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ADBA Scottish Conference 2023

19 September, 2023 9:00AM - 7:00PM

Venue: Dynamic Earth
Country: Scotland
Address:

Holyrood Road, Edinburgh,

Deep Dive into Scotland’s Net Zero Ambition

REGISTER HERE

The Scottish government is doubling down on its efforts to deliver the country’s ambitious net zero targets, with the aim to be net zero by 2045, five years ahead of the overall UK target.

A root and branch review of strategies is underway, with a dedicated review of bioenergy as part of the push to accelerate the just transition. Following the publication earlier this year of the Scottish Government’s draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, further Just Transition plans are set to be published for transport, agriculture and the built environment – the sectors responsible for the bulk of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Scottish Government is seeking to achieve a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions against 1990 levels by 2030, with the Just Transition plans feeding into a five-year Climate Change Plan.

ADBA’s Scottish Conference will be the first opportunity to take a deep dive into the role envisaged for biomethane. This will consider the emerging opportunities for AD (Anaerobic Digestion) and biogas development presented by the rebooted Climate Change plan. The Scottish Government has been explicit that its key priorities are to decarbonise transport, heat in buildings, agriculture and energy systems. These are all areas where accelerated AD development can deliver positive results.

AD also aligns to the government’s environmental aims to address air quality and biodiversity restoration and develop a circular economy, with the biocycle in the vanguard of a just transition.

The ability of AD to recycle organic wastes and produce renewable energy, renewable organic fertiliser, renewable transport fuel and bio-CO2 for carbon capture and use or storage give the technology widespread application.

Timed in advance of the Scottish Government’s ‘Climate Week’ in September, this conference will consider the role AD can play in reducing input costs for farmers and food and drink manufacturers while reducing their carbon footprints and protecting the environment; the envisaged role for biomethane in decarbonising energy systems and alignment with hydrogen and further bio-refining; the technology’s role at the heart of circular cities, addressing zero food waste, heat networks and wastewater treatment; how biomethane can be used as transport fuel to decarbonise HGV transport; and how to optimise revenues from carbon pricing and biomethane certificates and emerging ecosystem services market.

With keynote speakers from the Scottish Government and executive agencies, and case studies highlighting the art of the possible and technical and process innovations to increase revenues, this conference is the one-stop shop for operators and developers to gain the latest insight into the AD sector in Scotland. There is no net zero without biogas.

Please note tickets are non-refundable.

REGISTER HERE

8:45 – 9:30 – Registration  

9:30-9:45 – Welcome and opening remarks: Chris Huhne, Chair, ADBA  

09:45-10:45 – The strategic role of AD in delivering Scotland’s Net Zero Targets 

Scotland has been engaged in a wholesale review of policy to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2045. With the publication of several sectoral Just Transition plans and the imminent launch of the Climate Change Plan, this opening session will deliver the latest insight into the Scottish Government’s strategy and an understanding of the opportunities for anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas. 

KEYNOTE: Maurice Golden MSP, Convener, Cross-Party Group on the Circular Economy, The Scottish Conservative Party

Wasundara Doradeniya, Policy Analyst, ADBA The energy, environment and economic case for AD and biogas in Scotland (market report). 

Andy Cooper, Head of Energy Efficiency, Clarke Energy (Commercial) 

Q&A 

10:45 – 11:15 – Refreshments and Networking 

11:15-11:45 – Attracting Finance for Biogas Projects in Scotland  

The opportunity cost for AD and biogas is rapidly changing, following the recent energy crisis and ripple effect on heavy industry and farming. In this session we consider the opportunities emerging for our industry. 

Kristina Rabecaite, Founder & Director, Ppaya

11:45-12:30 – Carbon Capture, Bio-Technology and Innovation in Scotland 

Using renewable bio-based resources is key to Scotland’s drive to develop a circular economy and replace the use of fossil resources in a vast array of manufacturing processes. AD and biogas offer a platform on which to build out Scotland’s bioeconomy, utilising biomethane and bio-CO2. This expert panel will consider the emerging opportunities for biogas operators and developers. 

Dr Lynsey Dunbar, Senior Business Engagement Manager, Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre 

Sandy Arbuthnott, Director – Ventures, Hiiroc

Q&A 

12:30-13:30 – Lunch 

13:30-14:30 – The Role of AD in Decarbonising the Scottish Food & Drink Sector 

Scotland’s food and drink sector is one of the country’s major success stories, generating a gross annual turnover of £10.3bn. But the sector is coming under increasing pressure to decarbonise across Scope 1-3 emissions, covering production processes and commodities supply chain, and, with the imminent advent of extended producer responsibility, wastes.  

This expert panel will consider how the outputs from AD and biogas production – renewable power and heat or transport fuel, bio-fertiliser and bio-CO2 – can be deployed to address these issues from farm to fork.  

Iain Clunie, Net Zero Programme Director, Food and Drink Federation Scotland 

Richard Gueterbock, Director, Foodchains

Q&A 

14:30-15:00 – Refreshments and Networking 

15:00-16:00 – The Opportunity for AD in Scotland’s Vision for Agriculture 

The Scottish Government has declared ‘we will transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture’. Within that, it will develop a framework of support for the sector to encourage organic farming, reduce emissions and agrochemical inputs and strengthen rural resilience. 

This expert panel will consider the role of AD and biogas in delivering this vision.  

KEYNOTE: Emma Harper MSP, Co-convener, Cross-Party Group on Rural Affairs, SNP 

Kate Hopper, Policy Manager, Climate Change, NFUS 

Debbie Neely, Director, Entrust Environmental

Euan Munro, Principal Process Engineer, SLR Consulting

Q&A 

16:00-17:25 – Maximising Value Across the Circular Economy 

AD and biogas sit at the heart of the circular economy, says the International Energy Agency, acknowledging its ability to recover maximum value from organic wastes – and is the best available awareness tool to mobilise the transition away from the take, make and waste linear economy of today.  

AD has widespread application in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing us today, climate, energy and food security and air quality. This expert panel will draw on best practice models to illuminate the way ahead. This will include Scotland’s declared intent to follow the waste management model set by Wales (which has the best recycling rate) and closed loop transport systems using biomethane to fuel HGVs. 

Martin Whiteford, Partner, Anderson Strathern

Christian Calvillo Munoz, Research Fellow, Centre for Energy Policy, University of Strathclyde

Joanna Cloy, Senior Project Manager, Fidra

Lucy Montgomery, Senior Consultant, The Bioeconomy Consultants NNFCC

KEYNOTE: Sarah Boyack MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Transport and the Just Transition, Scottish Labour Party

Q&A

17:25 Chair’s Closing Remarks 

Networking drinks  

 

 

 

Emma Harper MSP

Co-Convener, Cross-Party Group on Rural Affairs
Scottish National Party (SNP)

Maurice Golden MSP

Convener, Cross-Party Group on Circular Economy
The Scottish Conservative Party

Sarah Boyack MSP

Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Transport and the Just Transition,
The Scottish Labour Party

Chris Huhne

Chair, ADBA
Former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

Richard Gueterbock

Director,
Foodchains

Sandy Arbuthnott

Director – Ventures,
Hiiroc

Iain Clunie

Director, Scotland Food & Drink Net Zero Programme,
Food & Drink Federation Scotland

Andy Cooper

Head of Energy Efficiency,
Clarke Energy

Lucy Montgomery

Senior Consultant, The Bioeconomy Consultants
NNFCC

Euan Munro

Principal Process Engineer,
SLR Consulting

Dr. Christian Calvillo Munoz 

Research Fellow, Centre for Energy Policy,
University of Strathclyde

Dr. Joanna Cloy

Senior Project Manager,
Fidra

Wasundara Doradeniya

Policy Analyst
ADBA

Kate Hopper

Climate Policy Manager,
NFUS
 

Dr. Lynsey Dunbar

Senior Business Engagement Manager,
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)

Kristina Rabecaite

Founder & Director,
Ppaya

Debbie Neely

Director,
Entrust Environmental

Martin Whiteford

Partner,
Anderson Strathern

Support Sponsors

Coffee Break Sponsors

Exhibitors

For Sponsorship and Exhibiting Opportunities:

Maddie Hopper, Maddie.hopper@adbioresources.org

For Marketing and Event Enquiries:

Montana Hull, Montana.hull@adbioresources.org

Eduard Vyshnyakov, Eduard.vyshnyakov@adbioresources.org

For Payment-related Enquiries:

Angela Knight, Angela.knight@adbioresources.org

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