Speakers

Topic of Presentation:

Introduction- Environmental Impact Factor for Hydrogen Energy System

Career history:

Kenichiro Ota is a professor and the chairperson of Green Hydrogen Research Center at Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University, Japan. He received his B.S.E. in Applied Chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1968, Master of Eng. from the University of Tokyo in 1970 and Dr. of Eng. from the University of Tokyo in 1973. After graduation he worked at the Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo as a research associate from 1974 to 1979. During that period he was also a research associate at University of Kentucky in USA from 1975 to 1977. In 1979 he moved to Yokohama National University, Faculty of Engineering as an associate professor. He became a professor of Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University in 1995. He became a professor of Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University in 2001. He has worked on hydrogen energy and fuel cell since 1974, working on materials science for fuel cells and water electrolysis. He served as a chairperson of the Industrial Electrolysis Division, the Molten Salt Division and the Energy Technology Division of the Electrochemical Society of Japan. He was the president of the Hydrogen Energy Systems Society of Japan from 2000 to 2008 and the president of the Electrochemical Society of Japan in 2008. He is the chairman of the National Committee for Fuel Cell Standardization and the chairman of the Fuel Cell Development Information Center. He is also a member of the Science Council of Japan and serves as the chairperson of the committee for the supply of renewable energies in the Science Council of Japan.

Areas of expertise:

hydrogen energy system, fuel cells, applied electrochemistry

Topic of Presentation:

DOE's Hydrogen Production and Delivery Strategies

Career history:

Katie has been a Technology Manager with the DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office for over six years managing a wide range of hydrogen production, delivery and storage research and development projects. In addition to project management, her role includes developing and managing Funding Opportunity Announcements. She also serves as the DOE co-chair for the U.S. DRIVE’s Hydrogen Production Technology Team and is currently managing the 11 million H2 Refuel H-prize. Katie received her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at University of Colorado, Boulder. She did her Ph.D. work at Colorado School of Mines focusing on in-depth experimental and modeling studies on the high temperature pyrolysis of C6 hydrocarbons to evaluate the effects of temperature and fuel structure on conversion, H2 production, reactivity, and deposit formation under Solid Oxide Fuel Cell operating conditions. Prior to joining the DOE, Katie worked for Shell Exploration and Production Co. as a petrophysical engineer on a multidisciplinary team in the continued development of a mature Deep Sea Gulf of Mexico oil fields.

Areas of expertise:

Lead Technology Manager for solar-thermochemical (STCH), bio-derived liquid, and microbial biomass conversion hydrogen production pathways

Topic of Presentation:

Overview of hydrogen policy in Japan with special focus on Tokyo Olympics

Career history:

Areas of expertise:

• Business history of Japan notably for utility and energy industry
• Economic evaluation of various energy sources including hydrogen

Topic of Presentation:

Hydrogen Fuel Cel Vehicles: Opportunities for Japan

Career history:

• Francois Venet received an Masters degree in Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique, a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées, and an MBA from the College des Ingénieurs.
• Prior to joining the Air Liquide Group, he was Ingénieur des Ponts et Chaussées. He joined Air Liquide Group in 1988, holding the positions of Development Engineer then Product Manager in Champigny, France. From 1992 to 2002, he held various management positions in Air Liquide's U.S. operations, finishing this period as Senior Vice President, Merchant Business Unit.
• In 2002, he returned to the Group's headquarters in France as Vice President, Acquisitions, Strategy, Operations Control. In 2005, he was appointed Vice President, European Integration and Development, responsible for central European industrial functions. He moved to Frankfurt in 2007 to lead the newly acquired Lurgi Group. In 2011, he was appointed as Vice President, Engineering and Construction, and Chairman of the E&C Committee, supervising all E&C operations for Group. Since 2013, he has served as Group Vice President, Asia Pacific, responsible for operations across this region. In 2014, he was also appointed as a member of the Group’s Executive Committee.

Areas of expertise:

Technologies for the production of Industrial Gases, including H2 and Carbon Monoxide.

Topic of Presentation:

GM's FCEV development: Status and Focus

Career history:

Joined GM in 1996. Involved GM/Suzuki joint vehicle development. Since 2000 working on GM’s fuel cell program, and lead the execution of GM’s fuel cell collaborations with Suzuki, SAIC as well as demonstration programs Japan, China and Korea until 2010. Recently, involved in the GM and Honda fuel cell collaboration program development and execution. Also, handling corporate and brand communications at GM Japan.

Business degree from University of Mainz

Areas of expertise:

Fuel cells, advanced technology, energy strategy, collaboration, communications, public policy

Topic of Presentation:

Future City Kitakyushu's Energy-related Efforts

Career history:

• Kenji Kitahashi was firstly elected as a member of House of Representatives in 1986 since then Kitahashi made his efforts for contributing to policy making for fields of the environment as well as administrative reforms for local governments.
• He was elected as Mayor of Kitakyushu in 2007 after holding various posts in House of Representatives such as Chair of Environmental Committee, Senior Director of Transportation Committee and Head Commissioner of Special Committee for Administrative Reforms.
• Since elected as Mayor of Kitakyushu, Kitahashi has been leading wide range of policies to make Kitakyushu City an environmental future city. Under his strong leadership, Kitakyushu city has been designated several model project implementation places such as Smart Community Creation Project, Strategic Model Area of Offshore Wind Farms and Hydrogen Demonstration Project.
• Kenji Kitahashi has been in a 3rd term since February 2015, he has worked on Local Creation to realize sustainable society in collaboration with the national government in addition to environmental and energy projects.
• Kenji Kitahashi lives in a residential area in Kitakyushu with his wife, their son and dog “Hachi”. Kitahashi enjoys listening to classical music, watching movies and researching ancient history of Japan in his spare time.

Areas of expertise:

Environment, energy, health and welfare and local economy

Topic of Presentation:

Hydrogen – Facilitating an integrated energy system

Career history:

Dr. Hanno Butsch studied environmental planning with focus on technological issues at the UmweltCampus Birkenfeld (Trier University, Germany). He earned his PhD in material science in liaising with Freudenberg Fuel Cell Component Technologies KG from the Technical University of Darmstadt 2012, Germany. Mr. Butsch began his professional career at Freudenberg-Nok General Partnership (FNGP) where he was managing the fuel cell laboratory in Plymouth, MI, USA. In June 2012 he joined the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) and is responsible for International Cooperation including development of intergovernmental and industrial exchange.

Areas of expertise:

• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies in all application areas.
• European and German H2-Infrastructure