Speakers

CEO ENVIGAS

Juha Erkkila is a metallurgist with a burning passion in sustainability - M.Sc. in Metallurgy and MBA in finance. Juha shows 17 years of experience in the steel industry on three continents, 10 years with carbon steel, 7 years in stainless. Juha Currently leads Outokumpu EvoCarbon which is on a mission to support Outokumpu to meet it’s 42 % CO2 emission reduction target by 2030 profitably.

Hæge Fjellheim is the Head of Carbon Analysis at Veyt, specializing in emissions trading systems and carbon credit market coverage. She focuses on the intersection of climate policy and market dynamics. With over 15 years of experience, she leads a team of experts delivering insights and forecasts across major markets such as the EU ETS, the North American regional markets and the international market for carbon credits. Rooted in political science, Hæge's work equips decision-makers with tools and forecasts to navigate the path toward net-zero. She is a recognized speaker at international carbon market conferences and frequently provides analysis to EU institutions and governments.

Been working in the bioenergy sector since 2014, joining Hawkins Wright in 2017 where she writes and edits Hawkins Wright’s monthly Forest Energy Monitor report and co-authors the quarterly Outlook for Wood Pellets service. She is also a regular contributor to other multi-client and consultancy projects, covering all regions. She presents frequently at industry gatherings.
Rachael holds a biological sciences degree from the University of Leicester.

Global Head of Technical Sales – Gasification

Managing Director at Mann Naturenergie. After completing vocational training as a freight forwarding and logistics specialist and spending several years working abroad in Switzerland and France, Markus Mann studied Business Administration at the German Foreign Trade and Transport Academy (DAV) in Bremen. This was during the time of the First Gulf War, which had a lasting impact on Markus Mann. Motivated by the conviction of “No war for oil,” he became interested in wind energy through visits to Denmark. Since then, both his professional and personal life have been almost entirely dedicated to renewable energy. Project development and engineering activities in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Argentina, and Chile have accompanied Markus Mann since the 2000s.

Fiona is a bioenergy consultant and market analyst with more than fifteen years' experience in the renewable energy industry. She joined Hawkins Wright in 2013 and is now responsible for overseeing the company's bioenergy activities. She is the co-author of Hawkins Wright’s market-leading Outlook for Wood Pellets service and Editor of Forest Energy Monitor. Fiona regularly undertakes consultancy projects for clients in Asia, Europe and North America on topics including wood pellet and biomass markets, sustainability, and energy policy. She has a degree in Physics from the University of York and is an APMP qualified Project Manager.

Håkon Nøstvik is VP Commercial & Business Development at Arbion Industries. Since joining Arbion in 2022, he has worked on scaling the biocarbon industry through new production facilities and long-term partnerships with leading metallurgical companies. Prior to Arbion, Håkon worked as a management consultant, advising industrial companies on strategy, business development and growth. He holds an MSc in Industrial Economics and Technology Management from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Director, Technical & Engineering

Adan Prieto de la Camara, Director of Sustainability and Quality — Knauf GmbH Iberian Peninsula. A Mining and Petroleum Engineer specializing in Oil and Gas Drilling and Exploration, with a Master's degree in Environmental Management and Sustainability, an MBA, and additional training in mining engineering from Newcastle University. He has worked in diverse sectors ranging from research, electromechanical industry, oil and gas, laboratory management, the chemical industry, insulation, auditing, training, integrated management systems, etc. Currently, he is the Head of Sustainability and Quality for Spain and Portugal, where he has spearheaded key milestones such as ISO 50001 Energy Management certification, AENOR Circular Economy certification (the first in the sector to achieve it), and the creation of a patented machine for the circular economy. He works with the entire Knauf team on the development of a biomass power plant at the Knauf facility in Guixers (Lleida), one of the most ambitious industrial decarbonization projects in the Spanish mining and construction sectors, which leverages alternative energy sources to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. Adan, a member of DIRSE and a regular speaker at sustainability and industry conferences, advocates for the idea that sustainability is not a theoretical concept, but an essential practice for ensuring a better and more prosperous future.

Vitalii Protasov is CEO and co-founder of GENA Solutions, a market intelligence provider for renewable and low-carbon fuels and chemicals. He has over 15 years of experience in the chemical and fuels industries, where he has held leadership roles in project management, marketing, strategy, and business development.

Steve started his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Sanofi followed by 2 years at Total in La Defense, Paris. Steve has been working at Arcelor Mittal since 2015 and has been responsible for sourcing liquid fuels for Arcelor Mittal's sites across Europe. Steve has recently moved towards decarbonised sources of alternate fuels such as biomass for the the use in greener steelmaking.

Director

Jakob Way is the CEO of Nordic Bio-Graphite, a Swedish company developing fossil-free graphite from biochar. Built on more than a decade of research, the company is creating a sustainable European graphite supply for batteries, steelmaking, and other industrial applications. Supported by the European Commission and leading industrial partners, Nordic Bio-Graphite aims to reduce import dependence and strengthen critical raw material supply chains. Jakob has over a decade of experience commercializing research-based technology and bringing new technologies to market. He studied Industrial Engineering and Management and was recognized by MIT Technology Review as one of Europe’s Top 35 Innovators.