The Transatlantic Race to Zero Emission – the opportunities and implications of hydrogen on mainstream business

The American Jobs Plan of the Biden Administration and the European Green Deal of the von der Leyen Commission have set the world’s largest economies a path to climate neutrality.

The magnitude of these plans and the reduction of emissions needed are unparalleled and offers both opportunities and challenges for companies active in these markets.

• What (legal) implications should business communities adhere to on both sides of the big pond?
• What are the solutions that (need to) arise from corporate innovations in order to reduce emissions?

Hydrogen

In the energy infrastructure of the future, hydrogen will be a major player…

Takeaways:

• How can hydrogen fuel the energy transition and what are the challenges companies are facing?
• Companies around the worldare transitioning to hydrogen and the demand is growing. Is the hydrogen industry ready?
• The hydrogen chain: how to coordinate the hydrogen supply, demand and infrastructure?

Our panel of experts from Air Liquide, Port of Rotterdam and Houthoff will share recent project knowledge and their insights for European and US companies.

Our Speakers:

HOUTHOFF, The Netherlands

Kirsten Berger, Partner Corporate / M&A

Kirsten specialises in energy law and has extensive experience in the energy and industrial sector. She acts as counsel to various energy companies and industrial companies in respect of projects, transactions, commercial contracts, joint ventures, regulatory and financial matters.

As a true sector specialist she has an extensive track record with respect to:

• • projects and project development including wind parks (onshore and offshore), power plants, gas exploration and production and industrial plants (e.g. steam or hydrogen plants, LNG terminals, pipelines etc.);
  • M&A transactions including controlled auctions for wind parks, interests in offshore gas fields and pipelines, industrial restructurings and private M&A transactions in the sector;
  • commercial contracting including power purchase agreements (including corporate PPA’s), (industrial) gas supply agreements (including natural gas, steam, hydrogen, nitrogen etc.), transport and storage agreements, tolling agreements and refinery gas agreements utilities agreements (including water and heat);
  • joint ventures in relation to wind parks, power plants, upstream gas projects and for innovative projects such as a waste to chemicals project;
  • regulatory matters including connection and transportation issues, third party access, gas quality matters, program responsibility and balancing, CO2 emissions trading, SDE subsidy aspects and EU Energy Regulations;
  • real estate aspects including pipeline issues and lease and ownership aspects.

AIR LIQUIDE, Houston

Gert Jan ten Cate, Vice President, Large Industries, Business Development

Gert Jan holds a Masters of Science in systems engineering and policy analysis management from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
In his role, Gert Jan is responsible for leading all business development activities for Large Industries within the North America (NAM) Cluster. The NAM Cluster includes the Large Industries business as the primary producer of many of our core gas products delivered via pipeline. In addition to our pipeline customers there are customers in the U.S. and Canada that require an onsite presence as well as being an important producer of bulk air gases for our Industrial Merchant business.
From 2007 to 2011, Gert Jan worked for the European utility company E.ON in the field of energy trading and renewable energy project development.
Gert Jan began his career with Air Liquide in 2011 as part of the business development team of Air Liquide Benelux-LI, stationed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2015 he became site manager at Air Liquide’s cogeneration facility in Pergen, a steam cogeneration plant supplying utilities to Shell Netherlands refinery and power to the public grid.
Since 2018, Gert Jan has held the position of Vice President, Large Industries Onsites US where he was responsible for leading growth, operational excellence and safety performance for the LI onsites business serving the metals, mining, chemical and space industries

PORT OF ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands

Nico van Dooren, Director for New Business

As Europe seeks to position itself as a leader in hydrogen technology, the Port of Rotterdam has been busy building infrastructure to overhaul the country’s energy system. Nico van Dooren, Port of Rotterdam Director for New Business Development, is working closely with industry to future-proof the port and support the energy transition.

HOUTHOFF, The Netherlands

Marc van Beuge, Lawyer, Counsel

Marc specialises in energy law and energy and industry projects. He represents energy and industrial companies, their shareholders and larger buyers. Marc is mainly involved in cases in which the production, transportation or supply of electricity, gas or heat, sustainable energy, energy subsidies and emissions trading play a key role. He also represents clients in court and arbitration proceedings concerning energy disputes, the drafting of energy, chemical and waste management contracts, and the identification of regulatory opportunities and risks in energy law, including the Dutch Electricity Act, Gas Act and Heating Supply Act

Brought to you by EACC Texas and EACC Netherlands.

To register, email Catherine Zdziechowski