Dr. Roland Roesch
Senior Programme Officer
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Dr. Roland Roesch is Senior Programme Officer – RE Markets and Technology Dialogue at International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Professor for Energy Economics at the University of Darmstadt. Before Roland became in October 2010 a Professor he worked for 15 years in the Oil&Gas and Utilities Industry for Shell and E.ON in his last position as General Manager Power at Shell and for E.ON as Head of Division, Project Leader, Project Executive and Technical Project Developer. Before he joined E.ON he worked as Energy Market Consultant for Lahmeyer International and as researcher for renewable energies. Roland has solid business experience in energy markets, energy economics and energy strategies, renewable integration management, energy project development and project financing. He currently leads amongst other the IRENA Renewable Energy Project Development activities known as IRENA Project Navigator, IRENAs work related to Renewable Energy Technology Innovation and the work to identify the energy sector transformation needs of islands (Quickscans).

Prof. Dr. N. El Bassam
Scientific Director, IFEED
Germany

Prof. Dr. Nasir El Bassam is a Director of the International Research Centre for Renewable Energy (IFEED), Sievershausen, Germany. He has BSc, MSc, and a PhD in Chemistry, from the University of Bonn, Germany 1967. The centre has established 2 Branches: 1. Indian IFEED: Manav Institute of Technology, Hisar. India 2. USA-IFEED: Columbus, Ohio USA Responsibilities: Overall coordination of the IFEED activities in the field of research, education, training, transfers of technologies and co-operation with national and international organizations. Integration and application of renewable energy resources available in various regions for electricity, water and food supply. Development of renewable energy management strategies. Implementing of Solar Desert Oases. Integration and application of all renewable energy resources available in various regions for electricity, water and food supply and development of renewable energy management strategies. Promoting the development of Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSP) in cooperation with German Aerospace Centre (DLR), and German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature and Nuclear Safety, Berlin: He served in several committees and has been board member WCTE. He is EU adviser & Chairman of working group SREN, FAO. Prof El Bassam, is a recipient of WREN Pioneer award and a award in science and technology for a Sustainable Rural Development of Energy and Water Supply from Chinese Science Academy. He published and contributed papers in several books and journals.

Robert LeRoux
Primary Plant Specialist
ESB International

Robert le Roux is an Electrical Engineer with a range of engineering skills and practical experience obtained internationally. He joined ESB Engineering and Major Projects as a Resident Engineer in 2010 and is presently an Electrical Engineer and Consultant with the ESB Engineering and Major Projects Primary Plant team. Mr. le Roux has a track record working on large‐scale Power Plant and Civil Engineering projects. His experience spans all aspects of the project life cycle from design through to construction and operation. He has worked on projects for ESB Engineering and Major Projects in Ireland and Bahrain. As part of his role, Mr. le Roux is responsible for specification writing for Primary Plant equipment, Technical Tender evaluation and also to assist ESB Networks with problem solving on HV equipment related problems.

Riccardo Maina
Laboratory Manager
Sea Marconi , Italy

Riccardo Maina, Born in Turin (Italy) on April 7, 1971 from a family of chemists, took the degree magna cum laude in analytical chemistry on 1996, with a thesis on «Metal ions azo-sulphonated complexes separation by liquid chromatography, amperometric detection». After being recognized of the Optime student award by Turin’s industrial Association, he began to work in the R&D department of a private Company in the application field of surface treatment, acquiring competences on polymers, alloys, plastic and metal moulding, pigments, electrolytic and chemical deposition. Married with Maria Concetta on 1999, he has a son born on 2005. Since 2001 Riccardo Maina works for Sea Marconi Technologies, an Italian Company leader in diagnostic and maintenance of insulating liquids. As Laboratory Manager of Sea Marconi he developed new analytical methods for oil analysis, diagnostic and decisional algorithms for test interpretation, software for data mining and LCA. He’s member of Italian IEC TC10 National Committee since 2002, and is actively participating to several WGs and MT of IEC TC10 and Cigre SC D1 and A2, dealing with analytical methods (particles, DGA, acidity, additives, metals), maintenance guides, guides for interpretation and diagnostic (oil degradation, DGA, thermal life of cellulose, copper sulphide related failures, corrosive sulphur in oil). Riccardo Maina is author of papers on diagnostic, transformers LCA, corrosive sulphur. He experienced investigations on failed transformers and reactors, due to corrosive sulphur and copper sulphide deposition, from Europe, Middle East, South America, and Asia-Pacific. Expert in software and data-management, he developed A.I. protocols for automated diagnostic and Health Index evaluation, based on fuzzy-logic and neural networks. He is main teacher in training courses on oil analysis, transformer diagnostic and insulating materials degradation mechanisms in Italian, English and French.

Michael Lukas
Senior Expert Technical Service Power Plants
LEAG

Michael Lukas Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG / Germany – Senior Expert Transformers – Scientific Background Dipl.-Ing. Mechatronics (WA), Dresden University of Applied Science – Electrical Engineering, Academy of Engineering Senftenberg Professional Background 38 years at Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG Electrician in operational services / Head of electrical and control technology in operational services / Senior Expert Transformers

Aurel Mindrican
Trade Development Manager
CEZ Trade Romania

Aurel Mindrican   is Trade Development Manager at CEZ with a license degree in Hydroelectric and environment and a master in Optimization of Hydro Power Plants operation of Universitatea Politehnica Bucurecti, Romania. Founding member and member of the AFEER and board directory of electricity suppliers association in Romania between 2006-2008. After 5 successfully years as senior engineer in Hidroelectrica (the biggest power producer in Romania) contributing to the start of Electricity Market in Romania took the position of Trading Director in Romelectro on of the top 5 trading company in Romania. From 2008 is Trade Development Manager in CEZ Trade Romania and from 2016 also Trading Manager in Ovidiu Development (CEZ Wind farm).

Carla Cotas
Postdoctoral fellow at Faculty of Engineering
University of Porto

Carla Cotas graduated in Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) in 2008. Between 2008 and 2011 she developed research at the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering of the University of Coimbra in the area of Computational Fluid Dynamics. In 2011 she started her doctoral studies in Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering of the University of Coimbra, where in 2016 she obtained her degree of Ph.D. in the area of Modelling of Fiber Suspensions Flow in Pipes. In 2016 she started her Post-Doc in LSRE-LCM.

Brian Evans-Mongeon
President and CEO
Utility Services

Brian Evans-Mongeon has over thirty years of experience in the electrical utility business working for both Green Mountain Power corporation as a power operations & administration manager and Vermont Public Power supply authority as a marketing services manager. As the president and CEO of Utility Services, he is responsible for oversight of constituent’s ERO compliance and monitoring, ISO & NEPOOL markets, and renewable energy trading and associated activities. Brian has an associate degree in electric/electronic technology from Vermont Technical College and a B. S. in business administration from the University of Vermont. He currently serves as the Chair of the NERC Planning Committee representing the electric grid in North America.

John Lapworth
Senior Principal Engineer
Doble Engineering Company

John Lapworth After graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in Physics, he started working in the Electricity Supply Industry in 1975, specialising in diagnostics for transformers, and since 2012 has worked for Doble Engineering on condition assessment of transformers and failure investigations. He has published many technical papers on the subject and has been an active member of several CIGRE A2 (Transformers) Working Groups.

Luca Lombini
Technical Director
Tamini Trasformatori S.r.l.

Luca Lombini is the Technical Manager of Tamini Trasformatori in Milano, Italy. In Tamini he had previously held positions of head of the electrical design engineering and responsible for the testing department. Graduated in Electrical Engineering from University of Bologna, he is in the transformers industry since 2005. Among his experiences also the role of transformers expert at Weidmann Electrical Technologies (CH). Besides common power transformers, he is involved in the engineering and testing process of special types of oil immersed applications, such as Phase Shifter, Shunt Reactors, transformers for Furnace and Rectifier plants. In the last years he has gained experience in the application of natural esters in high voltage large power transformers, culminated in the construction of several 420 kV and 245 kV autotransformers.

Dr. Attila Gyore
Senior Applications Engineer
MIDEL

Attila Gyore is Senior Applications Engineer for MIDEL dielectric fluids.  As an expert in ester liquids he actively supports customers throughout the world to assist them with the adoption of MIDEL liquids, as well as being actively involved in IEC, IEEE and Cigré groups. Prior to joining M&I Materials in 2012 Attila held the position of Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE) and spent time with CG Power as a transformer active part designer. Attila holds a PhD from BUTE with a focus on superconducting transformers.

Mark R. Warren
European Representative
Unifin International

Mark Warren is the European Representative of UNIFIN International and CARDINAL Pumps. Mark has been working in the Energy industry since 1984 with a special focus on cooling since 1998 when he was a buyer of transformer coolers for the Japanese market and subsequently worked for Heat Exchange Industries in United Kingdom and then UNIFIN International in Canada, since 2004. UNIFIN is the premier manufacturer of transformer oil coolers in North America and Mark has been supplying cooling systems and transformer oil pumps to European customers for more than 20 years. He is familiar with the design parameters that need to be taken into consideration as well as the cooler and pump design and construction features that need to be properly considered and evaluated. 

Erika Wilson
Managing Director
Wilson Power Solutions Limited

Erika Wilson is joint Managing Director of Leeds based transformer manufacturer Wilson Power Solutions. With a wealth of experience in both power engineering and business development, Erika is a regular speaker at leading industry events and member of the board of Beama, a principal trade organisation representing manufacturers of electrical infrastructure products. Having joined the family company straight after school in July 1997, Erika started her career on the shop floor tasked with overhauling transformers and switchgear and manufacturing battery tripping units. During her apprenticeship Erika studied electrical & electronic engineering and later gained a qualification in business and finance. She progressed with positions in marketing and sales and was head of business development when her father handed over the reins in 2008. Erika has played an integral part in the development of Wilson Power Solutions pioneering amorphous core transformer range and is passionate about reducing energy wastage in power distribution networks.

Roberto Piccin
Head of Certification
CESI

Roberto Piccin As nuclear Engineer MSc jointed CESI in year 2000, after a decade as Nondestructive testing expert. He managed many international projects related to Quality assurance , mainly on HV substation transformers located in Middle east and China. He led the Sales and scheduling department of CESI group laboratories, which include both Milan facilities and those located in Germany. He is presently leading the CESI certification body which includes Transformer product certification, factory assessment and root fault causes analysis .

Voyo Mrdic
Applications Engineer
DV Power

Voyo Mrdic has been working as an applications engineer in transformer testing group at DV Power, who are a well-known manufacturer of test and measurement equipment for electric power industry. He is a product engineer for the three phase turns ratio group of instruments. His responsibilities include development of new methods for transformer testing, providing technical support to DV Power customers, as well as performing on-site field testing. Voyo has performed numerous tests on transformers in substations throughout Europe, USA, and the Far East. Before joining DV Power 8 years ago, he had been working at the large apparatus manufacturer Energoinvest RAOP for 1 year as a junior engineer in the circuit breakers and instrument transformers development department. Voyo has a diploma degree in electrical engineering from the University of Istocno Sarajevo.