News

APGA Renewable Gas Symposium 2024 - Speakers

Written by APGA | Feb 5, 2024 12:50:05 AM

The Renewable Gas Symposium aims to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights, and innovations in the rapidly evolving field of renewable gas.

 
APGA is thrilled to announce a diverse lineup of speakers, each bringing a unique perspective and expertise to the symposium. The synergy of your collective knowledge will undoubtedly spark engaging discussions and contribute to the advancement of renewable gas solutions.

 

SPEAKERS

Carina Nixon

Carina Nixon is a Mechanical Engineer at GPA Engineering, specialising in green gas energy projects. She worked on groundbreaking projects, including the design and construction of Australia’s first-ever Direct MCH® Plant and conducting green gas compatibility studies for Type B appliances for government and industry alike.

Joe Oliver

Joe Oliver is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Delorean Corporation, an ASX listed company pioneering Australian bioenergy.  Joe has extensive experience across Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe in the bioenergy sector in leading the development, design, construction and engineering of renewable energy infrastructure. He designed and delivered the award-winning Jandakot Bioenergy Facility in Western Australia and has been at the forefront of change and innovation in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Joe utilises his experience to ensure optimisation of anaerobic digestion assets and technology in a range of global applications.

Jim Richardson

Jim Richardson is General Manager - Renewable Fuels at ATCO Gas Australia. He is a successful business leader and qualified Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in the oil & gas industries, supported by deep technical expertise in regulatory, design, construction and projects. Jim is an accomplished manager delivering engineering and asset management strategies, as well as developing and guiding cross-functional teams.

Jim has led a number of strategic projects during his career including Varanus Is pipeline recommissioning, Tyre recycling with Ultra High pressure jetting and SEA Gas Pipeline project with the most recent one being the Clean Energy Innovation Hub, a microgrid energy management facility with hydrogen production and utilisation.

Jim is a recognised independent expert on pressure certification and pro bono Technical Assessor for the National Association of Testing Authorities.

Robert Davis

Robert Davis is a Senior Engineer specialising in Low Carbon Futures for the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group. He previously worked as an Innovation Engineer for the Australian Hydrogen Centre, and spent close to a decade in various roles at APA Group, finally serving as Head of Network Operations at a national level. In his current role he is focused on ensuring technical and regulatory certainty for the renewable gas transition.

 

Vikram Singh

Vikram Singh leads renewable gas development at the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) – driving the transition of the gas sector towards a zero carbon future. Having delivered the largest renewable hydrogen production facility in Australia, he has been instrumental in developing a pipeline of renewable hydrogen and biomethane projects to blend at least 10% renewable gas into AGIG’s distribution networks. 

Prior to AGIG, Vikram was a partner at Deloitte Access Economics, Australia and specialised in the energy and utilities sector advising leading energy companies and government agencies on strategy and investments, energy policy and decarbonisation. He has also held senior management positions at Singapore Power and Powercor Australia.

Vikram has a bachelors degree in Physics and a MBA. Vikram is on the board of the Australian Hydrogen Council and a member of the Victorian Hydrogen Hub’s Advisory Council.

Jordan McCollum

Jordan is a career gas industry professional, experienced in the commercial, operational and innovation management of technically complex energy supply chains. As National Policy Manager with the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, Jordan seeks to leverage incumbent gas industry experience to drive policy change that enables Australia’s transition towards a renewable gas future. Previous roles include Business Development Manager – Energy for CSIRO; Commercial Advisor for Jemena; and over eight years with Origin Energy.

Brad Sayer

Brad Sayer is an industry leading engineer with over 25 years’ experience designing, operating, and constructing Australian pipelines. Brad has fulfilled a variety of pipeline-related roles since starting out as a metering engineer with AGL Pipelines on WA’s Goldfields Gas Pipeline, including operational, design engineering, and project management roles; being an active member on the ME-038.1 Standards Committee; and playing a key role as Engineering Manager with MacDow on the QCLNG DN1050 pipelines. Brad’s current role is focused on developing the next generation of pipeline engineers, ensuring that the team and industry are ready to embrace the Energy Transition, and includes active projects related to design and construction of hydrogen pipelines.

Russell Godsall

Russell was appointed Executive General Manager, Gas Operations in June 2023, bringing more than three decades of experience in the energy industry.  Prior to his appointment as Executive General Manager, Russell was General Manger Network Operations, and held various other management positions for ATCO, and its predecessor companies, WA Gas Networks and WestNet Energy Services.

Russell has extensive experience working with multiple professional disciplines in the development of strategic initiatives driving transformational business change.  He has a passion for learning and improvement with a team and technology lead innovation focus, and a track record of developing and leading medium to large size high performance teams.

 

Nick Kastelein

Nick Kastelein is a lead mechanical engineer at GPA Engineering, with experience in the Oil and Gas and Pipeline sectors and particularly in hydrogen pipeline assessment and design. He is a member of the AS 2885.1 committee, contributing to the fracture mechanics and stress analysis sections of the standard, and was lead author of the Fracture control code of practice. Nick chairs the Metals Working Group for the Future Fuels CRC. He also represents APGA-RSC on the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) Design Materials and Construction committee. He has spoken about the effects of hydrogen-embrittlement on pipeline metals at multiple international conferences, include the 2022 Technology for Future and Ageing Pipelines (Ghent) and the 2023 Emerging Fuels Symposium (Orlando).

 

 

More speakers to be announced soon, read the full agenda here