NZGA Winter Seminar 2024

Reza Agahi

VP Turbo, Nikkiso Expander Application Technology
Nikkiso Green Energy and Industrial Gases

More than 40 years’ experience in turboexpander design, engineering, and application. He has taught in universities in Southern California and has authored more than 45 articles and papers in system engineering, expander applications and energy recovery. Dr. Agahi is the inventor or co-inventor of several Rotoflow expander patents.

Jay Egg

President, Egg Geo

After serving in the US Navy nuclear power field, Jay Egg began a career in mechanical design engineering & contracting. Now, as an expert consultant, Jay sits on several technical code committees internationally; notably the technical committee for the IAPMO Uniform Mechanical Code. Jay serves on the Board of Directors for Geothermal Rising. Jay has co-authored two McGraw-Hill Textbooks focused on geothermal HVAC technologies and continues to write curriculum and lecture on the merits of Clean Heating and Cooling technologies.

Dadan Kusdiana

Secretary General, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resource, Republic of Indonesia

Born on December 29th, 1968, Dr. Dadan Kusdiana currently serves as the Secretary General and Act. Director General of Oil and Gas of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia. He holds a doctoral degree and a master's degree from
Kyoto University, Japan, focusing particularly on biofuel process-technology.

Dr. Kusdiana's career with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources began in 1992. Prior to his current role, he held significant positions including Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Head of Agency of Research and Development Agency for Energy and Mineral Resources, and Senior Advisor to the Minister on the Economic of Natural Resources.

Chelydra Percy

Chief Executive, GNS Science

Chelydra Percy is Chief Executive of GNS Science – Aotearoa New Zealand’s trusted authority on the Earth’s geology, energy, hazards, and risks. GNS generates critical knowledge that is helping to harness, store, and use our geothermal resources to power our nation economically and sustainably into an emission-free future. For over 60 years, GNS has worked with partners here in New Zealand, and in more than 25 countries around to world, to drive global geothermal development.

Chelydra joined GNS Science as Chief Executive in May 2023. She has worked in a range of technology, education, and research organisations throughout her career. In her previous role she served as Group Chief Executive of BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand). Chelydra has prior experience in the CRI sector, having held senior roles at Callaghan Innovation, AgResearch, and Scion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington.

Chelydra believes passionately that the pursuit of knowledge through science is critical to creating a better and more equitable future. She’s proud to lead GNS Science in addressing some of the most critical challenges of our time – achieving long-term energy needs, meeting climate action goals, supporting sustainable and resilient environments, securing freshwater, and enabling industry, innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth.

Glenn Wellington

Manager Market Partnerships, EECA (Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority)

After starting out in the chemical processing industry, and some time working overseas Glenn has worked in the energy sector since 2005 including roles with Meridian Energy, Energy For Industry, Pioneer Energy, and Vector before joining EECA in 2017.

He is Manager of the Market Partnerships team within the Delivery & Partnerships Group at EECA, who are responsible for key industry engagement programmes including the Sector Decarbonisation Programme, the Regional Energy Transition Accelerator, and EECA’s broader industry development relationships.

Glenn has a Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Engineering and has a broad range of experience predominantly in product development and management of solutions for the commercial and industrial sector. His roles have also included experience in waste to energy development, niche energy retail solutions, and energy & carbon management.

Aroha Campbell

Trustee, Tauhara North No.2 Trust

Ko Tahumatua toku tupuna
(Tahumatua is our eponymous ancestor)
Ko Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa te Iwi
(Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa is my tribe)
Ko Ōhaki toku Pa
(Ōhaki Pa is our gathering place)
Ko Kakaramea toku maunga
(Rainbow is my mountain)
Ko Waikato te Awa
(Waikato is my river)
Ko Maraea rāua ko Te Rangi Phillips ōku Matua.
(Maraea and Te Rangi Phillips is my parents)
Ko Aroha Campbell, taku ingoa

Aroha is married to Kevin Campbell, they have four grown children, twelve moko and nine four legged moko.

Aroha is very passionate about leaving a legacy for her whanau, Ōhaki Marae, Ngati Tahu Ngati Whaoa, assisting in community Trusts at a governance level and providing strategic insight, support and advice for community and indigenous groups around the world looking to develop their own geothermal projects or wishing to collaborate with partners on geothermal developments.

Aroha has many geothermal stories to share and this is one that is special!

In 2017 after retiring as Tauhara North No.2 Trust CEO, Aroha was fortunate to be approached to join the Geothermal Next Generation (GNG). fours years later proud to have been part of a special team who created six Māori words to support western scientist to better understand Māori knowledge.

This is the story of Waiwhatu and the Transition to Arawhata.

Ngā mihi
Aroha

Mike Fuge

Chief Executive Officer, Contact Energy

Mike Fuge was appointed CEO in September 2019 and joined Contact in February 2020.

Mike was previously the chief executive of Refining NZ and has a long history in the energy sector, both in New Zealand and internationally. He has previously been the chief executive of global renewable energy owner operator and developer Pacific Hydro in Australia, and held senior roles at Genesis Energy and Royal Dutch Shell Group.

Sadiq Zarrouk

Co-Director, Geothermal Institute - Department of Engineering, University of Auckland

Sadiq J. Zarrouk is an Associate Professor of Geothermal Engineering and the co-director of the Geothermal Institute at the Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Sadiq has extended research and commercial field experience in geothermal and reservoir engineering with more than 28 years of experience in geothermal energy training and research. He was instrumental in restarting the geothermal training programme at the University of Auckland in 2007.

Sadiq has an applied approach to geothermal research with ongoing collaboration and joint publications with several universities and research institutions worldwide, with more than 200 publications in journals and conference proceedings, six patents and two books.

Ellery Peters

Energy Engineer, Horticulture NZ

Ellery Peters is a Chemical and Process Engineer who obtained his minor in Energy Processing Technologies at the University of Canterbury.

After graduating, Ellery began working at McCain Foods in Timaru as an Environmental Graduate, tasked with managing the wastewater treatment system and upgrades to the water treatment system. He then briefly moved to a McCain Foods plant in Australia to work as the wastewater treatment manager before moving back to New Zealand to begin his current role.

Ellery currently works as an Energy Engineer at Vegetables NZ, tasked with supporting the decarbonisation of covered crop growers by providing knowledge and resources so growers can make the best decisions possible. This includes investigating new decarbonising opportunities for growers, including low temperature and high temperature geothermal, which has huge potential for covered cropping applications. This role is supported by EECA and works closely with the EECA team to deliver support to the industry.

John Goodwin

General Manager, Nature's Flame

John is the General Manager of Nature’s Flame, a business that transforms sawmill and forestry residue into a high calorific value product used as a fuel in solid fuel boilers. John has been with Nature’s Flame for the past 17 years and in the forestry industry for 26 years.

Bhawesh Singh

Technical Manager, Stiebel Eltron NZ

Bhawesh Singh is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in Electrical Engineering and Energy Systems. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in Germany before pursuing a Master's degree in Energy Systems.

Bhawesh began his career at Stiebel Eltron Germany in 2014, where he honed his expertise in renewable energy projects, specialising in providing renewable energy solutions across the Baltic, African and Middle Eastern regions. His role involved intricate system integration of small- and large-scale heat pumps with solar photovoltaics and solar thermal system, ensuring sustainable and efficient energy solutions.

In 2019, Bhawesh transitioned to Stiebel Eltron NZ, where he currently serves as the Technical Manager, continuing to lead innovative initiatives in renewable energy design and implementation which includes designing ecologically and economically efficient energy systems for residential and non-residential projects around Aotearoa. Some of the projects he is involved includes Ground Source Heat Pump for simultaneous heating and cooling to achieve higher efficiencies.

Blandina Diamond

Project Director, He Ahi

Blandina is the Project Director for He Ahi on behalf of Te Pae o Waimihia – a Trust that represents the interest of six mana whenua hapū of the Taupō township area. He Ahi is best described as both a Clean Energy Park and an Eco-Business Park being developed on 45 hectares of whenua in a prime location with existing geothermal infrastructure and geothermal heat supply. Blandina is also the Project Manager for the adjacent whenua project, He Tipu – a 25 hectare enterprise park focused on social, environmental and culture ventures that again will be harnessing the power of Clean Energy.

Blandina is the Managing Director of her very own consulting Te Wikitoria Ltd, a consulting and contracting company that delivers support and service for projects, business and governance within both private, commercial or charitable contexts.

Jim Johnston

Chief Executive Officer, CaSil Technologies

Jim is a co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer and Director of CaSil Technologies Ltd. He is the inventor of the CaSil Technology. He has over 40 years’ experience in new materials, products and technology research and development, and progressing them through pilot scale operation to commercialisation working with NZ and international companies. He has extensive experience in silica and silicate chemistry and leads the chemistry and product development and commercialisation programme for the company.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. He has received numerous awards including the Wellingtonian of the Year (Science and Technology), Royal Society of New Zealand Thompson Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology, the 2020 KiwiNet Baldwins Researcher Entrepreneur Award, the 2020 KiwiNet BNZ Supreme Award and TechConnect World Innovation Awards in 2023 and 2024.

Michael Schweig

CTO, CaSil Technologies

Dr Michael Schweig has significant expertise in chemical and process engineering and the CaSil technology, where he led the design, construction and operation of a PLC controlled CaSil pilot plant to successfully demonstrate the technology at this scale for ensuing commercialisation. He is knowledgeable in the engineering and regulatory requirements for geothermal process equipment, and is an expert in CAD, and dynamic flow modelling. He leads the engineering of the pilot scale development and commercial implementation of the CaSil Technology.

Bruce Smith

Co-founder & Director, Tnue Ltd

Bruce Smith is a co-founder of Tnue Limited, the acronym for Total Nutrient Use Efficiency.

Bruce has a farming background, tertiary educated at both Lincoln and Massey Universities and a career in agribusiness. Over the past 10 years he has developed the technology of Control Release Membranes (CRM) and the application of CRM to fertiliser.

The CRM technology considers environmental and operational factors when matching the nutrient release from the fertiliser, so it is in line with the plant’s requirement for optimal growth. Improving the efficiency of the nutrients, provides an important reduction of greenhouse emissions and nitrate leaching when the fertiliser is applied.

To commercialise this technology in New Zealand, Tnue Limited has recently commissioned a new factory using geothermal energy on the He Ahi Clean-Energy Park at Rotokawa Taupō.

Eduardo Bermudez

Senior Manager - Digital Advisory, Worley Consulting

Ed is a Mechanical Engineer with over 20 years of experience in reliability, mechanical, and infrastructure projects across South America, the Middle East, and Australasia. As an industry practitioner, Ed takes a proactive advisory role in catalysing digital transformation across various sectors. His extensive and diverse experience has enabled him to develop innovative engineering, project, and digital solutions in industries such as Forestry, Infrastructure, Ports & Marine, Water Desalination & Power Generation, Oil & Gas, Construction, Mining, and Food & Beverage.

Currently, Ed focuses on leveraging AI and Machine Learning technologies to enhance asset performance and reliability. He is passionate about harnessing the power of digital tools to improve insights for industrial applications, providing sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions. Ed’s work emphasises the importance of bridging the gap between technology and people, ensuring that industries can sustainably capitalise on the benefits of AI/ML for a more efficient and resilient energy future.

Andy Blair

Director of Business & Innovation and Co-founder, Upflow

Andy is the Director of Business and Innovation and Co-founder of Upflow, a geothermal science, research and innovation company that builds expert teams to provide intelligent solutions to global industry.

The nexus between science, business and community is where her expertise sits. She has a deep understanding of the drivers relating to the business of science, and a proven ability to turn scientific ideas into economic and societal gains.

Co-founder (2013) of Women in Geothermal (WING), Andy led the team that grew the organisation from 83 members to over 3300 members in 86 countries worldwide, making it the single largest geothermal association in the world. A not-for-profit organisation, WING has grown into a global movement of people, both men and woman, supporting the empowerment and advancement of women within the industry.

Andy is the Immediate Past President of the International Geothermal Association (Netherlands) and a current Board Member for Global Women; a collaboration of New Zealand's most influential women leaders promoting inclusion and diversity for improved societal and economic growth.

Andy is one of five global winners (and NZ’s first ever winner) of the in the United Nations 2023 WE Empower award. This program elevates and showcases the valuable contribution women entrepreneurs and business leaders can make toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and solving the world’s greatest challenges.

Purchase your copy via this link, and pick it up in the foyer:

Pre-order HERE

If you were unable to raise your question during the Q & A section of the keynote speech, Jay Egg has invited written questions be submitted that he can answer directly at a later date. You can submit your question using the form below.