Supergen Bioenergy Hub Annual Assembly 2025
The Supergen Bioenergy Hub Annual Assembly 2025 is taking place on 11 November 2025 at Conference Aston, Birmingham.
Join us for a full-day event bringing together stakeholders from academia, industry and policy to explore the latest developments and strategic directions in UK and global biomass and bioenergy.
If you have registered for a place, please download full Joining Instructions here.
Dr Paul Golby CBE FREng, Chair of the Board at the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO), will deliver a keynote speech on UK energy systems and the role of bioenergy.
We will also be sharing the findings from a new report published jointly with the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) examining the potential role for biomass as a long-duration store of energy.
Other presentations from our researchers and industry and policy experts will explore the impact being made in:
• net-negative emissions technologies
• hydrogen
• low-carbon fuels for heating and aviation
• biomass production from land
• bio-based chemicals and materials.
A poster competition will highlight the work and achievements of our early career researcher community.
You will also have plenty of opportunity to connect and network with colleagues and new contacts.
The day will begin with registration from 9.30am and the first presentation at 10am. The event will close at 5pm. Full agenda and joining instructions are available to download below.
Supergen Bioenergy Hub Annual Assembly 2025 agenda
Joining instructions_Supergen Bioenergy Hub Annual Assembly 2025
Agenda
| 09.30-10.00 | Arrival and registration | |
| 10.00-10.25 | Welcome, Supergen state of play, engagement strategy | Patricia Thornley, Catriona Heaton, Rebecca Fothergill, Freya Horsfield, Aston University |
| 10.25-11.00 | Net negative emissions and hydrogen
InBECCS – Opportunities and Constraints Negative emissions from waste and hydrogen-BECCUS Catalysts for Change: Advancing Biomass Gasification for Clean Hydrogen production via mediated electrolysis of biomass |
Jon Scroggie, Evero Akshay Bagde University of Glasgow Srigan Moharir, Aston University Lewis MacDonald, Strathclyde University Patricia Thornley, Aston University (Chair) |
| 11.00 – 11.02
11.02-11.30 |
Two minute silence in remembrance Clean Power 2030 and beyond – the contribution of biofuels |
Paul Golby, NESO Patricia Thornley, Aston University (Chair) |
| 11.30-11.45 | Coffee | |
| 11.45-12.15 | The potential role for biomass as a long-duration store of energy | Keelan Colechin, Cultivate
Freya Horsfield, Aston University (Chair) |
| 12.15-13.00 | Sustainability and resource availability
Sustainability: a global challenge Government strategy, policy and regulation Global Feedstock Assessment for SAF Production – Outlook to 2050 Global indirect land use change Biomass estimation models in Sub-Saharan Africa Developing frameworks that deliver whole system sustainability
|
Mirjam Roeder, Aston University
Freya Horsfield, Aston University Cristiane Scaldaferri, Worley Consulting
Jalil Yesufu, Aston University Dan Abudu, Aston University Dan Taylor, Aston University Mirjam Roeder, Aston University (Chair) |
| 13.00-14.00 | Lunch and poster viewing | |
| 14.00-14.45 | Low-carbon fuels
UK Low Carbon Fuel Policy Overview Sustainable aviation fuel Biofuels for industrial process heating Biofuels for off-grid heating |
Dharel Patel, Department for Transport Spiros Siouris, University of Sheffield Rob Ireson, Glass Futures Abdallah Abu Saleh, University of Sheffield Helen Motwani, REA (Chair) |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | Conference Photo | |
| 15.00-15.45 | Digitalisation for the bio sector
Digitalisation challenges and opportunities for the bio sector Digitalisation of the bioenergy sector: Insights from industrial surveys and workshops Panel discussion: Opportunities for digitalisation in the bio sector |
Alan Beesley, Alps Ecoscience Benaissa Deckici, University of Surrey
Ian Watson, University of Glasgow; Lauren Hilton, Future Biogas; David Payne, Zebra-EM; Simon George, NovaSci; Benaissa Deckici, University of Surrey Jason Hallett, Imperial College London (Chair) |
| 15.45-16.00 | Coffee | |
| 16.00-16.45 | Bioproducts – what can we get from biomass?
Innovation challenges from Unilever ioSusTOil: Developing Sustainable Power Transformer Oil in Opportunities of glycerol to X
Functional Biochar Materials: Bridging Environmental
|
Craig Jones, Unilever Amir Badiee, University of Lincoln
Jesus Esteban Serrrano, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (formerly University of Manchester) Dibyendu Roy, Durham University
Parimala Shivaprasad, University of Nottingham (Chair) |
| 16.45-17.00 | Poster competition award presentation
Closing thoughts and next steps |
Jon Scroggie, Evero
Patricia Thornley, Aston University |
| 17.00 | Close |
