Bernhard Winkelmann is currently the Principal at S&B Enterprises. Before this role, he served as the Global Head, Energy Technology and Product Development at Nikola, leading the Engineering organization of the Energy Infrastructure team. His responsibilities ranged from the generation of hydrogen, all the way across the value chain to the dispensing into the vehicle.
Over his more than 30+ year career, Bernhard has held leadership roles for strategic business initiatives within the Oil & Gas and Customer Services organizations and served as the Director of Technology and Product Development at Solar Turbines Incorporated, prior to Nikola.
Considered a notable contributor to the Oil and Gas and Turbo Machinery industry, Bernhard serves on the board of directors of the Gas Machinery Research Council. He is an executive member of the Global Power and Propulsion Society and served on a committee of the National Academy of Sciences. He has received multiple awards and recognitions throughout his career.
Bernhard earned his Engineering degree (Diplom Ing) in Mechanical Engineering, Turbomachinery Design from the University of Applied Sciences in Bochum, Germany.
Panel 4: Do we have the Technologies for Widespread Adoption of Carbon-neutral Fuels?
Wednesday, January 15th
14:15 – 15:45 | HG F 30 | Audi Max
Moderator: Bernhard Winkelmann, Retired, Former Solar Turbines, USA
Panelists: Peter van Elferen (GasUnie), Toshiro Fujimori (IHI), John Gulen (Bechtel), Yang Hong (Shanghai Electric Group), Christopher Johnston (PSM)
Abstract:
The transition to carbon-neutral fuels is essential for achieving global sustainability goals, but are current technologies ready for widespread adoption? Can carbon neural fuels replace oil, gas, coal and others, or will carbon capture and sequestration play a much larger role in decarbonization?
This panel will explore advancements in production, distribution, and utilization of carbon-neutral fuels, assess the scalability of key technologies, and discuss the challenges in cost, efficiency, and policy. Industry experts will provide insights into the readiness of these technologies and the pathways to a sustainable energy future.