The International Conference on Thermochemical Conversion Science:
Biomass & Municipal Solid Waste to RNG, Biofuels & Chemicals
September 10–12, 2024 | Westin Hotel, Itasca, IL
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.
Welcome Remarks
Paula A. Gant, PhD President and CEO, GTI Energy
Dr. Paula Gant is President and CEO of GTI Energy, a leading technology development organization focused on designing and scaling low-carbon, low-cost energy transition solutions. She has a passion for building collaborative teams, aligning innovation with impact, and convening diverse stakeholders to pursue solutions to consequential energy system challenges. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil & Natural Gas and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, she oversaw technology research, national security and clean energy deployment programs for the U.S. Department of Energy. She has also held leadership roles for the American Gas Association and Duke Energy Corporation. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Energy Leadership Institute and is a graduate of McNeese State University in Louisiana and Auburn University in Alabama.
Keynote Speaker
Reyhaneh Shenassa Chief Engineer, Bioenergy Technologies, Office of the U.S. Department of Energy
Dr. Reyhaneh Shenassa joined the Bioenergy Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy in March 2021 to serve as Chief Engineer. In this role, Reyhaneh is working on addressing key challenges to the integration and scale-up of bioenergy technologies. For over 20 years, Reyhaneh worked with Valmet, a global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. She served as the R&D manager in Valmet’s North American office. Reyhaneh obtained her B.A.Sc. in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, and her M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from University of Toronto, Canada. She has been an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto since 2014. Reyhaneh holds a patent on Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolytic Vapors.
Anja Oasmaa Senior Advisor, Thermal Liquefaction and Upgrading, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Dr. Anja Oasmaa (PhD, Lic.Sc. Tech.), is a Senior Advisor at VTT. She has over 40 years of experience in thermal conversion processes, especially in liquefaction and pyrolysis of biomass and wastes including i.e. bio-oil characterization, post-treatments, and applications. Anja made her Licenciate Thesis on high-pressure liquefaction of pulping industry side-streams and her PhD on fuel oil quality of fast pyrolysis bio-oil. Anja has a wide global network and she has lead development of analytical methods, norms, and standards for fast pyrolysis bio-oils. She participated to the IEA Bioenergy Task 34 “Direct Thermochemical Liquefaction” for 22 years, and was active in arranging international round robins to validate analytical methods for fast pyrolysis bio-oils. Anja is also actively involved in circular economy work at VTT, especially applying pyrolysis technology for plastics. Anja has over 80 peer reviewed publications in international journals and books with H-index of 43. Anja has several patents and invention disclosures related to fast pyrolysis technology, bio-oil post-treatment, and plastic pyrolysis technology.
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 and currently co-director of ISU’s Bioeconomy Institute. He holds courtesy appointments in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and Food Science and Nutrition. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Fellow of the American Institute of Mechanical Engineers. His research interests include advanced biofuels, plastics upcycling, and carbon negative energy. Dr. Brown has written over 300 scientific papers and has been awarded 26 U.S. patents. He wrote Biorenewable Resources: Engineering New Products from Agriculture, widely used as a textbook around the world.
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 upgrading, synthesis gas conversion, cleanup, and conditioning, and experimental programs relating to biomass thermochemical conversion for biofuels and bioproducts. These R&D activities are focused on expanding integrated biorefinery technology development activities for advanced biofuel production.
Prior to coming to RTI, Dr. Dayton managed biomass thermochemical conversion projects for the U.S. Department of Energy at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and was a postdoctoral research associate at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Chemistry from Dickinson College.
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 adjunct faculty positions in the Energy and Environmental Systems Department at North Carolina A&T State University and in the Forest Biomaterials Department, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University.
Andrew Kramer VP Product Development & Technology, SunGas Renewables
Mr. Kramer brings critical experience to the SunGas team with many years of experience directing the design, installation, and operation of U-GAS® gasification technology, which is the core technology in SunGas’ fluidized bed gasification product. As Senior R&D Director for GTI Energy, he has supervised an operating crew of up to 40 engineers and technicians for all aspects of design, installation, operation, and maintenance of GTI’s pilot-scale gasification and related facilities including fuel feeding, gas feeding, syngas cleaning, conditioning, and end-use systems. Mr. Kramer has deep knowledge of multiple gasification technologies using a variety of woody biomass feedstocks and was involved in the integration of gasification technology in gas-to-liquid conversions processes, including the TIGAS™ (Topsoe Improved Gasoline Synthesis) process, Fischer-Tropsch, and methanation systems. As GTI Energy Facility Director, he oversaw the daily operation and maintenance of a 50,000 square foot lab/office facility and four additional separate lab spaces, organized the 17 technician and maintenance staff to support the Institute of nearly 300 researchers, scientists, engineers, and additional clerical support staff, planned, coordinated and executed capital projects for the Institute infrastructure, and in support of projects, and maintained work practices and documentation required to meet all Safety, Health and Environmental requirements and all OSHA Process Safety Management regulations.
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.
Keith Simons Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Futuria Fuels
Since joining SHV Energy in 2015, Keith has been instrumental in the development and expansion of the company’s renewable energy solutions. His initial role was as a consultant, but he became a formal part of the company in 2019 before moving to become the CTO of Futuria Fuels in 2023.
As an Industrial Chemist by training, and with experience in innovation management in sustainable energy and carbon abatement technologies, he has been central to development of the scientific base for new technology in Futuria Fuels. By establishing collaborative Research and Development programmes, Keith is identifying and supporting technologies which will help SHV Energy to reach the goal of being increasingly low carbon. This includes technologies based around bioLPG, renewable Dimethyl Ether (rDME) and hydrogen.
As CTO of Futuria Fuels, he leads global teams of experienced research and development professionals, both within SHV Energy and externally, together with academic groups in Europe, North and South America and recently Southern Africa and India.
His scientific and technical leadership has resulted in the development of a process for the production of On-purpose manufacture of BioLPG from Ethanol. Keith also supported the development of components with the potential to be qualified for use as Sustainable Aviation Fuel. This patent-pending route is currently being tested, in a partnership between Futuria Fuels and GTI Energy, at a pilot plant in Chicago.
Keith has also supported the establishment of a joint venture between Kew Technologies and SHV Energy. Circular Fuels Limited, now a joint-venture with Dimeta, is aiming to establish an Advanced Conversion Technology for renewable and low-carbon rDME production. As a result, the first dedicated rDME demonstration plant will be built in the UK during 2024. This will soon by followed by commercial production plants, which will be the first of their kind.
His contribution to promoting scientific and technical progress has been recognised with innovation awards from the World LPG Association in both 2021 and 2022. He was also recognized by Biofuels Digest magazine as being one of the top 500 global leaders in the bioeconomy field in 2023 and 2024.
Keith regularly publishes his scientific work with partners in peer-reviewed journals and was formerly Chair of the World Biogas Association Policy, Innovation and Technical Committee.
Before joining SHV Energy, Keith held roles in many organisations including Johnson Matthey, Avantium Technologies, BP, Elastopoli, Oxford University and the European Commission. These posts covered a wide range of commercial, scientific, teaching and consulting positions.
Conference Co-Chairs
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.
Robert M. (Bob) Baldwin Principal Scientist, National Renewable Energy (NREL)
As Principal Scientist at 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 NREL 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.
Berend Vreugdenhil Lead Scientist Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals, TNO Energy
Berend Vreugdenhil holds an M.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University Delft. In 2006 he started his career at TNO, where research was focused on developing indirect gasification technology to produce sustainable natural gas from biomass.
He mostly worked with gasification and gas cleaning based on TNO technology MILENA and OLGA. Co-production of chemicals such as BTX and ethylene became increasingly relevant when gasification of waste. At a later stage he became leader of the gasification group within TNO. More recently the activities have expanded into the direction of thermo chemical recycling of plastic waste streams. There is overlap with gasification for the bio-based economy, therefor the knowledge in this field can be applied directly to the field of plastics recycling.
Since 2019 he is chairing IEA Bioenergy Task 33 on Gasification and within this task force the application of gasification towards fuels, hydrogen and other applications is further developed and supported. He is also part of the Management Board of EERA Bioenergy.
As of 2024 he is Lead Scientist on the topic of sustainable fuels and chemicals within TNO.
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