What Was Talked About at AshTrans® 2023?

Wow, what an exciting time to be involved in the ash industry, full of challenges and opportunities. 

Conference Schedule

ASHTRANS® 2023 Speakers and Panel Participants

Dr. rer.nat. Stefan Dietz

Mineral Component Manager
Holcim Technology Ltd | www.holcim.com

I started my fly ash journey already during studies at Heidelberg university finishing my PhD on lignite fly ashes. First job at VGB PowerTech also co-working for ECOBA, a European fly ash association. In 1999 move to Holderbank cement in Switzerland consulting the group about optimum use of fly ash and other Mineral Components (MIC) in cement and concrete. Spending 5 years in Innovation Management and Group strategy to get a broader scope to maximize use of MIC.

Today working in Holcim’s Decarbonization department on the next generation of MIC, constantly pushing the boundaries of its use for a low-carbon construction industry to achieving Holcim’s net zero carbon journey targets 2050.

Danny Gray

EMT-Green Cement, Inc. – Executive Vice President – Strategy & Business Operations
ECO Material Technologies and Green Cement Inc. | www.ecomaterial.com

Danny l. Gray serves as Executive Vice President- Strategy & Business Operations-ECO Material Technologies and Green Cement Inc (EMT). EMT is a company dedicated to applying advanced technologies to manufacture low carbon emission cements using natural minerals and coproducts produced during the electricity generation process.

Gray has served executive roles in managing all facets of the coal combustion residual management and beneficial use industry and research and development of materials derived from the energy production process. Key focus has been on industry regulatory policy and compliance, business operations, new product development, marketing, and sales.

Mr. Gray has more than 40 years of experience in the electric utility and coal ash management industries, starting with American Electric Power. He has served in senior executive and ownership roles at three of the largest US based coal ash management companies, and as President of a specialty engineering firm focused on coal ash disposal and material handling systems design.

Mr. Gray was appointed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Moniz and reappointed by DOE Secretary Perry to serve as a member of the National Coal Council (NCC), a Federal Advisory Committee to DOE. Gray served as Chairman for NCC in April 2019- November 2020.

Mr. Gray served on a 2017 EPA Federal Advisory Committee for a Negotiated Rulemaking process for Chemical Data Reporting of recycled inorganic chemical byproducts under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Mr. Gray served on the Board of Directors of the American Coal Council (ACC) from 2012 to 2015 and served as President of the ACC in 2014.

Mr. Gray currently serves on the American Coal Ash Association Board of Directors.

Mr. Gray serves as an Associate Member of the Southern States Energy Board active on the Committee for Clean Coal Energy Policies & Technologies and served as Chairman during 2021-2022.

Mr. Gray has testified before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and various state legislative committees regarding policies and regulation of Coal Combustion Residuals disposal, management, and beneficial use.

Mr. Gray serves on the Editorial Board for the Coal Combustion & Gasification Products Journal published by the University of Kentucky-Center for Applied Energy Research.

Mr. Gray graduated with honors from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a registered professional engineer in multiple states. He is a native of Roanoke VA and currently resides in Marietta, GA.

Mr. Gray holds US Patent 9,873,638 for Synthetic Gypsum Fertilizer Product & Method of Making

Dr.-Ing Hans-Joachim Feuerborn

Secretary General
European Coal Combustion Products Association ECOBA | www.ecoba.com

Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Feuerborn studied Metallurgy and Material Science at Aachen Technical University. In 1986 he started his scientific work at the University Technical University Aachen on reuse of industrial residues in construction products. From 1990 he worked as chief engineer in the department of binder materials (cement, lime, gypsum) and as consultant in ceramics and binder materials and for reuse of industrial residues. 

In 2000 he started his work as adviser for by-products from coal-fired power stations at the department of environmental protection of VGB PowerTech, the European Technical Association for Power and Heat Generation. Furthermore, he is serving as Secretary General for ECOBA, the European Coal Combustion Products Association and since 2015 as secretary of the World-Wide Coal Combustion Products (CCP) Network. He is actively involved in several European and German standardisation committees. 

Nils Jansen

Head of Cementitious Materials
EP Power Minerals | www.eppowerminerals.com/en/

Nils Jansen is Head of the Power plant by-product business unit at EP Power Minerals GmbH. Besides his direct sales responsibilities for Germany and also for global trading activities in the field of SCM, he is also charge for the strategic development of this business unit. 

EP Power Minerals is a German company and the leading service provider for fly ash and gypsum utilization coming from hard coal powered power plants in Northern Europe with a wide network of subsidiaries and partnerships in Europe and Asia 

Before starting his current role Nils Jansen was working multiple years in national and international business development for companies in the energy and construction material sector. Before he graduated from University and holds two Master Degrees. One in political and one in energy economics.

Charles M. Zeynel

Chairman
ZAG International | www.zaginternational.com

Charles is a Founding Partner and currently Chairman of ZAG International Pte Ltd. He formed ZAG International LLC, the current Company’s predecessor, in 2001 following a 25-year career with Union Carbide Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company. A member of the class of 1969 at Lehigh University, he stayed close to his alma mater as an advisor to the President’s Committee (circa 2000-2003), as an Adjunct Professor from 2001 to 2016 where he taught an annual MBA course on Leadership & Start Ups and as a regular guest executive and course instructor at Lehigh’s Iacocca Institute Annual Global Village Program from 2001 to 2018. Mr. Zeynel did his post graduate work at the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International Studies, both in Geneva, Switzerland

Mr. Zeynel launched ZAG in 2001 as a strategic management firm serving the petrochemical industry. Shortly after ZAG’s founding, Mr. Zeynel was engaged by BMI, a US-based firm to lead a global growth strategy for cementitious materials in close concert with the Lafarge Cement Group. He led BMI’s expansion across the USA and across the world setting up a network of international offices. In June 2006, he resigned from BMI to concentrate exclusively on his work with ZAG.

Lawrie Evans

Owner/Director
EmCem Ltd

Lawrie Evans founded EmCem Ltd, a UK-based cement consultancy, in 2014. Lawrie previously worked for more than 40 years at Italcementi, Heracles Cement and Blue Circle in the UK, Greece, the US and Italy across optimisation, management, operations and chemical engineering.

Thomas Duve

Managing Director
MegaBag GmbH | en.mega-bag.com

In 2002 Thomas Duve joined STEAG Entsorgungs GmbH (SEG). He was responsible for strategic relationships and contracts as well as the optimization of logistics.

In April 2006 he was appointed CEO of Powerminerals Limited in the UK.

Thomas Duve, Cementitious Products Director, Europe, joined ZAG in January 2015 and was leading the market development of cementitous materials within Europe and an ambitious export program to the Americas. Additionally, Thomas was responsible for expanding ZAG’s presence in North Europe.

In July 2018 Thomas Duve started working for Robert Müller and supported the acquisition, sales and distribution of cementitious materials.

Since November 2022 he is in a partnership with Bouwstoffen Unie in the Netherlands and the two companies are managing the by-products from the RWE power stations Eemshaven and Gertruidenbeerg.In January 2020 Thomas Duve started the MegaBag GmbH with the objective to develop, produce and distribute a collapsible container for fine powders. After a long development phase full of unforeseen adversities such as the pandemic and the global supply chain crisis the MegaBag is now finished.

Sylvie Doutres

Partner
DsG Consultants | www.dsgconsultants.com

Co-founder and joint-managing director of DsG Consultants since July 2011, Ms Sylvie Doutres has worked as consultant in the port sector for 30 years. After graduating in Economics (Master 1) at Perpignan University, she obtained a Master 2 in International Trade & Logistics for Export. She began working in a Business center at Barcelona (Spain) as International Customers Manager and then joined RDM Consultants (France), in 1992, as consultant for port intelligence surveys and missions. She became managing director of RDM Consultants in 2001, and remained at this position until May 2011. In July 2011, she founded DsG Consultants (France) in partnership with Sophie Robert, also port senior consultant involved in French market.

Specialized in port intelligence, international development, market studies, trade flows monitoring, forecast and analysis, as Senior consultant, she advises private and public companies involved in maritime activities or port projects. She demonstrated an expert knowledge in European and Mediterranean countries port organizations. Involved in the management of several statistics databases, she acquired a good vision of seaborne trade flows and port activity in the Med area, especially for building materials, solid fuels and minerals products. 

DsG Consultants has a recognized knowledge of dry bulk logistics chain and a long-record expertise of cement markets and trade flows in the Mediterranean area.

Jake Barnes-Gott

Director
Hive Aggregates | www.hiveenergy.co.uk

Jake leads the UK based Hive Aggregates business, part of the multinational Hive Energy Group. Hive Aggregates is dedicated to securing resources of industrial by-products and turning them into valuable assets using its internationally renowned land and project development expertise. The current focus is securing large resources of fly ash and developing them to produce, amongst other things, a high-quality cement replacement material.

The Hive Energy Group actually has its origins in the development of solar parks and renewable energy assets, but has since grown to encompass numerous businesses, including Hive Hydrogen, Hive Ammonia, Hive Ventures, Hive Carbon, Hive Ecosystems and, last but not least, Hive Aggregates.

Jake benefits from many years of experience in land and project development, including working on behalf of many large cement and minerals multinationals, renewable energy developers, investment funds, and utility companies. He helped the Hive Energy Group develop some of its first solar park assets over a decade ago, when his relationship with Hive first began. Jake is a project development specialist, known for leading complex and multifaceted projects through challenging consenting regimes and beyond.

Hive Aggregates is on a mission to develop and realise multiple fly ash projects in the UK and across the planet, with a pipeline in the hundreds of millions of tonnes. Hive will be partnering with a variety of companies and technologies to achieve this.

Fazle Azim

CEO & Group Chairman
Peakward | www.peakward.com

Mr. Fazle Azim began his career as a banker in 1973. After spending 17 years in various senior management positions in major western international banks Mr. Azim left the banking career in 1990 to forge his own path in global commodity trading, opening Peakward Enterprises in Hong Kong. The company has grown from its modest beginnings to span worldwide operations, with a physical presence in 8 countries in Asia and Europe. Peakward group also has a shipping company that carries its own group cargo as well as cargo from the open market.

Over the past 33 years, Peakward has built a shining reputation within the cementitious materials industry as a reliable and trustworthy business partner with a strong commitment to maintaining ethical business practices.

Mr. Azim has worked throughout his career to innovate within the industry, trailblazing paths to introduce new products and continuously locating more cost-effective new supply sources to Peakward’s clients. In 2010 Peakward played a pioneering role to bring the Vietnam cement industry to the world export market. Today, Vietnam is the world’s biggest cement and clinker exporting country with annual export volume touching 30 million tons.

Peakward’s strong commitment to corporate social responsibility comes from Mr. Azim’s belief that a business should work for the society in which it operates. A business’s responsibility to society emanates from the fact that it is the society that sustains a business.

Dr. Sirri Uyanik

CEO
ISKEN-TURKEY | www.isken.com

Dr. Sırrı UYANIK studied Economics, Public and Business Administration, Energy and Environmental Economics in Turkey, England and the US. Having formerly worked in the public sector, he has been working with STEAG of Germany and Isken (Iskenderun Enerji is an affiliate of STEAG-Germany) since 2000. He is presently the CEO of the company which owns and operates ISKEN-SUGÖZÜ 1320 MW coal-fired Power Plant, consuming 3,5 millions tons of steam coal annually, one of the biggest of such facility in Turkey. The plant handles more than 300,000 of fly ash too.

He is also Board Member of Electricy Producers Association and member of Energy Business Council of Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. His areas of expertise and interest include coal-fired plant development, Energy Project and Contract Management and Operations , coal economics, energy and environmental economics, Management of regulatory and permitting issues, Governmental, Public and Community Relations and communications in large scale projects.

Scott Coley

Project Sales Manager
Atritor Limited | www.atritor.com

MEng, Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Birmingham, UK.

12 years experience in the bulk materials handling industry.

Specialising in drying and grinding processes, pneumatic conveying systems. Feeding and dosing applications.

Lewis Baker

European Technical Support Manager
Separation Technologies | www.steqtech.com

As European Technical Support Manager for Separation Technologies, Lewis Baker provides engineering support to the company’s fleet of processing plants throughout Europe and Asia, as well as technical aspects of business development.  Lewis joined ST in 2004, initially as plant manager for STs Fly Ash processing facility at Didcot Power Station in the UK, before moving to a wider role in technical support.

Graduating from the University of Wales with a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Lewis has held a number of roles in plant design and commissioning, process engineering, and plant management.