Conference programme

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Day 1

Registration opens, coffee and tea are served in the exhibition room

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES AND OUTLINING REGULATIONS FOR BIOGAS IN THE UK MARKET

9.05am

Chairperson's opening remarks

› Mrs Gaynor Hartnell, Consultant- past CEO of REA, Renewable Energy Association

Chairperson's opening remarks

9.10am

Keynote Panel: The Renewable Heat Incentive: Should the government ring-fence RHI so it is available for new infrastructure only?

RHI tariff review - Banding or Tiering: How large is the risk of this halting all but the smallest biomethane developments?

Why does the level of support need adjusting from ‘one size fits all’ policy?

With RHI tariff rates only focussed till 2016, what will happen between 2016-2020 in order for UK to meet targets?

Regulatory changes to biogas and biomethane introduced in May 2014- what impact will this have on applications?

How can operators comply with the sustainability requirements that will be introduced in autumn 2015?

Keynote Panel: The Renewable Heat Incentive: Should the government ring-fence RHI so it is available for new infrastructure only?

INCORPORATING BIOMETHANE GAS-TO-GRID INTO WATER UTILITIES STRATEGY

9.50am

Overcoming gas blending challenges and eliminating the need for propane in biomethane gas-to-grid

How to meet UK’s gas safety and quality requirements by delivering solutions for stripping impurities from biogas

How do operators determine how and where mechanical equipment causes VOCs to be added to biogas?

What alternatives are there to boosting calorific value of gas with propane?

How can injection into the grid at a higher pressure tier create a more consistent flow stability?

› Mr Simon Farris, Renewable Energy Opportunities Manager, Severn Trent Water

Overcoming gas blending challenges and eliminating the need for propane in biomethane gas-to-grid

Morning refreshments and premium networking

11am

Has the UK water industry fulfilled the potential of biomethane grid injection? Can Water and Sewerage companies be at the forefront of the energy revolution?

How could the new processes for Advanced Anaerobic Digestion shape the energy industry?

Is there a future for Co-digestion in the UK? Will the benefits of using existing infrastructure break down the EU barriers to include sewage sludge as an allowable material?

Is there a need for more balanced regulations to establish fair competition among waste & water companies? Would the latter lead to other organic waste being treated as sewage sludge?

What’s next: can biomethane be a mainstream solution for Water & Sewerage companies to produce vehicle fuel and sustain their large transport fleets?

› Mr Sean Hill, Organic and Biosolids Solutions Manager, GENeco

Has the UK water industry fulfilled the potential of biomethane grid injection? Can Water and Sewerage companies be at the forefront of the energy revolution?

RENEWABLE TRANSPORT FUELS

11.30am

The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation: Is the low price of Renewable Transport Certificates hindering market progression?

Introduction to the RTFO: how does the RTFO support biogas?

The importance of waste feedstock’s: how significant are the sustainability benefits of waste?

Government policies to promote biogas in the transport sector: is there enough biogas available in the UK to meet increased demand from transport now and in the future?

Future biofuels policy scenarios: what policy options is the UK considering to meet the 2020 Renewable Energy Directive 10% transport target?

› Ute Roelen, Chief Economist, Department for Transport

The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation: Is the low price of Renewable Transport Certificates hindering market progression?

12pm

BIOGAS UK ROUNDTABLES; Meet with the leading operators within the UK biogas industry directly during these interactive roundtables.

Biomethane Injection Tariff review

Case Study; COMBINE project

Utilising Digestate

How biogas generators maximize the value of their power

BIOGAS UK ROUNDTABLES; Meet with the leading operators within the UK biogas industry directly during these interactive roundtables.

1pm

Roundtable Moderator feedback

Lunch

OPERATOR CASE STUDIES LEARNING FROM SUCCESS

2.20pm

How were growth challenges such as feedstock sourcing overcome at the UK’s first commercial biomethane gas-to-grid plant.

Outlining the importance of sourcing local feedstock and understanding how to manage fluctuations in maize harvest

Highlighting the challenges and commercial implications of excess digestate and how to source customers for this excess

Is it more productive for an AD plant operator to install a gas grid connection than an electricity connection, or are the barriers for grid injection too great?

› Mr Nick Finding, Director, J V Energen

How were growth challenges such as feedstock sourcing overcome at the UK’s first commercial biomethane gas-to-grid plant.

2.45pm

What are the key choices and considerations for farms looking to invest in on-farm AD?

Finding your energy: what are the different feedstock’s available and what volumes of biogas will each yield?

Is it more commercially viable for operators to grow their own energy or take gate fee waste energy.

What are the key considerations when choosing a technology provider?

How can operators reduce costs by making the most from their digestate?

› Andrew Rennie, Owner, Biogask

What are the key choices and considerations for farms looking to invest in on-farm AD?

Afternoon refreshments and networking

3.40pm

Developing and operating AD plants in the UK

Examining Tamar Energy’s current portfolio and business objectives

Understanding the success of the UK’s largest on farm AD using poultry manure and NiX® pre-treatment at the Retford SGAD Tamar plant

Evaluating lessons learned and how to deliver a positive return on investment

› Dr Amaya Arias-Garcia, Head of Technology, Tamar Energy

Developing and operating AD plants in the UK

4.05pm

Outlining alternatives for incentivising biogas production

How much biogas is the UK producing exactly and what is forecast through to 2020

How can biogas help to meet the UK’s overall gas production targets?

What are the Government’s alternatives to incentivising biogas production?

› Daniel Von Scheven, Managing Director, ArcEnergy

Outlining alternatives for incentivising biogas production

4.30pm

Chairperson's closing remarks

Networking reception

Day 2

Registration opens. Coffee and tea are served in the exhibition room

9am

Chairperson's opening remarks

› Mr John Baldwin, Chairman of REA Biogas Group, REA Biogas Group

Chairperson's opening remarks

A BIOGAS ROADMAP: HOW TO DEVELOP & FINANCE PROFITABLE BIOGAS PROJECTS

9.10am

Getting AD projects to financial close- How to make yourself risk friendly.

Outlining the investment challenge in the first investment in small scale farm-based AD market.

With funders requiring long-term feedstock guarantees how can developer’s secure organic feedstock from the municipal and commercial sectors?

What do investors look for when selecting the latest technologies?

Can investor confidence be secured through joint venture partnering?

› Mr Michael Dunn, Director, Iona Capital

Getting AD projects to financial close- How to make yourself risk friendly.

9.30am

Panel: Do investors see AD projects as high risk?

To what extent does the lengthy process of closing deals on an AD project and therefore the threat of future reductions in the tariff deter investors?

Optimising AD plants: How does the feedstock, plant design, fermentation temperature and retention time effect the biogas yield?

How will the risk of tariff reduction effect subsidiary levels for AD projects?

Establishing long term financing possibilities and security of income

Panel: Do investors see AD projects as high risk?

10.20am

What are the implications for the industry with Government announcments allowing continued investment in AD from EIS qualifying funds?

Funding solutions: Enterprise Investment Scheme & Venture Capital Trust.

How does the risk profile of AD investments compare to other renewables from the funder perspective?

How many more plants can be built in the UK for waste and what are the risks of moving away from food waste?

Relevance of favourable carbon footprint to justify your subsidies.

› Mr Fredrik Adams, Venture Partner, Sustainable Technology Investors

What are the implications for the industry with Government announcments allowing continued investment in AD from EIS qualifying funds?

Morning refreshments and networking

11.20am

What are the next steps for biomethane injection into the grid and can it deliver 10% of the UK’s domestic gas demand?

How is the industry working to expedite the number of AD plants injecting into the natural gas grid across the UK?

What are the implications of grid connection with further plants to be connected and a limited capacity?

Connecting to local distribution networks is the best option for producers of biomethane- but how can the low pressure network accommodate injections of biomethane?

With no specifications or regulations for removal of VOCS, where is the limit?

What are the next steps for biomethane injection into the grid and can it deliver 10% of the UK’s domestic gas demand?

12pm

Overcoming challenges facing biogas upgrading: Preparing it for the grid.

Outlining the major challenges when upgrading biogas for grid connection.

When upgrading to biomethane, how do you ensure that the output gas complies with the Network Entry Agreement of the local gas transporter who will be accepting the gas into the grid?

How is biomethane injection hindered by the gas specifications in the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations?

› Mr Benjamin Fillion, Business Developer - New Energies, Air Liquide

Overcoming challenges facing biogas upgrading: Preparing it for the grid.

Lunch

1.20pm

BIOGAS UK ROUNDTABLES

How do banks access the risk in AD and Biogas projects?

Is waste gasification finally coming of age?

Injecting biomethane into the natural gas grid- capacity barriers

Biogas: Alternative vehicle fuel?

Biomethanation – Biogas Upgrading and Renewable Energy Storage through Hydrogenotrophic Methanogenesis

BIOGAS UK ROUNDTABLES

DIGESTATE & ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

2.20pm

Panel : Storage, handling and utilisation of digestate from AD – Key considerations for project development and design.

How do plant operators achieve end-of-waste for digestate and how do you produce quality digestate and eliminate the need for waste management controls?

Recycling nutrients: What do farmers want from digestate?

Challenging the link between AD and land banks for digestate spreading – where are we heading with increasing volumes of digestate and more plants located in urban areas? Are there technological solutions?

Storage challenges: how much storage is sufficient, what options are there and how do you identify best options for your plant?