Boris Atanassov is the founding director of GreenLight Africa, a regional consultancy firm with a base in Mozambique and specializing in energy and environment. He has over 14 years of experience in research, project management and business development. Boris holds a Master of Science from Stockholm University specializing in Energy Transition, focusing Renewable Energy, Bio-energy, Climate Financing and Market Development as well as Social and Environmental Impact Assessment. He has strong experience in developing feasibility studies, market research, policy analysis, institutional capacity building, developing business plans and managing projects within the mentioned fields.

Today we are coming to our final continent in our travels around the world, looking at bioethanol production, policies, and potential, and we are landing in Africa. We are going to have a more personal look at Mozambique, where GreenLight is based, as a representative view of Africa, but we will also hear about the continent as a whole and what bioethanol production and use currently look like. We will hear about countries that have begun implementing bioethanol and what the potential for expansion could look like across transportation and cooking sectors, as well as the three key elements in really helping the industry develop. Join us as we head to Africa to look at clean fuels!

Tony Leiding is the President of Trenton Agri Products LLC in Trenton, Nebraska. Prior to entering the renewable fuels industry, he was a Captain in the United States Army. During his time in the Army, he was a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot and did tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds a degree in Finance from Iowa State University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary, and a Master of Science in Energy Management from the University of Colorado. He is currently the President of Renewable Fuels Nebraska and is a Board Member and serves on the Executive Committee of the Renewable Fuels Association.

Today Tony is going to walk us through what the bioethanol sector looks like in North America. We will get a crash course on bioethanol production at the plant level, and learn about all of the amazing co-products that are also realized through bioethanol production. We will also learn about the volumes produced for the North American market, how much of that stays in the country, how much is exported, and where all of the fuel and co-products ultimately end up. Tony shares his vision for the future of bioethanol in North America and the potential it holds to benefit the rest of the world. During his service in Afghanistan and Iraq, Tony noticed the pollution caused by cooking practices and poor quality fuels and sees a window of opportunity for bioethanol to impact in these areas as well around the world, creating a better quality of life in emerging markets. Join us as we explore the biggest bioethanol market in the world, and the opportunity that comes with those markets.

Johan Ullman started his career at Procter & Gamble SA (Geneva), eventually taking on the role of Global Strategy Owner for Ethanol Sourcing. He then transitioned to the trading side of the market, spending close to a decade in the ethanol trading divisions of Cargill and Bunge. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to play a pivotal role in the establishment of Marquis Energy Global in Singapore, where he presently holds the position of Managing Director and lives with his wife and four children.

In this episode we tackle the enormous continent of Asia, and provide a high level overview of what bioethanol use, demand, and future potential looks like for the industry.  Johan will share the importance of understanding global markets and why it was important for Marquis as an American company to have a location based in Asia.  He will touch on the variety across Asia and what feedstocks are used in different regions, as well as how the use of co-products is different than what we might see in North America. 

We will look at some success stories, including the Philippines, and how they have been able to leverage bioethanol for the transportation industry, and how policies have assisted in creating demand across the continent.  And of course, we will hear about the potential for bioethanol clean cooking and how it could fit into both a rural and urban space in Asia as clean fuels become more widely available.