Agenda Overview
Content Delivered by Project Owners, For Project Owners
The EPC show brings together conferences covering LNG Export (Including Engineering & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, and Investment & Finance), Gas Power Generation Engineering & Construction, Nuclear Power Engineering & Construction, Petrochemicals & Refining, and Midstream Engineering & Construction.
The industry leaders at the forefront of projects will show you how to deliver and operate major energy projects successfully in today’s complex environment.
Click to Navigate to Each Track's Speaker List
Plenary Agenda
EPC & OEM Leadership Discussion
EPC Leadership Panel: Delivering & Executing Projects
Execution Excellence: Proven strategies from industry titans on maintaining project timelines and budget integrity in an era of unprecedented demand.
The Workforce & Tech Synergy: Bridging the skilled labor gap by integrating AI-driven project management and modular construction techniques.
Resilient Supply Chains: Navigating long-lead equipment delays and procurement volatility to move projects from “shovel-ready” to “commissioned.”
Moderator: Dan Brouillette, 15th United States Secretary of Energy
Michael McKelvy, CEO, McDermott
Eric Gutierrez, President – Oil, Gas & Chemicals, Kiewit
Mike Alexander, President, Fluor
John Platt, Senior Vice President, Bechtel
OEM Executives Panel Discussion: Navigating Unprecedented Equipment Demand
Taming the Lead-Time Crisis: Strategic insights into managing record-breaking backlogs and prioritizing the delivery of critical equipment.
Scaling for the Surge: How top manufacturers are expanding capacity and leveraging automation to meet the relentless demand for power hardware.
Synchronized Procurement: Building transparent, long-term partnerships between OEMs and developers to de-risk supply chains and ensure project certainty.
Moderator: Tarek Amine, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Bechtel
Clive Nickolay, CEO – Heavy Duty Units, GE Vernova
Bill Newsom, President & CEO, Mitsubishi Power Americas
Dominique Llonch, President & CEO, NIDEC
Ken West, President & CEO, Honeywell Energy & Sustainability Solutions (ESS)
Brandon Spencer, President, Motion Business, ABB
Permitting & Regulation
Permitting & Regulatory Update
The 2026 Deregulation Wave: Navigating the landmark rescission of CEQ regulations and the shift toward streamlined, agency-specific environmental review procedures.
FERC’s Large-Load Mandate: Preparing for the April 2026 deadline on interconnection reform, cluster studies, and the new federal standards for hybrid “load-plus-generation” sites.
Accelerating the “Start” Date: Leveraging the latest EPA “Begin Actual Construction” reforms and expanded categorical exclusions to break ground months ahead of traditional permit cycles.
AI in Energy Projects
AI Solutions to Deliver Next Generation Projects
Generative Engineering: Slashing design-to-groundbreaking cycles by 50% through automated layout optimization and AI-driven simulation.
Predictive Project Controls: Moving from reactive to proactive management by using AI to forecast supply chain bottlenecks and de-risk construction schedules.
The Augmented Workforce: Deploying digital twins and computer vision to enhance site safety, automate quality control, and bridge the skilled labor gap.
David Holmes,GM – Energy, Dell
Laura Leonard, Executive Group Director, Worley Digital
Ahsan Yousufzai, Global Energy Director Subsurface, Nvidia
Hussein Shel, Director – Chief Technologist, Energy and Utility, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Executive Spotlight
Executive Spotlight Interview: Staale Gjervik, President, ExxonMobil Global Projects Company
More details TBC
Executive Spotlight Interview: Heather Remley, President & CEO, BASF Corporation
More details TBC
LNG Export Engineering & Construction Conference Agenda
Exective Perspectives
Leadership Insights: Scaling Tomorrow’s LNG – Innovation, Collaboration and Digital Transformation
- Join senior leaders from Technip Energies and Commonwealth LNG for a candid discussion on what it really takes to deliver an LNG megaproject in today’s market.
- The conversation will explore innovations that are making LNG projects more cost-effective, scalable, and replicable, shifting global LNG demand and supply trends, and LNG’s evolving role in the energy transition.
- Speakers will also discuss how deeper collaboration between EPCs and project owners, combined with advances in digital technologies such as AI, digital twins, and predictive analytics, can unlock new levels of efficiency, transparency, and sustainability across the LNG value chain.
Loic Chapuis, President of Project Delivery & Services, Technip Energies
Tony Eaton, COO, Commonwealth LNG
Host: Robert Scott, Managing Director Americas, Technip Energies
NextDecade & Bechtel Corporation in Conversation
Session details coming soon
Tarik Skeik, COO, NextDecade
Bhupesh Thakkar, SVP & GM – LNG, Bechtel Corporation
Contracting & Partnership
Evolving Contracting & Partnerships in Major LNG Export Projects
Project stakeholders are still searching for flexible, balanced contracting paradigms that distribute commercial risk equitably and sustain competition, while protecting viability and ensuring no party is exposed to excessive risk exposure or cost overruns.
Topics include:
– Evolving models of project delivery
– Breaking up EPC scopes and awarding distinct segments to different contractors
– Impacts of the trend toward consortium & joint ventures
– Bridging the gap between financing & evolving contracting models
– Strategies for appropriately apportioning risk in each model
Moderator: Lee Pardue, Counsel, Golden Pass LNG
Edward Woodland, Deputy Head of Legal, Bechtel Corporation
Mike Pappas, Executive Director, CII
Terra Cothran, Partner, King & Spalding
Brooke Marshall, Senior Counsel, Construction, Sempra Infrastructure
Managing Complexity – Best Practice in LNG Project Coordination and Delivery
As LNG megaprojects grow in scale and intricacy, the success of project delivery hinges on the ability to coordinate multiple contractors, align stakeholder interests, and apply hard-won lessons from previous projects, all while ensuring quality and profitability in an unpredictable environment.
Topics include:
– The impact of complex contracting on owner & EPC teams
– The rise of the ‘integration manager’
– Mitigating interface & accountability issues created by the increasing volume of contractor partnerships
– Strategies for extracting, interpreting, and fulfilling contractual obligations
– Best practice in project delivery & oversight framework to ensure success
Moderator: Krishna Kasturi, VP Innovation & Technology, Schneider Electric
Adam Edmison, VP Project Management, Worley
Robert Scott, MD Americas, Technip Energies
Jim Lewis, VP Operations, McDermott
Bhupesh Thakkar, Senior Vice President – LNG, Bechtel Corporation
Speaker TBC, VP OGC, Kiewit
Modularization & Fabrication
Maximizing Value through LNG Modularization and Fabrication
As global and domestic demand for flexible LNG solutions intensifies, the industry is seeing both mounting opportunity and increased complexity in the deployment of small-scale, modular LNG plants.
Topics include:
How the labor shortages, remote sites, regulatory timelines and accelerated schedules are driving the modularization imperative
Complications created by shifting tariffs & global supply disruptions
The importance of recognising project specific conditions on potential scope & application
Optimum time to start planning start in the project cycle
Aligning the owner, EPC & fabrication yard schedules
Moderator: Michael Kluck, Senior Project Manager – Engineering, KBR
Robert Webber, Project Director – Lake Charles LNG, Energy Transfer
Bruce Beall, SVP EPC Project Delivery, Zachry Group
Prema Suresh, Project Director – Commonwealth LNG, Technip Energies
John Foster, Director of EPC Front-End Services, EXCEL Group
Permitting, Regulations & Legislation
Permitting & Regulation – Clearing the Path for Gulf Coast LNG Export Growth
The new Administration has resumed LNG export license approvals and accelerated federal review timelines, aiming to stimulate American energy independence, but fragmented state vs federal regulations and environmental permitting continue to create complexity and potential bottlenecks for developers. Agencies to include DOE, FERC, USCG, TCEQ, LDEQ & MARAD.
Topics include:
Key updates relevant to the LNG Export community
Efforts to ensure regulatory continuity to enable long-term planning
What more can be done to remove bottlenecks at a Federal & State level
Agency plans to meet the significant volume of demand due to expanded project pipeline
Brittany Kelm, Senior Policy Advisor, National Energy Dominance Council
Catarina Gonzales, Commissioner, TCEQ
Tala Goudarzi, Partner, Torridon Group
Moderator: Charlie Riedl, Executive Director, Center for LNG and Vice President, NGSA
Feedgas Composition
From Wellhead to Liquefaction: Managing Nitrogen in Permian Gas for LNG Exports
Technical & operational challenges – where in the midstream chain is nitrogen best removed?
Commercial & economic dimensions – impact on LNG pricing and contracts, who pays for the nitrogen removal? removing nitrogen vs blending with richer gas?
Strategic and market implications – opps for midstream companies to differentiate with nitrogen solutions
Collaboration & policy – midstream / upstream collaboration, partnership opps and share infrastructure models
Natalie Gayden, SVP – Gas, Enterprise Products Partners
Kris Kindrick, SVP – Commercial, Kinetik
Zach Lee, CEO, ARM Energy
Kevin Blount, CEO, BCCKModerator: William Gurrola, Vice President & General Manager – Port Arthur LNG, Sempra Infrastructure
Supply Chain & Logistics
LNG export project development now faces unprecedented supply chain disruptions, driven by unpredictable tariffs, shifting regulations, and global market volatility. These challenges are also coupled with growing demand from AI and data center construction, intensifying competition for key equipment such as turbomachinery and transformers.
Topics include:
How are OEMs and equipment suppliers addressing surging demand and delivery constraints
How can project owners best interface with the supply chain.
Importance of upfront coordination between project and supply teams
Strategies to hedge risk
The impact on early design choices
Adoption of multi-scenario planning
Assessing supply and contracting alternatives deeper into the project lifecycle
Darya Swaby, Vice President Supply Chain Management, Next Decade
Mauricio Valadares, Global Strategic Sourcing Director, Baker Hughes
LNG Export Operations & Maintenance Conference Agenda
EPC & OEM Leadership Discussion
An Industry Leaders Perspective: Operational Excellence and Reliability Leadership
Topics include:
Strategic leadership for optimizing reliability, asset performance, and operational readiness across multi-train, high-capacity projects.
Navigating the rapidly evolving regulatory, environmental, and supply chain challenges specific to Gulf Coast LNG, including hurricane resilience and emissions management.
Driving cross-functional collaboration to ensure safe, efficient high-volume exports while mitigating risks and maintaining profitability as global market, technology, and stakeholder expectations change.
The role of continuous improvement, innovation, and best practice sharing for long-term operational success in one of the world’s most dynamic LNG regions.
Speaker:
Larry Olsen, CEO, Nexus Global Business Solutions, Inc.
Maintenance Methodologies for LNG Export Facilities – Integrating Reliability, Proactivity, and Asset Performance
Driven by the industry’s need for enhanced reliability, safety, and operational efficiency, LNG export facilities face a critical challenge in developing and implementing robust, integrated maintenance strategies including Asset Performance Management (APM), Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) and Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM).
Topics include:
Building fully integrated maintenance organizations, developing proactive and responsive routines
Real-world approaches for optimizing maintenance costs, improving asset uptime, applying condition-based and risk-based methodologies
Integration of maintenance planning with asset management systems and strategic supplier contracts
How and where to implement digital tools
Speakers Include:
Naveen Garg, Principal Electrical Engineer, Cameron LNG
Fabian Montealegre, Americas Maintenance Consultancy Manager, Wood
Jose Briceno, Materials/Quality Manager, Baker Hughes
Commissioning & Start Up
Comparing Clean Handover and Integration Models in LNG Commissioning and Start-Up
Understanding the operational differences between the clean handover and true integration models during commissioning and start-up.
The potential for hybrid approaches and their benefits
How project-specific challenges, including unique site characteristics and contractual variability, influence the choice and adaptation of handover models
Benefits and challenges of owner/operator staff shadowing versus embedding within EPC teams for daily coordination, troubleshooting, and readiness
Exploring the impact of each approach on schedule, knowledge transfer, safety, and operational reliability as LNG facilities transition from construction to live operation
Speakers Include:
MODERATOR: Sheldon Heinold, Director – Completions, Commissioning & Start up, px Group Americas
Ryan Smith, Maintenance Manager, Golden Pass
Bondili Singh, Commissioning Director, Fluor
Mohamed Abdelhalim, CSU Technical Services Manager, Kiewit
Victor Perez, LNG Engineering & Commissioning Manager, ExxonMobil (Retired)
Feedgas Management
Navigating Unstable Feedgas Composition – Technical and Operational Solutions for LNG Export Facilities
Unstable feedgas composition, particularly rising nitrogen content, declining CO₂ levels and overall leaner gas composition from sources like the Permian Basin, is creating serious operational hurdles for U.S. LNG plants. Facilities face lower efficiency, disruption of existing CO₂ removal systems, and process hazards when methane-rich streams interact with incinerator operations.
Topics include:
Make gas composition issues a central part of project feasibility and technology selection
Liquefaction plants feed gas design basis and pipeline tariff gaps
Impact on process design decisions
Deploying advanced technologies, e.g., NRUs
Strategies for monetizing swing component
Speakers Include:
MODERATOR: Dipanjan Bhattachary, Technology Manager LNG & Gas Processing, Kiewit
Roberto Vara, VP Capital Projects and LNG Technology, Freeport LNG
LNG Export Investment & Project Finance Conference Agenda
Project Finance Keynotes
Capital Markets Meets Concrete: Aligning Financial Strategy with Megaproject Delivery
This keynote speech discusses bridging capital market expectations with large-scale project delivery realities – and then understanding how CFOs can integrate financial strategy with construction execution on multibillion-dollar LNG builds.
Balancing capex discipline with scale and speed
Mitigating construction risk while keeping investors informed
Financial structuring of phased brownfield expansions
Insights into Cheniere’s financial governance model during CCL Stage 3
Zach Davis, Chief Financial Officer, Cheniere Energy
LNG Capital Outlook – Appetite, Models & Risk in a New Era
Global Capital at a Crossroads: Bankability in a Fragmented LNG Market
How geopolitical shifts, election cycles, and cost inflation are influencing investor confidence in LNG projects
The current rotation of capital between gas, renewables, and transitional assets
How ESG scrutiny and disclosure obligations are reshaping risk appetite and debt terms
Which commercial models and revenue structures financiers still consider viable
The outlook for US policy and its impact on permitting, timelines, and foreign capital engagement
Page Dillehunt, Managing Director, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Banking
Chris Buckingham, Managing Director – Infrastructure & Energy Debt Advisory, Evercore
Leopoldo Gomez, Vice President – Global Infrastructure Finance, Citi Corporate & Investment Banking
Mark W. Menezes, Former Deputy Energy Secretary of the United States; President & Chief Executive Officer, United States Energy Association
Securing Off-take Agreements
From Buyer to Partner – What LNG Offtakers Seek from US Sellers
How buyers are redefining “bankable” sellers through transparency, carbon certification, and flexible supply terms
Whether long-term SPAs can coexist with shorter, optional contracts demanded by new buyers
How ESG and decarbonisation commitments are influencing procurement and partnership choices
Emerging models of collaboration between buyers, developers, and financiers to share risk
How regulatory and pricing uncertainty affects buyer confidence and deal momentum
Jeremy Knop, Chief Financial Officer, EQT
Financing LNG in a Shifting Contract Landscape: Structuring Finance for a Post-SPA World
How developers can align debt structures with increasingly flexible or short-term offtake agreements
Evolving lender expectations on credit strength, insurance, and counterparty transparency
Managing capital expenditure and debt service when revenue visibility is uncertain
Using innovative instruments such as blended finance, green bonds, or carbon-linked facilities
Lessons from recent project financings on managing hybrid tolling or merchant exposure
Jonathan Bass, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Argent LNG
Prof. Susan Sakmar, Board Member, Flex LNG (and) Visiting Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center
Jenny Solomon, Vice President – Portfolio Governance & Analysis, Woodside Energy
International Investors & Emerging Markets
Global Capital Meets US LNG – International Investor Perspectives on How Global Investors Are Powering US LNG
What motivates sovereign wealth funds, ECAs, and private equity to back US LNG in today’s market
How structural and legal factors influence cross-border capital deployment
The balance investors are striking between LNG, renewables, and broader energy transition portfolios
How the US government and multilateral agencies are supporting large-scale LNG buildout
How institutional investors assess risk and return in a maturing LNG asset class
George Bilicic, Vice Chairman, Investment Banking & Global Head of Power, Energy & Infrastructure, Lazard
Dr. Ahmed El Sherbiny, Vice President – Energy Transition Fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Unlocking Demand: Financing LNG Exports into Emerging Markets with Risk Constraints
Why credit and guarantee limitations still exclude many emerging market buyers from LNG access
How policy, DOE export rules, and financing criteria shape market entry for non-FTA countries
The role of sovereign backstops, pooled guarantees, and multilateral insurance in reducing risk
Lessons from India, Pakistan, and Sub-Saharan Africa on affordability and access challenges
How blended finance and public-private partnerships can expand bankable demand for US LNG
Nick Eusepi, Senior Vice President – Accounting, Commonwealth LNG
Jarrod Agen, Executive Director, National Energy Dominance Council
Power Generation E&C Conference Agenda
Keynote Project Development Discussions
EPC Leadership Panel: Delivering & Executing Projects
Execution Excellence: Proven strategies from industry titans on maintaining project timelines and budget integrity in an era of unprecedented demand.
The Workforce & Tech Synergy: Bridging the skilled labor gap by integrating AI-driven project management and modular construction techniques.
Resilient Supply Chains: Navigating long-lead equipment delays and procurement volatility to move projects from “shovel-ready” to “commissioned.”
Moderator: Dan Brouillette, 15th United States Secretary of Energy
Michael McKelvy, CEO, McDermott
Eric Gutierrez, President – Oil, Gas & Chemicals, Kiewit
Mike Alexander, President, Fluor
John Platt, Senior Vice President, Bechtel
OEM Executives Panel Discussion: Navigating Unprecedented Equipment Demand
Taming the Lead-Time Crisis: Strategic insights into managing record-breaking backlogs and prioritizing the delivery of critical equipment.
Scaling for the Surge: How top manufacturers are expanding capacity and leveraging automation to meet the relentless demand for power hardware.
Synchronized Procurement: Building transparent, long-term partnerships between OEMs and developers to de-risk supply chains and ensure project certainty.
Moderator: Tarek Amine, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Bechtel
Clive Nickolay, CEO – Heavy Duty Units, GE Vernova
Bill Newsom, President & CEO, Mitsubishi Power Americas
Dominique Llonch, President & CEO, NIDEC
Ken West, President & CEO, Honeywell Energy & Sustainability Solutions (ESS)
Brandon Spencer, President, Motion Business, ABB
Design & Execution and Securing Supplies
Innovation in the Design and Execution Phase to Deliver Gas Power Projects
Modularization and prefabricated construction approaches for different sites and conditions
Digital solutions and automations to accelerate project timelines and solutions
Optimizing behind-the-meter gas projects: Overcoming logistics and installation challenges
Matt Neal, President – North America, Siemens Energy
Mike Katora, Power Market Executive, Zachry Group
Kyle Harris, Vice President – Business Line Manager, Kiewit
Andre Marino, SVP Industrial Automation, Schneider Electric
Matt Pistner, SVP – Generation, NRG Energy
Optimizing the FEED Phase: Power Project Site Selection, Partnerships, and Securing Supplies Early
Site selection, geotechnical engineering, and scheduling: with a rise of power projects set to come online, get the early project planning set out right to ensure effective delivery
Impact of tariffs and global supply shortages on large-scale power projects
Collaboration across multiple projects, states, and regulatory climates to ensure regulations are adhered to, and key equipment is supplied
TBC, Excel USA
Powering Data Centers
Move Fast and Build Projects: Accelerating Power Projects to Serve Data Centers
Structuring power purchase agreements: Design flexible and scalable PPAs that ensure long-term supply security at a predictable price with project developers.
Moving fast: Expedite project timelines by working closely with developers, construction contractors, and streamlining regulatory approvals through strong relationships with all key stakeholders.
Behind-the-meter strategy that benefits all: Ensuring local ratepayers aren’t penalized by surging gas demand from data centers.
(Moderator) Rekha Sharma, Technical Director, GE Vernova
Travis Wright, VP – Energy Utilities, QTS Data Centers
Shelley McCain, VP – Energy Strategy, Align Data Centers
Ghassan Saroor, Director – Power Generation & Transmission, CyrusOne
Shawn Smith, VP – Energy Infrastructure and Integration, Lambda
Accelerating Reliable Power Solutions for AI Infrastructure
Innovative Behind-the-Meter Approach
Engineering Excellence & Scalable Design
Collaborative Execution for Future Growth
Manish Misra, GM Capital Projects, Chevron
Fireside Chat: Collaboration to Power a Multibillion-Dollar Data Center Project
The makings of the project: covering site selection, partnership, and managing power supply
Stakeholder management: presenting the benefits of the projects to the Baton Rouge community, including job opportunities and environmental management
Philip May, CEO, Entergy Louisiana
Getting Projects onto the Grid
Getting Projects onto the Grid Faster and Unlocking New Capacity
Regulators, RTOs, and utilities discuss the ever-increasing load being added to the grid and how this impacts future power projects
Securing your place in the queue and overcoming interconnection challenges
Microgrids and storage solutions to unlock new capacity
(Moderator) Cynthia Kay Niemeyer-Tieskoetter, Policy Advisory – Natural Gas, Power Markets & Trade, API
Moshe Bonder, Director – Origination, National Grid
Alice Jackson, VP – Grids, Breakthrough Energy
George Faatz, Director, Market & Commercial Strategy, Southern Gas Company
ERCOT Presentation: Adapting and Upgrading Texas’s Grid Infrastructure
Demand-side management: How Texas is approaching supercharged load growth
Weatherization and solutions to boost grid efficiency, resilience, and security
Managing grid congestion and interconnection delays as new power plants come online
Woody Rickerson, COO, ERCOT
Nuclear Power Conference Agenda
Day 1: Market Outlook and Regulation & Permitting
KEYNOTE PANEL: Unleashing the potential of the US to become a nuclear powerhouse
What utilities, EPC firms, OEMs, banks and policy makers see as both opportunities, risks and drivers or stallers of nuclear construction
Macro-drivers: energy demand, decarbonisation mandates, infrastructure needs
Utility investment decision timelines: what is required to reach FID in the next 3-5 years
Role of supply chain OEMs and EPCs in enabling cost vs schedule certainty
Perspectives from financiers: how risk perceptions are evolving
Global vs. domestic competition: what lessons from other countries (UK, Canada, Asia) can the USA draw on?
Eric Williams, COO, TerraPower
Aaron Johnson, SVP Nuclear, AECON
Ahmet Tokpinar, VP & GM – Nuclear, Bechtel
Thomas Nixon, SVP Markets & Strategy, Kiewit Nuclear
John Williams, SVP Technical Services & External Affairs, Southern Nuclear Company
PANEL: Regulatory acceleration and alignment: Evolving frameworks to build confidence, consistency, and accelerated nuclear deployment
NRC licensing reform: upcoming rulemakings, Part 53 modernization, and streamlined environmental reviews
Managing regulatory backlogs: understanding the pipeline of approvals and bottlenecks
Harmonizing permitting across state, federal, and tribal jurisdictions between NRC, DOE, FERC, and state regulators to improve consistency and predictability
Supporting innovation: regulatory frameworks for advanced and non-LWR reactor technologies
Creating regulatory certainty through standard contract frameworks for fuel, safety systems, materials compliance and export standards
Harmonizing domestic and international standards to enable scalable design and manufacturing
Managing liability, waste, and long-term stewardship within evolving regulatory models
Leveraging incentives, tax credits, and government programs to accelerate permitting and project delivery
Lessons from the NRC, CNSC, and other global regulators on enabling safe, efficient deployment
Tricia Pridemore, Commissioner, NARUC
Craig Piercy, Chief Executive Officer, American Nuclear Society
Jeff Merrifield, Chair, U.S. Nuclear Industry Council
Roland Backhaus, Senior Counsel – Nuclear, Vistra Corporation
Nicholas McMurray, Managing Director, International and Nuclear Policy, ClearPath
Daniel Womack, Global Lead for Carbon & Energy Policy, Dow
Day 1: Project Spotlights
FIRESIDE CHAT: Delivering today while building tomorrow: How the nuclear sector is moving toward a mixed fleet future
Dawn M Sileo, Executive VP & Chief Nuclear Officer, Energy Northwest
CASE STUDY: Scaling nuclear: Integrating AP1000 Deployment and powering the next-generation digital economy
James Wyble III, Vice President – AP1000 Project Development North America, Westinghouse
Day 2: Design & Innovation and Supply Chain
KEYNOTE PANEL: Mitigating challenges in construction risk and the supply chain via design and innovation
Examining construction innovation including modularization, digital tools, robotics, and AI in EPC workflows to build nuclear supply chain resilience and mitigate project delay risks and construction bottlenecks
Embedding constructability into early-stage design to minimize rework and regulatory delays
Standardizing reactor designs and components to enable replication and reduce FOAK risk
Improving collaboration between owner, EPC, and OEM teams through integrated digital design environments
Applying digital twins and real-time data for project visualization, asset tracking, and performance validation
James Wyble III, Vice President – AP1000 Project Development North America, Westinghouse
Matt Saunders, Supply Chain Management SMR & API1000 Projects, Bechtel Corporation
Phil Zeringue, Chief Revenue Officer, Nuclearn
Matt Hall , Senior Director of Strategic Projects – Nuclear Innovation, Evergy
PANEL: How EPCs, OEMs, utilities, and owners are structuring delivery, contracting and supply chains for North American nuclear builds
Aligning scope, schedules, and constructability with available manufacturing capacity
Evolving EPC and delivery models: better aligning utilities, EPCs and OEMs to improve execution certainty and enable scalable nuclear programmes
Manufacturing, logistics and sourcing strategies: domestic versus international supply chains, nuclear-qualified manufacturing capacity, heavy-lift logistics and coordination of critical components
Workforce availability and execution capability
Performance alignment and long-term partnerships: structuring warranties, incentives and commercial frameworks that support predictable delivery, commissioning and long-term operational performance
Jared Shaffer, Director, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office (TANEO)
Charles O’Connor, Sr. Program Director, Project Long Mott, Energy & Climate, Dow
Day 2: SMR Development
SPOTLIGHTS: SMR deployment in practice; insights from early movers advancing modular reactor construction and commercialization
10 mins spotlight – Nano Nuclear
10 mins spotlight – Aalo Atomics
10 mins spotlight – Natura Resources
PANEL:
Engineering and design hurdles unique to SMRs
Financing and supply chain strategies for first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects
How modularization is reshaping project delivery and timelines
Lessons learned for EPCs and suppliers preparing for scale
Reed Clay, President, Texas Nuclear Alliance
Florent Heidet, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and Head of Reactor Development, Nano Nuclear
Brad Tomer, Director, Chief Operating Officer, National Reactor Innovation Center / Idaho, National Laboratory
Day 2: Project Finance
PANEL: Next-gen bankability and risk-sharing models for nuclear projects – How investors, utilities, and EPCs can structure viable funding for first-of-a-kind and early commercial projects
Funding mechanisms driving market momentum; tax credits, DOE loan guarantees, and public-private risk sharing
What financiers want: stable offtake, predictable cash flow, and regulatory clarity vs what they see as barriers
Capital stack structures and evolving approaches to risk allocation
Making nuclear projects bankable: lessons from early-stage deals
Innovative offtake models for industrial and grid customers
Overcoming capital-raising challenges for FOAK deployments
Ryan Nielson, VP Investment Banking, Clean Energy Transition, Citi
Matt Kittel, Director, Societe Generale
Maheep Madloi, Director, Mizuho Bank
Gary Greenblatt, Vice Chairman, Marathon Capital
Jay Jiang Yu, Founder, Executive Chairman, and President, Nano Nuclear
Petrochemical & Refining Conference Agenda
Keynote Project Development Discussions
Capital, projects & the path ahead
Senior executives will share how their organisations are shaping the next chapter of petrochemicals and refining through strategic investments and innovation. From modernising existing facilities to delivering new mega-projects and embedding sustainability, this discussion will explore how operators are directing capital to enhance resilience, competitiveness, and long-term growth.
Identifying landmark projects and facility enhancements that are setting new benchmarks for the industry
Where are companies focusing capital today: Integration, decarbonisation, advanced recycling, new product streams?
Embedding sustainability and innovation into capital programmes and operational upgrades
How do senior leaders balance near-term performance with transformative long-term investments
Gulay Serhatkulu, Senior Vice President, BASF Petrochemicals
Heidi Hurst, Vice President, Toledo Refinery, Cenovus Energy
Petrochemicals & Refining Outlook: Profitability in a Volatile World
The petrochemicals and refining sector is navigating a period of reduced profitability and shifting demand patterns. While profitability is under pressure, operators are adapting with new approaches to investment, portfolio mix, and operating models. This session will examine the forces reshaping the market and the strategies companies are using to build resilience and position for sustainable returns in the years ahead.
Global demand trends and the impact of China’s capacity growth.
The role of tariffs and trade in shaping the outlook.
How companies define and pursue “sustainable profitability.”
Ricardo Castillo, Director – Head of Americas Petrochemical Feedstocks, S&P Global Commodity Insights
Capital Costs & Decarbonization
Case Study: Mega-Project Delivery Under Constraint — Lessons from LyondellBasell
Managing supply-chain and labour bottlenecks without slipping the critical path
Linking real-time cost and schedule controls to decision-making and contractor performance
Using digital tools/AWP/digital twins to improve visibility and field productivity
Brownfield realities in operating facilities: safety, SIMops, and governance that works
Gonzalo Estrada, Director, Project Development Americas, Global Projects, LyondellBasell
Capital projects: Cost control vs. cost accounting
Many companies still blur the line between accounting and true cost control. This discussion would highlight how project teams can track costs in real time, link scheduling impacts to budgets, and build effective breakdown structures that feed into financial systems. With budgets under pressure and projects often set on partial or recurring scope, strong project controls are critical to avoiding overruns.
Lifecycle cost control versus after-the-fact reporting
Aligning project controls with contractor invoicing and manpower tracking
Gate-marking mechanisms that keep spend aligned with milestones
Courtney Olson, Project Support and Transformation Manager, CP Chem
Steve Cabano, President, Pathfinders (Moderator)
Pathways to a Low-Carbon Future: Decarbonisation
Petrochemical and refining operators are playing a central role in advancing the energy transition. By embedding low-carbon solutions into design, operations, and supply chains, companies are finding new ways to enhance sustainability while maintaining competitiveness. This fireside chat will highlight how industry leaders are rethinking asset design, collaborating with partners, and applying next-generation technologies to drive meaningful progress on decarbonisation.
Transitioning refining and petrochemical processes to support a low-carbon future
Designing facilities with decarbonisation built in from the outset
Working with EPCs, vendors, and suppliers to reduce emissions across the value chain
Unlocking efficiency and sustainability gains through advanced technologies such as furnaces, dual-fuel power systems, and carbon capture
Managing grid congestion and interconnection delays as new power plants come online
Managing Operational Expenditure and Turnarounds
Panel: Shaping the future of operational performance
With margins under sustained pressure, operators are being asked to deliver the same or better output with fewer resources. This discussion will look at how companies are aligning project execution with long-term operational performance, embedding efficiency into daily operations, and using digital tools to support smarter, leaner decision-making.
Linking capital project delivery to operational performance over the asset lifecycle.
How companies are streamlining operations to lower cost without compromising reliability
The role of AI, predictive analytics, and real-time data in supporting efficiency and decision-making
John Irvine, Senior Project Manager and Global Expert Partner, Global Operational Excellence Center – Dow Chemical
Philip Ovanessians, Transformation Director and Mega Projects Contracts and Supply Chain, Eastman Chemicals
Kash Mohammed Vice President, Technology, IntelliSPEC
Integrating operations and projects for turnaround success
Turnarounds remain one of the most complex and high-stakes activities in the sector, with scope decisions, contractor availability, and budget pressures often creating friction between project and operations teams. Yet when integration happens early and effectively, turnarounds become opportunities to improve readiness, reliability, and long-term performance. This panel will highlight how operators are embedding operations input from the start, leveraging subject matter expertise, and applying digital tools to deliver smoother, safer, and more cost-effective turnarounds.
Ensuring operations input is factored into turnaround planning and scheduling
Exploring the role of subject matter experts in bridging turnaround and ops teams
Using digital tools and real-time updates to improve execution readiness
Unlocking opportunities to enhance safety, reliability, and cost performance through stronger integration
Alexander Markos, Director of Site Operations, Shell Polymers
Robin Harris, Manager – Maintenance/TA Project Controls, Total Energies
Joshua Tauber, Senior Director Turnarounds, Delek US
Matt Provenzano, Major Maintenance & Construction Manager, PEMEX
Digitalizing Petrochemicals & Refining
Case Study: Digital Twin in Action
A practical example of deploying digital twin technology across a refinery or petrochemical facility to improve turnaround planning, operator training, or lifecycle asset management.
Panel: Getting digital right in petrochemicals & refining
For operators under mounting cost pressure, the challenge is not adopting every new tool, but choosing the technologies that truly enhance operations and generate measurable returns. This panel will focus on where digital twins, AI, and advanced operational technologies are proving their worth and how leaders can ensure that investments deliver value rather than complexity.
Predictive maintenance and reliability improvements through AI
Real-time data tools that improve operational decision-making
The role of digital twins in improving planning, execution, and lifecycle performance
Proven case studies showing return on digital investments
Ido Biger EVP, Chief Technology & Data Officer, Delek US
Ram Seetepalli, Director, Data Analytics & AI, Digital Enablement, Motiva
Julie Thyne, Global Improvement Director, Dow Chemicals
Krishnan Sankaranarayanan, Director of Digital Transformation, SABIC
Ammar Sabbagh, Vice President of Industry and Partnership – Energy, Ericsson
Moderator: Raj Rapaka, Transformation Enablement Advisor, Strategy & Innovation, ExxonMobil
Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Driving SAF projects to FID: Technology choices, policy certainty & real-world execution
Aligning commercial strategy with evolving SAF policy: navigating U.S. 45Z, EU mandates, UK incentives, and global funding programmes
Evaluating technology pathways with confidence: HEFA, FT, ATJ, gasification, pyrolysis, and methanol-to-jet — what operators actually need from licensors
Understanding the new standard for airline due diligence: proving feedstock security, technology readiness, and credible pathways to FEED/FID
FID countdown: assessing which SAF projects are actually progressing and what must change to meet 2030/2035 targets
William Moore, CEO, Summit Next Gen
Moderator: Alison Graab, Executive Director, The SAF Coalition
Beyond aviation: How cross-sector offtakers will shape the next decade of alternative fuels
Understanding the multi-sector demand picture: aviation, shipping, freight, fertilisers, agriculture, logistics and heavy-duty transport
How large offtakers are evaluating alternative fuels: SAF, renewable diesel, e-methanol, bio-methanol, renewable ammonia, hydrogen-derived fuels
Competing for limited supply: will aviation dominate SAF markets, or will shipping/agriculture redirect early production capacity?
Cost realities vs decarbonisation commitments: how off-takers justify premium fuels internally and externally
Cross-sector offtake strategies: long-term contracts, co-investment models, JV structures and co-development of plants
Feedstock conflicts: aviation vs shipping vs agri—how buyers weigh sustainability criteria, availability and land-use pressures
Michael Fulton, Chief SAF Guy, FedEx
Paula Wagner, Head of SAF Sales, Americas, Neste
Speaker name TBC, Lanzajet
Chelsea Lamar, VP Global Sustainability, AIT Worldwide Logistics
Brian Owens, Vice President of Renewable Feedstock, St Bernard Renewables
Moderator: Paul Belin, Principal, Consulting & Analytics, Argus Media
Midstream E&C Agenda
Keynote Discussions
Keynote Panel: Executing Midstream Projects in a High-Cost, High-Risk Environment
Practical strategies to handle inflationary pressures and tariff impacts
Speed-to-market project models: Structuring projects to bypass permitting bottlenecks
Timeline and cost impact of modular construction and prefabrication
Understanding current progressive design-build trends and implications for project delivery
Stephanie Wilson, Managing Director – Midstream Operations, Phillips 66
Senior Executive, Howard Energy Partners
Keynote Fireside Chat: How EPCs and Operators Align on Risk, Cost, and Execution
Contract Strategy: Navigating lump-sum vs. cost-plus agreements, aligning incentives, and managing risk exposure
Protecting project economics while maintaining agility for late design or scope changes
Leveraging local knowledge to reduce risk and improve project outcomes
How is current growth impacting your strategy to lock in contractors for 2027 and 2028?
Joseph Versnel, VP – Midstream, Kiewit
Eric Ormond, SVP – Project Execution, Williams
Permitting & Regulation
Panel: Permitting, Policy & Regulatory Alignment – Ensuring Regulation Meets Ambition
How can industry and regulators work together to streamline FERC, NEPA, and state-level reviews while maintaining robust environmental safeguards?
Identifying practical approaches to reduce regional disparities and harmonize permitting requirements
How can more regulatory predictability be provided for long-term investments against the pendulum swing from one administration to another?
Addressing the unique permitting needs of CO₂ and hydrogen pipelines
Robert Smith, VP Regulatory Affairs, Cheniere Energy
Elise Krekorian, Executive Branch & Federal Regulatory Affairs Director, Williams
Karl Augustus, Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Woodside Energy
Interview: Stakeholder Engagement as a Critical Path to Permitting Success
Early Engagement Strategy: Structuring outreach programs from pre-FERC filing through construction
Integrating engineering design considerations into community discussions
Aligning with regulators to streamline reviews, avoid rework, and reduce the risk of litigation or permit delays
Using data-driven visualizations to address public concerns and improve stakeholder trust
Ramon Watkins, Director of Community Projects and Outreach, Williams
Midstream Market Outlook: Pipeline Project Overview
Darryl Rogers, Global Head NGLs, S&P Global Energy
Low Carbon Infrastructure & Water Management
Panel: Scaling CO₂ Infrastructure: From Early Projects to Industry-Wide Buildout
Design and execution considerations unique to CO₂ pipelines — pressure control, materials selection, compression, and monitoring
Managing community perception, safety planning, and emergency response protocols for CO₂ transport assets
Navigating an uncertain policy landscape, building offtake partnerships, and creating a viable business model for CCUS projects
What operators, EPCs, and regulators need to do now to enable rapid buildout in the next decade
Zach Liu, Director, CCUS Subsurface, Harvestone Low Carbon Partners
Marco Gutierrez, Project Director, Gulf Companies
Siddh Parekh, Lead Process Engineer, Energy Transfer
Richard Stewart, Senior Vice President, CCS, Crescent Midstream
Charles McConnell, Executive Director, Carbon Management and Energy Sustainability, University of Houston
Fireside Chat: Water Management as the Next Midstream Growth Engine
Exploring how gathering and disposal bottlenecks are impacting Permian and other basin development
What treatment, recycling, and blending technologies are proving most effective, and which are most economically viable to scale?
How to monetize water management and build it into midstream business models
Moderator: Anne Keller, Managing Director, Midstream Advisory
Laura Capper, Principal, Energy Makers Advisory Group
Project Acceleration, Safety & Reliability
Panel: Strategic Shifts in Midstream: Project Acceleration, M&A, and Asset Offloading
How consolidation affects project timelines: What happens to FEED, approvals, and execution when ownership changes mid-stream?
How do operators determine which assets to expand, shelve, divest, or retrofit and what does this mean for engineering and construction pipelines.
The rise of nimble players: How are smaller operators acquiring “non-core” assets and using faster decision cycles to build value through targeted brownfield and small-scale greenfield projects.
M&A and its impact on project execution models: Standardisation, contractor frameworks, digital integration, and unified project controls.
What does industry consolidation means for capacity, tariffs, and long-term infrastructure planning
Andy Strenkowski, Director, New Business Ventures and Capital Strategy, Western Midstream
Ben Berkowitz, Founder and Managing Director, Enable Capital Partners
Midstream Safety Fireside Chat
Details TBC
Dr. Rayni Walia, PhD, Global Head of OSR Consulting, Senior Vice President, DEKRA
Ryan Sanford, Vice President, Strategic Consulting, DEKRA
Designing & Executing for Integrity – The Next Generation of Midstream Reliability
How to integrate inspection readiness, material selection, and coating specifications into FEED and EPC phases to minimize lifecycle risk
Leveraging early baseline runs, high-resolution inline inspection tools and data to detect threats sooner and act faster
Challenges and opportunities to standardize specifications across projects, geographies and regulatory areas
Luke Skaarup, Director – Pipeline Integrity Programs and Engineering, Enbridge
Grant Rubie, Director – Pipeline Programs Execution, Enbridge