A first-of-its-kind conference, Biofuels – Marine Trade and Transport: The Next Maritime Opportunity, will be held May 15 in Greenwich, Conn. This intensive one-day event will focus on the biofuels industry and the marine transport sector.
As the demand for biofuels increases, so does the need to transport raw materials and refined products efficiently and cost effectively. And, that largely means by sea, said Michael Cooper, vice president and director of sales and trading for Ultra Green Energy Services LLC and conference chair for the event. The informational conference will provide unique insight into the global bioenergy industry and how marine transport could evolve into a feasible, long-term panacea over today’s conventional modes of transportation that have vexed the industry for years: truck and rail, Cooper said.
“When we only rely on truck [or rail] transportation it’s the worst because every time somebody touches the product you get a fee,” Cooper said. He is also President of Biofuel Brokers LLC, a Michigan-based marketer of ethanol and biodiesel. “With marine transport, there’s a lot less of that transloading cost per gallon.”
Not only does marine transport reduce the cost to ship biofuels, but it also reduces constant inspection and testing, possibilities of contamination and risk of accidents since biofuels are handled less by ship than by truck or rail, Cooper added.
Ports, terminals and storage issues will be debated in tandem with emerging regulatory framework, pricing and trading mechanisms as well as a look into what the future holds for marine transportation. According to Cooper, this conference will be an excellent networking engine for existing biofuels producers and developers looking to establish relationships within the marine transport sector.
Article Continues After Advertisement
“This is about the long-term development of positive economics for the transport of biofuels, both domestically and internationally, particularly the export of biofuels from the United States,” Cooper said. “This conference is for forward-thinking people who want to move their product around the most cost-effective means possible.”
For more information and registration forms for the conference, visit www.navigateconferences.com/ or e-mail: conferences@navigatepr.com or call +44 20 7369 1656/1650.