Presiding over the latest updates in Future Fuels and Propulsion

The Propulsion and Future Fuels conference will once again be in safe hands, with two expert moderators confirmed for this year’s event, Philipp Simmank and Gavin Allwright.

Philipp Simmank is Technical Advisor for Climate, Marine research and Digitalisation at VDR, the German Shipowners‘ Association and Gavin Allwright is the Secretary of the International Windship Association (IWSA).

The Propulsion and Future Fuels conference will take place in Hamburg from 25-27 November. The experienced moderators will head up the key discussions and learning opportunities which make this conference the must-attend event of the year in the sector.

As the Technical Advisor for Climate, Marine Research & Digitalization at the German Shipowners‘ Association VDR, Philipp Simmank coordinates and represents the interests of the VDR and its members on the key topics of climate protection, research, development and funding of relevant ship, and in particular propulsion, technologies, alternative fuels, and digitalisation. His work includes liaison with national and international institutions such as federal ministries and state authorities, partner associations, European and International shipowners’ associations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Philipp worked for over a decade in the Two-Stroke Marine Engine Research and Development Division of MAN Energy Solutions SE in Copenhagen, Denmark. He recently moved back to Germany to complement the VDR-team. As a Senior Research Engineer at MAN ES Denmark, he was in charge for all topics evolving around the environmental certification of large two-stroke marine engines. Involvement in various new building and retrofit projects (especially dual fuel conversions) worldwide allowed him to gather sound marine knowledge and international experience, particularly in East Asia.

As part of his role at MAN ES, Philipp Simmank was, for several years, an advisor in the Danish Delegation at the IMO.

Philipp holds a Masters Degree (German Dipl.-Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering from Braunschweig Institute of Technology (TU Braunschweig). During his studies he focused on internal combustion engines and completed his studies with an experimental Master Thesis (Diplomarbeit) in collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions, investigating optically the interior flow of marine-engine diesel fuel injectors.

As Secretary of the IWSA Gavin Allwright heads up a valuable grouping of maritime wind propulsion companies and projects, supported by academia, NGO’s and seafarers, which aims to promote and facilitate the uptake of wind propulsion solutions in commercial shipping.

Gavin has also been working closely with the Oceania Centre for Sustainable Transport on the development of sustainable shipping in the South Pacific and gained extensive knowledge of the small vessel sector from his work as the Commercial Director for the Greenheart Project, a not-for-profit organisation he joined in 2005, designing a zero-emissions, sail/solar electric cargo vessel for the least developed regions.

He holds a Masters degree in Sustainable Development, specialising in the development and impact of low carbon vessels in developing countries, and has recently collaborated on a soon to be released IRENA technical brief – Renewable Energy in Shipping.

For further details on any other aspect of the conference, please contact t.metcalfe@mercatormedia.com or call +44 1329 825335.   

To secure you delegate place and take advantage of the Early Bird discount bookhere