Global Speakers

Glenn is part of the Ballance Agri Nutrients team and leads the companies operating facilities across New Zealand.  Ballance Agri Nutrients is New Zealand’s leading agri-nutrient supplier and owner of New Zealand’s only Ammonia Urea facility located in Taranaki, New Zealand.

Raw material supply security and harnessing Taranaki’s high quality renewable energy resource are key strategic focus areas for the Ballance Ammonia Urea team.

Glenn has been part of the Ballance team for 12yrs and during this time has been responsible for ammonia, urea and hydrogen manufacturing, strategic capital development and mega project (>$NZ1b) execution.

Topic: Kapuni ‘Green’ Hydrogen Project Catalyst for New Zealand Market

Peter Kasprzak (CASP-SHACK) is the President of Hydrogen Society of Australia and Co-Founder and CEO of Innovate Australia. Over his career, Peter has gained experience in Europe, the United States, and Australia in fields of emerging technology, automotive industry, energy, environment, and financial services. He has been a Director of a number of companies, ranging from geophysics to manufacturing electric vehicle charging stations. Peter also headed CRC bid group to create the Sustainable Electric Transport Cooperative Research Centre (SET CRC). Peter is a past President of the Inventors Association of Australia. He was the Convenor of the Hydrogen Society of Australia and heads Hydrogen Highway Group for heavy transport, currently developing Zero Emission Highway, which merges Hydrogen Highway infrastructure with Electric Highway infrastructure. As a long term advocate of Hydrogen, Peter is delighted to see that HYDROGEN IS MARCHING ON!

Topic: Hydrogen Highway – Zero Emission Highway Hydrogen Is Marching On!

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: Investment Policy Updates From Victoria

Born and raised on a farm in northern Tasmania, Guy Barnett studied law (LLB, LLM) and worked in Melbourne and Washington, D.C. before he established and managed his award winning government and public affairs business.

After almost a decade representing Tasmania in the Senate Guy was elected to the Tasmanian State Parliament in 2014.

He was appointed to Cabinet in 2016 as Minister for the Resources and Minister for Building and Construction.  In 2017 he was also appointed the Minister for Energy.  In 2018 Guy became Minister for Primary Industries & Water and Minister for Veterans.

Guy has enthusiastically advocated for Tasmania as the renewable energy powerhouse of the nation.

Guy is an author of several books including, ‘Our Heroes, Tasmania’s Victoria Cross Recipients’ and ‘Make a difference – a practical guide to lobbying’.

Guy is married with 3 children, and is a sports enthusiast with a keen interest in trout fishing.

Topic: Keynote Address: Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan

Amanda is a key member of the Norton Rose Fulbright global energy team and, having worked in both South Africa and London, her experience of energy clients and transactions globally ensures she remains across the latest developments in these sectors. Having recently joined the NRF Sydney project finance team from London, Amanda brings with her a wealth of international project delivery experience and a no-nonsense approach to project management and leading transactions.

She has published several articles relating to project financing, renewable energy, mining and construction litigation and since relocating to Australia, she has been involved in various “new technology” energy projects focused on pairing clean technology with reliability including battery storage, EVs and clean hydrogen. She is pragmatic and commercial, and knows and understands the challenges of bringing projects to market. Her domestic and international knowledge will provide an insightful comparison to enable Australian businesses to develop hydrogen-related strategies.

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: COAG Hydrogen Initiatives

Hydrogen Financing Panel: Where Will The Money Come From To Fuel Hydrogen Growth And Build The Hydrogen Infrastructure – Perspectives From Government, Investors, H2 Energy Leaders, H2 Export Terminals & Banks

Jeremy is a Non-Executive Director, global executive and advisor with over 30 years of experience leading businesses and in the design and delivery of major infrastructure projects. He has held a variety of positions, including Regional Director for Asia/Middle East, Corporate Manager Business Development and Group Manager of Innovation & Digital. He lived and worked in Asia and the UK for 14 years and has also delivered projects in the US, Middle East, Australia and China. He is a Director of the Australian subsidiary of J-Power, one of Japan’s largest utility companies and part of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) consortia.

Topic: Producing Hydrogen From Coal With Carbon Capture And Storage (CCS) Case Study: World’s First Liquid Hydrogen Supply Chain

Hydrogen Financing Panel: Where Will The Money Come From To Fuel Hydrogen Growth And Build The Hydrogen Infrastructure – Perspectives From Government, Investors, H2 Energy Leaders, H2 Export Terminals & Banks

Gustavo Gomberg is a hydrogen adviser and investor.

He is seasoned senior executive and strategist with over 20 years of international experience with large, complex, blue-chip organisations, spanning emerging and developed markets.

Gustavo is an expert in corporate finance, valuations and M&A within the hydrogen, infrastructure, energy and natural resources sectors. He has worked as commercial and financial adviser to Australian and international utilities, resources sector clients and governments in complex transactions and projects totalling $20b+. He has been involved in accessing early stage capital for renewable power projects, emerging technologies and electricity industry reforms.

Gustavo anticipates industry trends and has been at the forefront of hydrogen development in Australia. He was the Lead Advisor to Kawasaki Heavy Industries in their Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain Project, was on the Steering Committee of the CSIRO National Hydrogen Roadmap and has been advising international and domestic clients on hydrogen strategy and commercialisation across the supply chain, including applications in energy, mobility and industry. Gustavo has been involved in a number of the hydrogen demonstration projects and was appointed to the Hydrogen Stakeholder Advisory Panel that guided the development of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.

Gustavo is also the Treasurer of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and has an MBA with honours from Melbourne Business School.

Topic: Hydrogen Commercialization: A Practical Approach Beyond Feasibility Studies

Mark joined in Anglo American plc in 2013 and has been responsible for marketing, sales and market development of PGMs (Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium, Osmium) in Asia Pacific region. Prior to this, Mark had held a few senior management positions with international companies in materials, electronics and automotive industries where he was responsible for establishing and growing their China businesses.

Mark holds a B.E. Degree (Industrial Automation) from Northeastern University and an MBA from Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: H2 Mining Applications As Means To Accelerate The Adoption Of Fuel Cells And Hydrogen

Sam heads up innovation at ATCO. He has a background in mechanical engineering and business leadership with over 20 years of experience in gas utilities, both in the UK and in Australia. Sam is also Project Director for ATCO’s Clean Energy Innovation Hub project – Australia’s first green hydrogen microgrid. Sam spent over 10 years at Scotia Gas Networks were he also led the design and construction of UK’s first Bio-methane facility in Didcot, Oxfordshire and 3 years at Water Corporation in Australia before joining ATCO in 2016.

Sam’s experience spans many facets of the industry, from design and construction through to strategic asset management, regulation and innovation. Sam joined ATCO in 2016 where his ongoing commitment to integrated energy solutionS and high quality service delivery drives his everyday leadership of this challenging and dynamic division. As an integral part of the Management Team, Sam has been instrumental in driving a clean energy projects with a significant focus on customer, affordability and reliability. Sam lives in Perth with his family and in his spare time trains and coaches soccer for young kids.

Topic: ATCO: Australia’s First Hydrogen Microgrid Review & Understanding The Safety And Technical  Challenges In Implementing Hydrogen In Microgrids

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: Commercialisation Of Hydrogen Energy Systems Using Rapid Response PEM Electrolysers

Koos Overwater is TechnipFMC’s Vice President Hydrogen Product Line and Technologies, supporting and promoting on corporate level the technology and business development of the hydrogen product line. Koos is located at the TechnipFMC office in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.

In combination herewith, Koos is Vice President New Technologies, responsible for the development of new technologies within the Zoetermeer office.

In earlier functions Koos was Director Technology at the office in Warsaw, Technology Manager Ethylene, responsible for this product line within the Process Department of the Zoetermeer office, Manager of the Process Department, Senior Technology Development Manager and Manager Consulting Services.

Koos holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Technical University in Delft in the Netherlands.

Topic: Hydrogen – From Refinery Commodity To Energy Carrier

David leads CSIRO’s Low Emissions Technologies Program which is focussed on providing technology pathways for low emissions renewable and coal based technologies to increase efficiencies and reduce costs of greenhouse gas reduction options while ensuring secure and sustainable energy supply. The LET program comprises approximately 100 staff working across the major energy technology sectors including Solar Thermal and PV technologies; advanced fossil fuel, thermal and electrochemical energy processes; hydrogen energy systems; and emissions monitoring, modelling and management.

David’s team has well-established collaborative links with the major energy research and technology institutions within Australia and extensive research links with international research organisations and technology development companies in Japan, China, Korea, Europe, USA, India and South Africa.

Topic: Enabling Practical Hydrogen Energy Value Chains: Partnering For Impact And Scale

David Grabau has strong technical proficiency and experience in the resources and energy sectors, with a valuable combination of experience in both government and ASX top 20 corporates. Since joining Austrade as Senior Investment Specialist for resources and energy in April 2017, David has helped a number of major international companies identify and secure investment opportunities in the Australian market. More recently, he has been working closely on Australian capability in hydrogen, mining technology, and critical minerals and lithium-ion battery value chains. David’s previous senior commercial roles include advising major resources and energy companies across strategy, risk, and project management. David spent several years working with BHP across its minerals and petroleum businesses, including management roles in Group Risk and Corporate Development.

Hydrogen Financing Panel: Where Will The Money Come From To Fuel Hydrogen Growth And Build The Hydrogen Infrastructure – Perspectives From Government, Investors, H2 Energy Leaders, H2 Export Terminals & Banks

Ross has spent the majority of his career working within refining and petrochemicals operations supporting assets in Europe and Asia. With a focus on improving performance using technology, for example 3D metal printing. Outside of his core role, he is an advocate for encouraging the next generation of engineers to help the world tackle some of the greatest challenges.

Topic: Attracting The Next Generation To Deliver A Hydrogen World: The Need For A Highly Skilled Human Workforce To Deliver Our Hydrogen Future. What Are The Workforce Skills And Expertise Required – What Is The Reality?

Richard joined the South Australian Government in 2001 and since that time has worked across the energy, climate change, industry development and low carbon economy portfolios.

He heads up a team within the Department of Energy and Mining that is charged with capturing the economic development opportunities associated with the State’s transition to clean energy.

His current area of focus is on growing and attracting industries that can capitalise on South Australia’s low cost renewable energy resources, including use of batteries and other forms of energy storage, hydrogen and green chemical production, mining and green minerals processing, the electrification of mobility, and associated value chains.

Richard spearheaded the development and implementation of a Hydrogen Roadmap for South Australia, which was released in September 2017 and subsequently oversaw the development of South Australia’s Hydrogen Action Plan which was released in September 2019. His team is also delivering the $150M Renewable Technology Fund and $50M Grid Scale Storage Fund, both of which are delivering public investments into innovative large-scale energy storage projects in the state, and the development of an Electric Vehicle Strategy for South Australia.

Topic: How Hydrogen Can Support South Australia’s Clean Energy Transition

Vanya Kumar is the Executive Director, Commercial and Investment Attraction in the Energy Group at Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Vanya is an experienced executive with expertise in commercial transactions, infrastructure development and project management. A lawyer by training, Vanya also brings strong commercial, negotiation, governance, stakeholder management and policy experience to her role. She has worked across a range of industries including energy and utilities, banking and finance, construction, oil and gas, and transport in Australia and overseas.

Keynote Address: Green Hydrogen In Victoria And In Particular The Victorian Hydrogen Investment Program

Throughout her 20-year career Linda has been at the forefront of driving innovation and change across the sustainability, solid waste and renewable energy sectors.  Linda has provided strategic advice and technical expertise to a wide range of public and private sector organisations, ranging from small and medium sized businesses to large multinational organisations, as well as central government, local authorities and community groups.

Linda has an extensive global network across the hydrogen value chain and understands in detail the value proposition for renewable hydrogen in New Zealand.

In 2016 Linda founded a private sector consortium of organisations to progress the delivery of renewable hydrogen infrastructure in New Zealand.  In 2018 Linda was appointed as the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Hydrogen Association. Linda is committed to delivering the Association’s objectives to assist the delivery of low emission hydrogen solutions both domestically and for potential export.

Linda has been involved in progressing technical aspects of hydrogen production, storage, demand and use scenarios within the transportation and industrial process heat sectors. She is currently involved in developing strategic alliances of private sector entities to deliver a range of hydrogen projects across New Zealand.

Linda has extensive experience and an established track record in delivering transformational change to achieve decarbonisation across a range of sectors.  This, along with her extensive international connections, technical knowledge and vision of the opportunities for renewable hydrogen, means she has played a key role in the development of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel in New Zealand.

Topic: New Zealand’s Green Hydrogen Blueprint & Strategy

Malcolm Geier was appointed Business Development Manager  at the Port of Portland in November 2010. Malcolm started at the Port of Portland in June 2006 in the role of Company Accountant. For the six years prior to joining the Port of Portland Malcolm worked in public practice accountancy firms in Western Australia and Victoria providing taxation and business services. Malcolm holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University and is a Certified Practicing Accountant.

Hydrogen Financing Panel: Where Will The Money Come From To Fuel Hydrogen Growth And Build The Hydrogen Infrastructure – Perspectives From Government, Investors, H2 Energy Leaders, H2 Export Terminals & Banks

Rohan has a civil engineering degree and MBA from University of Queensland. He has held senior executive roles with BHP and the Commonwealth Bank, as well as start-ups Ceramic Fuel Cells, Renewable Energy Corp, Red Sky Energy and Pacific GTL. He has provide corporate advice on energy to BP, TRUenergy (now Energy Australia), GDF Suez (now Engie) and CSIRO. His latest initiative is Southern Green Gas, a start-up developing renewable methane technology.

Topic: Renewable Methane As A Hydrogen Carrier

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: Pathways For Power-To-Liquid Fuels And Chemicals

Erwin Penfornis joined Air Liquide in 2000. He started in R&D in the field of clean energy developments. He then worked from 2005 to 2010 on the structuring of Air Liquide H2 Energy activities in Europe and the development of early markets, such as stationary applications.

Between 2010 and 2015, he has been Business Development Director in the Large Industry business, in particular for the supply of hydrogen to Energy and Petrochemical markets (Korea, Middle East).

He returned in the field of Hydrogen Energy since 2015, first as a VP H2 Energy Marketing & Strategy and then as COO of the Air Liquide H2 Energy World Business Unit.

He is now VP H2 Energy for the Asia-Pacific region since August 2019, based in Tokyo.

Topic: International Insights Into Japan, Korea’s Push For Ambitions Hydrogen Economy And Asia’s Longer-Term Demand For Hydrogen

Andrew  is  an  established  senior  executive  with  more  than  twenty  years  of  experience  ranging  from  various  leadership  capacities  spanning  project  engineering,  operations  and  business  development  across  Oil  &  Gas,  Mining,  Pharmaceutical  and  Semiconductor  industries.

Andrew’s  exposure  to  international  markets  in  Australia,  Thailand,  Malaysia,  Vietnam,  Brunei,  Singapore,  Middle  East,  Papua  New  Guinea and  Diego  Garcia  enables  him  to  appreciate  and  manage  across  diverse  cultures.    Andrew’s  current  role  at  Chiyoda  involves  managing  the  operations  in  the  Oceania  Region which  currently  comprises  of  Papua  New  Guinea,  Australia,  East  Timor  and  New  Zealand.

Topic: Chiyoda’s Hydrogen Experience In Brunei And Exporting To Japan: System And Method For The Global Hydrogen Supply Chain

Daniel is the Director of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Energy Future Science Platform, an initiative driving new science and technology development in support of the emerging Australian hydrogen industry. Prior to this role, Daniel led CSIRO’s thermal and electrochemical research programs, and he continues to play a senior role in CSIRO’s gasification RD&D activities.

Topic: Innovations In Low-Cost Green Hydrogen Production Technologies

Nick is the Director, Energy Programs and Services within the Department for Energy and Mining in South Australia.

He leads the teams responsible for the delivery and implementation of a number of energy programs and community education, including:

• Development of renewable hydrogen regulation, education and its safe development locally and globally
• Off-grid remote power
• The South Australian Government’s 276MW emergency generators
• Equipment and residential building Energy Efficiency
• The Energy Advisory Service and Energy Partners Program focusing on low income households and affordability

Nick is the Vice President of the International Association for Hydrogen Safety (HySafe); is a non-executive director and Deputy Chair of Cara Inc, a large disability service provider; holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy.

Topic: Developing Suitable Regulatory Systems, Codes And Standards To Support The Adoption Of Hydrogen In Australia

Hydrogen Financing Panel: Where Will The Money Come From To Fuel Hydrogen Growth And Build The Hydrogen Infrastructure – Perspectives From Government, Investors, H2 Energy Leaders, H2 Export Terminals & Banks

Matt Walden is a Transaction Specialist at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and specialises in the identification and execution of investment opportunities. Matt is responsible for managing a number of ARENA’s Solar, Hydrogen and Bioenergy portfolio concepts and projects and manages ARENA’s Large Scale Solar Competitive Round. Prior to ARENA, Matt specialised in providing financial, commercial and policy advice in the renewables and general infrastructure sectors. Matt is an ICAA Business Valuation Specialist, a Chartered Accountant and has a post-graduate qualification in Applied Finance.

Topic: Commercialising Hydrogen And Attracting ARENA Financing

Interactive Roundtable Discussion: Hydrogen Initiatives From ARENA