Conference Series Boasts Local and International Experts

Media release from Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) 31 January 2013

FIEA Wood Energy Conference Series Boasts Local and International Experts
– RESIDUES to REVENUES & CLEAN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS

10-11th April at Novotel Auckland Aiport Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand
15-16th April at Bayview Eden Hotel, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

The Forest Engineering Association (FIEA) is please to announce their programme for their upcoming conference - "Residues to Revenues & CleanTECH Industry Developments". This biennial conference series runs in Auckland on 10-11th April, at the Novotel Auckland Airport Hotel followed closely by the Melbourne version of the event on 15-16th at the Bayview Eden Hotel in Queens Road.

Keynote speakers include international bio-energy market analyst Brooks Mendell from Forisk Consulting in USA. Mr Mendell will provide insight into the maturing biomass for energy markets. Recent market reports have shown that North American suppliers of wood energy products have seen orders from large European wood pellet users ramped up over the past 12 months.

Mendell will be joined by Don Roberts, a former keynote at FIEA conferences, whose role at Canada’s CIBC World Markets Inc is exclusively focused on Clean Technology Developments around the world. Mr Roberts, Vice Chairman, Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, has been named the financial services industry’s top contributor to sustainable development in Canada. Mr Roberts primary mandate is to develop a renewable energy and clean tech practice. In 2009, Don took a year-long sabbatical in order to identify opportunities for CIBC in these sectors, and to design and guide the national “Future Bio-pathways Project.”

The keynote speaker for the second day of the conference will be Keith Richards of Thames Valley Bio-energy – whose experience in local start-ups. He has long championed the development of regional and local targets as a key part of accelerating local use. He remains an expert evaluator for the European Commission and Task Manager for the International Energy Agency (IEA), a role extending for more than 25 years.

Conference director, John Stulen said "We've widened the programme to include updates from both North America and Europe and well as including clean technology. The focus is where new clean technology industry opportunities are opening up and how that can be capitalised on by key players in the forest products industries in both New Zealand and Australia.” Our Auckland and Melbourne events are also designed to bring together local case studies from a range of innovative energy users combined with developments becoming market-ready. This collection of local speakers alongside our global experts is certain to inform delegates in a range of ways – both practical and strategic.

Forest and wood residues have gained in volume and attractiveness as a sustainable
and renewable energy source over the past decade. From a diversity aspect wood residues have an important role for developing diverse markets for forest and wood products as they prove to be the energy source of choice for smart energy buyers. Sustainability and renewable features are not always the main attraction - wood energy is making good business sense for more companies every day.

The conference series is expected to attract a wide range of delegates including practitioners and wood-flow managers from the forest and solid wood products sector, pulp and paper companies, energy user group as well as many local government managers and those who manage energy infrastructure for local users of bio-energy.

The latest conference programme and updated information is available at www.woodresiduesevents.com

– Ends –

© Scoop Media