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Our 2022 Clean Growth Conference is fast approaching!

We are delighted to share the full speaker listing for this year’s packed agenda:

9:15am Welcome and conference opening, NEPIC

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9:25am Session 1

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REGIONAL DECARBONIZATION CONTEXT

Clean Growth, a Region-Wide Approach
Chris Rowell, Tees Valley Combined Authority

Chris leads on TVCA’s support for the industrial cluster, decarbonisation, clean energy, and innovation. He has had a varied career covering mechanical engineering in the renewable energy and automation sectors, software, communications, and public policy.

Ahead of the publication of the region’s Net Zero strategy, Chris will explain the five key areas of activity necessary for Tees Valley to reach Net Zero, and how we can grasp the economic opportunities they create.

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Sembcorp Energy UK, speaker TBC

An introduction to Sembcorp Energy UK, operations at Wilton International, and plans to lower carbon emissions.

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LOW CARBON HYDROGEN

H2NorthEast: Producing Low Carbon Hydrogen at Scale on Teesside
Dave Robson, Kellas Midstream

Dave is Hydrogen External Relations Lead at Kellas Midstream. He has 27 years’ experience in the steel industry, gained in a wide variety of energy-related roles covering health & safety, energy & utilities, procurement & distribution, EU emissions trading systems, power station operations management, and latterly technical development roles.

In his presentation, Dave will provide an overview of Kellas’ CATS facility at Seal Sands where the company’s ground-breaking low carbon blue hydrogen H2NorthEast development will be located.

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Matthew Day, EDF Renewables UK & Ireland

Matthew Day leads EDF Renewables’ Hydrogen business. He developed EDF-R’s UK hydrogen strategy, working closely with the various global and UK EDF subsidiaries and led development of EDF-R’s landmark green hydrogen project in the UK: Tees Green Hydrogen.

The project aims to produce hydrogen directly from offshore wind and solar, and distribute H2 directly to customers nearby in an industrial cluster. At EDF, he has held various analyst, management and leadership roles across investment analysis, strategy & business development, covering all renewable technologies. Before EDF, Matthew worked for Wood Mackenzie as an analyst and consultant in the global gas & LNG industry. This background brings a unique understanding on global energy markets and a critical perspective on the importance of global competitiveness.

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10:50am Morning networking break

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11:20am Session 2: LOW CARBON FEEDSTOCKS, PROCESSES AND CLIMATE TECH FUNDING

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The path to Net Zero: Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC)
Dr. Gari Harris, Teesside University 

Dr Gari Harris is the newly appointed director at NZIIC following an industrial research background heading-up British Steel’s research and development effort worldwide. Gari also sits on the UK Government (BEIS) Expert Panels for CCS, Hydrogen, and Energy from Waste.

The Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre is the latest development from Teesside University to be announced. Dr Gari Harris will give an update on the build progress, capabilities of the building and how it will help more Tees Valley SMEs transition into a Net Zero economy.

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Providing Support for Regional Innovation and De-Risking in Decarbonisation and Circular Economy
Mark Allan, Materials Processing Institute

Mark leads the Industrial Decarbonisation programme ranging from immediate energy saving and carbon measures through to cutting edge hydrogen innovation.

Mark will provide an insight to the support on offer from the Materials Processing Institute, as they have been dedicated to building services and facilities for innovation on materials circularity, process commercialisation, transitioning to low and zero net carbon energy and digitalising existing plant data and controls.

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BioYorkshire – 10 Year Vision for Green Growth
Steve Bagshaw, BioYorkshire

Steve has over 35 years’ experience across the biotechnologies and fine chemicals manufacturing sectors. He was CEO for six years of Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. For the past two years he has been working with he UK Government’s Vaccines Task Force as an Industry Advisor.

BioYorkshire is a 10 year vision to use bio-based innovation to transform Yorkshire’s economy through world-class research and translation facilities, local specialised business incubators, training, networking and entrepreneurial support.

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Bulk Chemicals Lead for TransFIRe – the R&I Hub for Transforming the Foundation Industries
Justin Perry, Northumbria University

Justin is Professor of Chemistry and Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange in the Department of Applied Sciences at Northumbria University. His research interests include the development of new scalable chemical processes especially in polymer chemistry and biotechnology.

TransFIRe is funded by UKRI under the ISCF TFI challenge set out to develop innovative technology to reduce energy and resource use within the foundation industries – cement, glass, ceramics, paper, metals and bulk chemicals sectors.

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The Early Stage Funding Environment for Cleantech Companies
Alex Buchan, Northstar Ventures UK

Alex is a biologist by training and spent 15 years in early-stage biotech companies commercialising new technologies. More recently, Alex has has been involved in investment into technology businesses in the North East with a particular interest in cleantech and life science companies.

Alex will discuss the options available for start-ups and the funding environment in the current economic climate, including an overview of potential sources of both equity investment and non-dilutive funding.

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13:05pm Networking and lunch break

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14:05pm Session 3: CASE STUDIES FROM MANUFACTURERS

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Industry Must Prepare for CCUS and Hydrogen Now
Ian Hibbitt, BOC UK & Ireland

Ian’s work on the commercialisation of technologies in the metal, glass, chemistry, steel and energy markets focusses on the decarbonisation of industry and industrial processes using hydrogen and industrial gases. He has more than 20 years’ experience working for BOC.

Ian is an active member of the BEIS Sector development working group, BEIS HAC research and innovation working group, Hydrogen UK Industry and Jobs and Skills working groups, BLA Hydrogen project steering group and the HFCA combustion working group.

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Decarbonisation in Energy Intensive Chemical Industries
Jon Hetherington, SABIC

Jon is the Senior Technical Manager for SABIC and has 35 years’ experience in the chemical industry. He’s worked on projects across both Teesside and in the North West and is actively involved in SABIC’s decarbonisation strategy.

Jon will focus on the potential routes for decarbonisation in high energy intensive chemical plants, including the routes for elimination of direct CO2 emissions from such facilities, a concept unimaginable just a few years ago.

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Sustainability in the Mitsubishi Chemical Group
John Runnacles, Mitsubishi Chemical Group

In 2017 John became Business Research Director for the former Lucite International business – now part of Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s Methacrylates division – responsible for the methacrylates research portfolio.

John will discuss the new Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) which was formed in July 2022, unifying one of the world’s leading chemical manufacturers, highlighting publicly announced examples of new sustainable products and developments launched by global MCG businesses.

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Project TeesGold
George Koteles, TeesGold (consortium led by EUNERGY CAPITAL LTD)

George has over 25 years experience in international asset and project finance. He co-founded Energy Capital in 2010 to advise a leading global investment bank on expanding their energy and power portfolio in EMEA, subsequently expanding the business, focusing on renewable energy and sustainability projects.

George will give an overview of Project TeesGold: Developing the UK’s first e-waste refinery, which will extract predominantly copper and significant amounts of gold, silver, nickel and palladium from e-waste concentrate.

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15:30pm Wrap-up and conference close

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We look forward to seeing you there!