Rob Thomas has thirty years experience in environmental science as a research manager, consultant, policy maker and environmental regulator.
He has been a board member of the CRC for Plant-Based Solutions for Dryland Salinity, Chair of the CRC Irrigation Futures Participants Forum, and is now a director of the CRC eWater Board.
In the past, Mr Thomas has held senior roles as Chief Executive of the Department for Water Resources (SA), Executive Director Environment Protection Authority, and Industry Executive Kinhill Engineers.
In 2000-2001 he was a South Australian Commissioner for the Murray Darling Basin Commission.
For the last six years, he has developed a new research division in SARDI focussing on natural resources management and sustainability in agriculture. He has played a leading role in development of SARDI’s capability in biofuels and microalgal production systems. He led a successful bid for a Premier’s Science & Research Fund grant to undertake Proof-of-Concept for a Microalgae Biorefinery.
More recently he has established the Algal Fuels Consortium (SARDI, CSIRO, Flinders University, and Sancon Recycling) to develop a Pilot Scale Microalgal Biorefinery in Adelaide.
Algae World Asia 2009 Bangkok Speaker
Day 2 – Wednesday, September 30
12:05 Biorefinery Approach for Algal Biofuels and High Value Co-Products
ALGAE WORLD ASIA 2009 is a conference dedicated towards providing objective insights on the commercialization of Algae Biofuels, as well the latest advances and constraints in Algae cultivation, harvesting & processing. To find more about Algae World Asia in Bangkok from September 29 to 30, 2009, please visit http://www.futureenergyevents.com/algae/.
