Conference programme highlights
Among the many high calibre speakers confirmed for the virtual symposium are: Martin Baxter, executive director of policy at IEMA, who will open ‘The Carbon Crisis’ session with ‘Making the transition to a low-carbon future’; and Jane Lindsay-Green, an energy-transition specialist from Shell International, who will demonstrate the transforming landscape with ‘Responding to changing energy needs: the pathway to decarbonization in construction and cement’.
Complementing the climate change theme, Tim Burnhope, JCB’s chief innovation officer, will feature in the ‘Time to Flick the Switch’ session. Mr Burnhope will explain how innovative near-zero-emission diesel engines and groundbreaking electric and hydrogen technologies can help accelerate the roadmap to zero emissions.
During the ‘Making Modern Materials’ session which closes the Decarbonization stream, among the speakers taking part will be John Shields, owner and group energy director of Longcliffe Quarries, who has set the ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2027 and will present ‘Calcium Carbonates without the Carbon’.
Opening the Digitalization stream, Avi Nowitz and Eitan Vesely of SKF will contribute to the ‘Removing the Human factor’ session by providing a unique insight into ‘Automated Machine Learning’ through SKF’s Enlight AI solution.
Robert Whetstone, vice-president of Martin Engineering, will join Valeria Zimenkoya to explore ‘The challenges of creating win-win business models with IoT solutions’ in the ‘Intelligent Plant Control’ session.
Meanwhile, Dr Liam Bermingham of EPC-UK will present in the ‘Evolution at the Interface’ session and explore how a digital quarry, alongside mobile plant telematic systems, can make a significant impact on productivity, effectiveness, and safety – as well as cost savings in the blasting process.
The Infrastructure stream will look at the impact of HS2 on the minerals extractive industry. The Tarmac team of Rob Gossling, head of commercial engineering; Graham Cooper, lime director; and Robert Lane, HS2 general manager, will explore the project’s commitment to more sustainable construction with ‘Facing the Challenges of HS2’ and ‘HS2 Raising the Bar’.
The latest technologies transforming road construction will also be discussed with Marcus Wiksten of Topcon Positioning Group using the Nordøyvegen project – an impressive civil engineering scheme connecting five islands off the coast of Norway – as a case study on ‘how to win the bid for Infrastructure Projects’.