The International Conference on Thermochemical Conversion Science:
Biomass and Waste to Fuels and Chemicals
August 25–27, 2026 | Historic Brown Palace Hotel & Spa | Denver, Colorado
Conference Speakers
Conference tracks in 2024 center around thermochemical conversion of biomass and municipal solid waste (MSW) to renewable gas (RNG), liquid fuels, and chemicals with speakers selected by peer review.
Keynote Speaker
Jostein Gabrielsen R&D Director, Topsoe
Jostein Gabrielsen holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark graduating in 2007. After two years as a process engineer in Topsoe he has worked for more than 17 years in Topsoe's R&D. Jostein has over the last seventeen years, filled different positions within R&D with a focus on hydroconversion processes, utilizing non fossil feedstocks to produce transport fuels. Jostein is currently R&D Director in Clean, Renewable & Synfuels and, in that capacity, responsible for development of alcohol to jetfuel technology within Topsoe.
Dr. Zara Summers Chief Strategy Officer, LanzaTech
Dr. Zara Summers serves as Chief Strategy Officer at LanzaTech, where she leads the company’s efforts to drive commercial growth, secure strategic investments, and unlock new value through business innovation. She spearheads initiatives to align market strategy with evolving global conditions and market demand. Previously, Zara served as LanzaTech’s Chief Science Officer, where she led the company’s Science team across the full R&D pipeline, from initiating new projects with commercial partners and securing government funding, to deploying and supporting LanzaTech’s technology at six commercial plants worldwide. Before joining LanzaTech, Zara spent a decade at ExxonMobil in scientific and leadership roles focused on advancing biological solutions for the energy transition. Throughout her career, she has been driven by a passion for enhancing economic, environmental, and climate stability through innovation and collaboration.
Zara holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts and completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Minnesota.
Plenary Speakers
Robert C. Brown Distinguished Professor, Iowa State University
Dr. Brown is Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU). He is the founding director of ISU’s Bioeconomy Institute.
His research interests include advanced biofuels, plastics upcycling, and carbon negative energy. He wrote Biorenewable Resources: Engineering New Products from Agriculture, widely used as a textbook around the world.
Dr. Brown is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering. He received the Don Klass Award for Excellence in Thermochemical Conversion Science in 2015.
Dr. David C. Dayton Senior Fellow, Chemistry, RTI International
Dr. David C. Dayton is a Senior Fellow (Chemistry) at RTI International with 30 years of project management and research experience in biomass thermochemical conversion R&D projects involving biomass combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis. His current research activities include catalytic biomass pyrolysis technology development, biocrude separations and related experimental programs in thermochemical conversion of wastes. These R&D activities are focused on expanding integrated biorefinery technology development activities for advanced biofuel production.
Dr. Dayton has published over 70 technical papers, book chapters, and government reports. He recently co-authored a book entitled “Analytical Methods for Biomass Characterization and Conversion” and has an adjunct faculty position in the Forest Biomaterials Department, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University.
Gerhard Muggen Managing Director, BTG Bioliquids
Gerhard Muggen is managing director and shareholder of BTG Bioliquids since 2008. As managing director, he is responsible for the strategy of BTG Bioliquids, the business development and the worldwide marketing and sales of the pyrolysis technology. Before BTG Bioliquids Gerhard has been working for Stork, Wartsila Diesel and Holec for more than 10 years in several positions in project management and international sales management.
Gerhard has a passion for export and sustainable energy.
Conference Co-Chairs
Robert M. (Bob) Baldwin Principal Scientist, National Laboratory of the Rockies
As Principal Scientist at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), Bob's research focuses on biomass conversion (pyrolysis and gasification) and upgrading of bio-derived intermediates (bio-oil and syngas). He also directs program and business development activities for the Bioenergy Science and Technology Directorate and leads the Market Impact Platform. Prior to the National Laboratory of the Rockies, Bob was a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines for 30 years including 9 years as department head. He is a founder of the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, where he spent 10 years in various academic and leadership roles. Bob has the PhD in Chemical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and the BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Terry Marker Senior Institute Engineer, GTI Energy
Terry is currently employed by GTI Energy as the Bioenergy Initiatives Manager and Senior Institute Engineer. Terry has 50 years of experience in the biorenewable, petroleum and petrochemical industry, including 14 years at GTI Energy, 20 years at UOP, 10 years at Amoco, and 5 Years at ARCO. Terry has worked in conversion of biorenewables to fuels for the last 25 years and authored the DOE report “Opportunities for Biorenewables in Oil Refineries”, which has led to the use of biorenewables in oil refineries throughout the world. Terry is one of the inventors of the UOP’s Ecofining Process and served as the team leader of the Ecofining Team at UOP which developed and commercialized the Ecofining process which converts vegetable oil, fats and grease into diesel and jet fuel through hydrodeoxygenation and hydroisomerization. Today there are 20 Ecofining units throughout the world. Terry also is one of the inventors of the IH2 process, developed at GTI Energy, which converts cellulosic biomass to drop in transportation fuels. The IH2 process is licensed to Shell and has been successfully tested in Bangalore India on the 5 ton/day scale. Terry has 80 US patents and numerous technical publications and has years of experience in hydroconversion, hydrocracking, pyrolysis, FCC, synfuel production, catalysis, hydropyrolysis, process design and economics. Terry was also team leader of the UOP/Hydro MTO process which converts methanol to olefins and today produces 3 million tons/year of ethylene and propylene from methanol. Terry also helped to commercialize UOP’s Ethermax process for making MTBE and UOP’s Oxypro process which makes isopropyl ether. Terry has an MS in Chemical Engineering from IIT and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois.
Pedro Ortiz-Toral Program Director, Bio-Energy, Carbon Management & Conversion, GTI Energy
Dr. Pedro Ortiz-Toral leads the Bioenergy Program at GTI Energy, in the United States, where he works to advance breakthrough conversion technologies that contribute to the global energy transition. Over the last decade he has focused on renewable process development for bioenergy and renewable products, making significant contributions in this field. He is currently leading bioenergy project and program development, acting as liaison between industry and research, technical due diligence, and program strategy. His technology portfolio includes notable advancements such as IH2®, Cool GTL, Cool Reforming, and Cool LPG. His contributions have been acknowledged through the acquisition of six US patents, all related to the conversion of gases and waste materials into valuable fuels and products. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University in 2011. He was recently named one of Bioeconomy's 500 by Biofuels Digest in 2023 and 2024 for his leadership in the bioeconomy’s development and deployment.
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