprint?
• Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its impact on the methanol business in North America and what this means for the production of green methanol product to export to Europe?

Larry Navin

VP External Affairs

Methanol Institute

Geoffrey Dietz

Director, Federal Government Affairs

Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas

The future of methanol in the Asia-Pacific and China: How will the market respond as competition heats up?

• What are the incremental supplies in Asia and China?
• Is there sufficient demand growth to support growing supplies? What is the status of MTO and their demand potential?
• To what extent are green methanol projects expected to grow in China? What are the key progresses and challenges the new fuel is facing?

Moderator:

Becky Zhang

Editor, Olefins and Methanol

Argus

Chairperson's closing remarks

Larry Navin

VP External Affairs

Methanol Institute

End of conference & lunch