Meet our EGATEC Committee Members
Programme Committee
The Programme Committee defines the high-level objectives of EGATEC. The small group of selected MARCOGAZ, GERG, DGC, DVGW and Gasunie Members supports creating the focus topics and programme of the conference.
Chairman of the Programme Committee
Manuel Coxe
Secretary General, MARCOGAZ
Manuel Coxe
Secretary General, MARCOGAZ
"EGATEC will provide a great opportunity to the gas industry’s managers and experts and to interested professionals to exchange expertise on priority technical and research topics on conventional and renewable gases. The event will allow creating valuable network to help accelerating the decarbonization of the sector in Europe."
Manuel Coxe is the Secretary General of MARCOGAZ, where he works very closely with the President, the Vice President and the Executive Board members while managing a small-sized secretariat.
With more than 20 years of professional experience in the energy sector, Manuel Coxe held different technical and management positions before joining MARCOGAZ. Manuel worked for European associations and intergovernmental organisations, power utility companies and academia, spanning different countries, including Portugal, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Belgium.
Power and gas systems management, energy policy and energy markets are among his interests and expertise.
His education background includes Energy Systems Engineering, Economics and Business Administration, Management Law and Communication, obtained, respectively, from University of Lisbon in Portugal, Durham University in the UK, Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, Harvard University in the US, and University of Western Ontario in Canada.
Frank Gröschl
Head of Technology and Innovation Management, German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW)
Frank Gröschl
Head of Technology and Innovation Management, German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW)
Frank Gröschl is with DVGW Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches, the GermanTechnical-Scientifical Association on Gas and Water with 3000 member companies, locatedin Bonn, Germany. He has 30 years experience in the energy business. Since 2010 he is Headof Technology and Innovation Management, responsible for the strategic and operative management of the DVGW research program. DVGW promotes gas and energy innovation ina growing renewable and climate neutral energy supply system. To integrate Hydrogen inGermany ́s energy system is a focal point in the actual research and development work ofDVGW.
Frank Gröschl helds two degrees, one in energy engineering and another in economics.
Dr Robert Judd
Secretary General, GERG
Dr Robert Judd
Secretary General, GERG
"The EGATEC Conference, as well as demonstrating the progress made by our industry in rising to the demands of technology and innovation in an era of constant change, is a great showcase for cooperation. Marcogaz and GERG have been strong partners for many decades, and this conference always illustrates how this close cooperation can bear fruit. Marcogaz and GERG occupy subtly but importantly different spaces in the value chain of European Associations. EGATEC allows us to show to our members and the wider community how this synergistic relationship supports the needs of an industry transitioning to a low carbon future."
Over a 30-year career Robert has worked on a diverse portfolio of gas and energy projects, with focus on innovation and driving solutions to emerging industry challenges. Robert worked for over 20 years in the technology arm of the UK gas industry and has managed technical teams and projects in the UK, Europe and worldwide, including extensive experience in Asia. As Secretary General of European Gas Research Group, he manages an Association of 30 major European companies and research organisations, realigning strategic research priorities with Europe’s clean energy agenda while building relationships with stakeholders and policy makers at all levels.
He is leading a number of technical and regulatory initiatives at European level including Roadmap lead (Gas Networks) for Hydrogen Europe’s Strategic Innovation Agenda, convening a European Taskforce on Hydrogen standardisation (CEN /EC) and is managing flagship European Commission projects on hydrogen and biomethane on behalf of GERG. Robert has published extensively on a range of energy technology issues, and has been invited to present a European perspective in several recent international fora.
Robert also recently chaired the Singapore Gas Markets Advisory Panel for their energy regulator (EMA), is a member of the Singapore International Advisory Panel on Energy, and served on EMA’s Gas research expert panel.
Robert has BSc and PhD degrees from London University in Physical Chemistry, worked for 5 years as on Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Cambridge University Chemical Laboratories and is a Chartered Chemical Engineer.
Alexandra Kostereva
Consultant, GERG
Alexandra Kostereva
Consultant, GERG
"Today, all professionals in the energy and gas sector are working in a fast-moving environment and setting themselves ambitious objectives to make our energy system cleaner and more efficient. Communication between R&D, technology providers, standardisation experts, decision makers, etc. is essential to reach those objectives; EGATEC provides this opportunity for meeting experts of the sector and sharing the most recent advances and innovations. We are also very excited to support the voice of the next generation of researchers through this platform, with the organisation of the GERG Young Researchers’ Awards."
Alexandra joined the European Gas Research Group team in 2019, and has since been actively involved in all research activities of the Group, on hydrogen, LNG, biomethane, and methane emissions topics. She has participated in project management and communication strategy implementation for several European-funded projects. In 2020, Alexandra expanded her knowledge of the European Energy system by completing a Blue Book internship at the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission, working on the European Methane Emissions Strategy. She is passionate about innovative solutions for clean Energy, youth participation to strategy debates, and access to science education.
Alexandra has an Engineering (Master’s level) degree from the French Grande Ecole Centrale Lille, with a specialisation in Energy, and a Master’s degree in Economics of Energy from Université Paris-Saclay.
Torben Kvist
VP Projects, Danish Gas Technology Centre (DGC)
Poster Selection Committee
The small group of selected MARCOGAZ and GERG and members evaluates and comments on the poster submissions.
Chairman of the Poster Selection Committee
Dr Murès Zarea
President, GERG
Dr Murès Zarea
President, GERG
"EGATEC has always been a great place to liaise with a wide industry cross-section bringing together several complementary communities: Research & Innovation, technology providers, technical and operational decision makers, etc. Today the gas industry faces more demanding challenges than ever, to adapt the industry towards sustainable contributions to the net zero energy transition. Marcogaz and GERG continue to contribute the technical and scientific perspectives in this increasingly urgent structural evolution. This calls for a highly collaborative approach to accelerate technology market penetration and disseminate corresponding lessons learned throughout the industry and other stakeholders. EGATEC is a critical forum to discuss today all the practical ways for the gas industry to contribute to the energy transition."
During his 30+ years of experience in the gas and energy industry, Murès has contributed from the R&D and innovation side to a large panel of research areas: gas flow, industrial safety, pipeline integrity & inspection, resistance to external interference and natural forces, gas migration in soils, digital platforms for the gas industry, emerging technologies like drones, methane emissions, etc.
These diverse topics were progressed by managing projects and fostering collaboration, in many cases at the international level. Murès continues to hold many leading positions in national & international R&D industry associations and commissions: GERG (European Gas Research Group), EPRG (European Pipeline Research Group), PRCI (Pipeline Research Council Intl.), EASE (EU Association for the Storage of Energy), Scientific Advisory of INERIS (French Research Institute on Industrial Safety). He has participated in many collaborative projects with EU & other public co-funding: IntegRisk, Defender, etc., and lectured in several universities.
Murès holds an Engineering, Master’s and PhD Degrees from Ecole Centrale de Paris / CentraleSupelec (FR).
Dr Frank Graf
Co-Chair of Standing Committee and Board Member, MARCOGAZ
Dr Frank Graf
Co-Chair of Standing Committee and Board Member, MARCOGAZ
"EGATEC is the most important technology driven gas conference in Europe dedicated to research and development, innovation and communication in the European gas industry."
Frank Graf graduated in 2001 from the Technical University of Karlsruhe in Process Engineering and received his PhD from the Technical University of Karlsruhe in 2007.
Since 2005 he is employed at DVGW-EBI: 2005 - 2010 he headed the department Gas Technology Consulting.
Since 2010 he is responsible for the division Gas Technology. Besides, he is head of the group “Physical-chemical fuel processing technologies” at Engler-Bunte-Institute, KIT. His current R&D work at KIT and DVGW focus on the production and utilization of gases from renewable sources. Important research activities in this field are biogas production and upgrading as well as PtG technologies.
Furthermore, he is expert for gas transport and distribution topics like gas quality aspects, injection of renewable gases, odorisation.
He is member of various national and international research and standardization committees.