Annual Assembly 2024: Delivering impact through collaboration
5-6 November 2024, Kenwood Hall Hotel, Sheffield
Join the Supergen Bioenergy Hub for our Annual Assembly on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 November in Sheffield. Within the beautiful setting of the Kenwood Hall Hotel, we’ll be running two days of interactive workshops, research presentations and panel discussions, as well as site visits, public engagement training and a meeting of our Industry Forum.
Agenda
Day 1 – Tuesday 5 November | |
12pm | Registration and lunch (for site visit participants) |
1pm | Site visits (with return coach travel from Kenwood Hall Hotel) |
Translational Energy Research Centre | |
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Factory 2025 | |
Please note, the site visits are only for those who secured a place at registration. | |
3pm | Refreshments and afternoon registration |
3.20pm | Storytelling for impact training session – Paul Slater, Big Bang Partnership |
5.20pm | Global Bioenergy Stories – Czaneil Gomez, Aston University |
6pm | Break and room check-in |
7pm | Drinks reception |
7.30pm | Dinner |
Day 2 – Wednesday 6 November | |
9.30am | Registration and refreshments |
10am | Welcome and scene setting – Patricia Thornley, Supergen Bioenergy Hub |
10.10am | Public perceptions of biomass and bioenergy – interactive session – Rob Holland, University of Southampton |
10.30am | Diffusion session 1 |
– Land use and biomass potential in Europe – Jalil Yesufu, Aston University | |
– Ionic liquids as tools to obtain platform chemicals from plant waste – Pedro Nakasu, Imperial College | |
11.10am | Break |
11.30am | Diffusion session 2 |
– Increasing uptake of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the bioenergy industry – interactive session – Michael Short and Benaissa Dekhici, University of Surrey | |
– Navigating net zero: Designing biomass policy for tackling the climate, ecological, and energy emergencies – Dan Taylor, Aston University | |
12.20pm | Policy priorities – Freya Horsfield and Patricia Thornley, Supergen Bioenergy Hub |
12.30pm | Roundtables on how your work aligns with government priorities |
12.50pm | Morning session wrap-up and introduction to lunchtime activities |
1pm | Lunch (first sitting) for Industry Forum members |
1pm | Super(gen) marketplace |
– Funded projects | |
– Member directory and stakeholder forums | |
– SHARE Network for early career researchers | |
– Digitalisation of the bioenergy industry | |
– Equality, diversity and inclusion | |
1.30pm | Industry Forum – Chaired by Karl Smyth, Enfinium |
BECCUS: Biomass to Energy with Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage – what about the U? | |
1.30pm | Lunch (second sitting) |
2.30pm | Funded project opportunity – Patricia Thornley, Supergen Bioenergy Hub |
2.40pm | Incubation session 1 |
– Incubation and commercialisation keynote: Experiences from Swindon oxy-steam gasification plant – Andy Cornell, Advanced Biofuel Solutions | |
– Gasification for negative emissions – Fabian Ejim, Aston University | |
3.20pm | Break |
3.35pm | Incubation session 2
– Incubation and commercialisation keynote: Innovative approaches to biomass multiplication – Experiences and achievements from the Taeda Tech Project – Zoe Harris, University of Surrey |
– Hydrogen production via mediated electrolysis of biomass- Jun Li, University of Strathcylde | |
4.10pm | Closing reflections and next steps |
– Impact postcards from our future | |
– Dates and venue of Annual Assembly 2025 | |
4.30pm | Close |
Venue and arrival information
Information on how to get to Kenwood Hall Hotel is here: www.kenwoodhall.co.uk/contact. There’s plenty of free parking on site. You don’t need to pre-book, but you’ll just need to register your vehicle at the hotel via a QR code.
Registrations for day 1 will open at 12noon. If you arrive early, there is a space where you will be able to work. Please ask at reception for more details.
Registration on day 2 is from 9.30am.
If you’re staying at the hotel, check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 12noon. Please visit the hotel reception to get your room key. Rooms can be booked at the special rate of £89 for bed and breakfast by contacting the hotel on 0114 258 3811, quoting Supergen Bioenergy Hub Annual Assembly.
5 November – day 1
Day 1 will start with registration at Kenwood Hall Hotel from 12pm before taking coaches to site visits of the University of Sheffield’s Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) and Factory 2050 at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). Places are limited on the site visits and only confirmed registrants will be able to join.
If you have booked a place on a site visit, please take note of the information below:
TERC site visit:
• Sensible flat shoes are required; no sandals, open toes, or high heels.
• High visibility vests and hard hats will be provided.
• Facilities include both indoor and outdoor areas, so please bring a coat/jacket depending on the weather. Umbrellas are available if it rains.
• Photography is allowed and encouraged on-site.
AMRC site visit:
It is recommended you wear sensible shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather. Please visit their website for more details: amrc.co.uk
Day 1 afternoon sessions
The afternoon sessions back at the hotel will focus on public engagement, with storytelling training delivered by a professional facilitator and a chance to learn more about the Global Bioenergy Stories project by playing a new boardgame.
Storytelling for impact training session
This session will equip you with the tools to be able to communicate your work and its impact through stories. You will have the opportunity to record your story as part of the workshop. In advance of the session, we invite you to video a very short summary of your work, so that you can compare it with the output you produce on the day using the lessons you’ve learned.
The day will close with a drinks reception and dinner.
Conference dinner
If you’re attending the conference dinner on Tuesday night, please ensure you’ve selected your menu choices here.
6 November – day 2
Day 2 will be our showcase day, featuring core research projects, interactive workshops, panel discussions, keynote presentations and the first formal meeting of a new Industry Forum. The sessions are themed around our core objectives of incubating and diffusing UK research while fostering an enabling environment that supports sustainable bioenergy deployment.
Industry Forum
The Industry Forum is for representatives from the industrial biomass, bioenergy and bio-based chemicals and materials community to discuss key technical and engineering challenges with academics and each other. The first forum meeting will focus on the ‘U’ of BECCUS (biomass to energy with carbon capture, utilisation and storage), looking at the different forms of carbon utilisation.
Lunch sittings
To allow Industry Forum members to get lunch before the forum starts at 1.30pm, we’ve split lunch sittings into two groups:
– First sitting, 1-1.30pm – for Industry Forum members
– Second sitting, 1.30-2.30pm – for those not attending the Industry Forum
Those not attending the Industry Forum will be able to take a look round the Super(gen)market – with stalls covering EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) strategy, funded research projects, stakeholder forums and our new member directory.
Registration
Please note, registration is now closed. You can edit your registration details via Eventbrite.
Contact
Please get in touch at supergen-bioenergy@aston.ac.uk for any further information.