Rolf Kehlhofer is an internationally recognized expert in the energy industry and, more specifically, in the field of combined-cycle power plants. The founder and managing partner of The Energy Consulting Group Ltd. in Zurich, Kehlhofer previously served as president of ABB Power Generation Switzerland. A Swiss citizen, Kehlhofer is a graduate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. During his career, his contributions have resulted in nearly 60,000 megawatts of generated power worldwide. Frank Hannemann has a degree in Thermal Engineering from the Technical University of Zittau. After ten years with Siemens Power Generation, he became Director of IGCC and innovative power plant cycles with special focus on CO2 free technologies. He is currently head of engineering at Siemens Fuel Gasification Technology GmbH and is responsible for technology development and engineering activities for gasification projects. Hannemann has written articles for numerous publications about integrated gasification combined-cycle plants (IGCC). He is a holder of several patents and his inventions have been named by Siemens AG as one of the most attractive solutions for future power generation. Franz J. Stirnimann has held the position of senior consultant at The Energy Consulting Group Ltd. in Switzerland since 2005. He started his career as a process engineer and spent more than 25 years in the field of engineering for thermal power plants, mainly for combined-cycle plants within ABB Power Generation and later ALSTOM Power. In 1994 he became vice president for Combined Cycle Plant Engineering with worldwide responsibilities. During his career, he has been involved in the design and execution of all types of combined-cycle plants as well as development activities for plant standardization. A Swiss citizen, Stirnimann has a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss University of Applied Science and Arts in Lucerne. Bert Rukes joined Siemens in 1978 and has held various leadership positions during his tenure there. He currently oversees plant design and development, and nuclear and steam operations. During his distinguished career, Rukes received the Siemens Top Innovator award for outstanding innovations in fossil power plant solutions. He is a member of VDI (the Association of German Engineers) and is an Honorary Fellow of the International Association of the Properties of Water and Steam. A mechanical engineering graduate at the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf and the Technical University in Berlin, Rukes also holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering.
