EVENT

THE TIME IS NOW

BY ANNA SIMET PHOTOS: BRANDI HILL PHOTOGRAPHY

The 15th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo convened in Jacksonville, Florida, in mid-March, the fi rst time the event has been held in person since February 2020. More than 700 stakeholders representing a wide spectrum of bioenergy producers, feedstock suppliers, academia, technology and project developers, investors, equipment manufacturers and more met under one roof, many seeking an answer one of the most looming questions as the pandemic eases, infl ation soars, and the world faces consequences as a result of foreign energy reliance: What are the potential implications for the broader bioenergy industry?

Day one of the conference began with back-to-back panels focused on one of the wood-using biomass industry’s most critical and popular issues: fi re and explosion protection and dust mitigation. Parallel to these sessions were panels hosting presentations on emissions control and operations and maintenance technologies.

The following morning, the event’s annual award recipients were named— Excellence in Bioenergy (Harold Arnold, Fram Renewable Fuels) and Groundbreaker of the Year (Project Assai, Archaea Energy). Industry leaders then joined Anna Simet, editor of Biomass Magazine, for a state-of-the-industry discussion largely focused on current events, policy and industry catalysts moving forward. Participating were Tim Portz, Pellet Fuels Institute; Patrick Serfass, American Biogas Council; Carrie Annand, Biomass Power Association; Harold Arnold, U.S. Industrial Pellet Association; and Emanuel Wagner, Biomass Thermal Energy Council.

Following the conclusion of the general session, a day and a half more of breakout sessions covered topics including, but not limited to, global wood pellet markets, fundamentals of RNG project development and fi nancing, biogas technologies, sustainable aviation fuel, and very well attended biochar/biocoal panels (standing room only). Attendees spent ample time in the 128-booth expo hall, which hosted two lunches and two evening networking receptions that closed out with a $2,000 Blackout Bingo winner.

The 16th annual Biomass Conference & Expo will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 28-March 2.

Participating in the state-of-the-industry general session discussion were (from left) Harold Arnold, board of directors, U.S. Industrial Pellet Association; Tim Portz, executive director, Pellet Fuels Institute; Carrie Annand, executive director, Biomass Power Association; Emanuel Wagner, deputy director, Biomass Thermal Energy Council; Patrick Serfass, executive director, American Biogas Council; and Anna Simet, editor, Biomass Magazine.

General session panelists discussed topics including policy, world events, industry catalysts, challenges and growth projections, before moving into a live question and answer session with audience participants.

Harold Arnold, president of Fram Renewable Fuels, accepts the Excellence in Bioenergy Award. Lauren Turner, vice president of renewable partnerships at Archaea Energy, accepts the Groundbreaker of the Year Award on behalf of the company and its renewable natural gas project at the Keystone Sanitary Landfi ll in Dunmore, Pennsylvania.

14 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | ISSUE 2, 2022

Joseph Kochanski, SCS Global services, presents on a breakout session focused on global wood pellet markets. The panel was moderated by William Perrit of RISI (second to left), with additional speakers including Holger Streetz, Bathan AG; William Strauss, FutureMetrics Inc., and Portz.

(Left image) Tom Miles, executive director of the U.S. Biochar Initiative, and Jonathan Parrott, Renewable Heating Solutions (right image), ask questions during the general session Q&A.

Conference attendees Derek Godbold, KraftPowercon, and John DeFusco, Babcock & Wilcox (exhibitor). Douglas Tholo, Symbiont Science, Engineering and Construction, presents on successful project development for EPC execution of RNG projects. Joining him on the panel were (from left) Andrew Eastman, Husch Blackwell; Kevin Tangen, Evergreen Engineering; and Todd Taylor, Avisen Legal.

Jupiter, Florida-based CV Technology Inc.’s Bernardo Sanson tends to booth traffi c.

Lissette Cordova, Diego Guevara, Enrique Sanz and Matthew Kieffer of Advanced Renewable Technology International (ARTi), traveled to Jacksonville from Des Moines, Iowa. Eric Grim, Equustock, and Total Pelleting Solutions’ Kyle Theobald and Nate Harris attended the event as pellet producers.

The Biomass Engineering & Equipment crew chat with a visitor at their impressive booth display.

Jason Kessler, president of Blackout Bingo and Expo Hall Grand Opening sponsor KESCO Inc., drew the name of the $2,500 prize winner, Will Bonds of Grizzly Sprockets. (From left) Kessler, Bond, Simet and Portz.

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Melissa Leung of GECA Environment and Andrew White, CHAR Technologies, both presented at the conference. Leung participated on track two with “Levaraging the Carbon Market for Ethanol, Biogas & Other Types of Productions,” while White participated in track four, with presentation “Pyrolysis, Upgraded Biogas as Coal Replacement, RNG.”