Eur. Ing. John Griffiths BSc, CEng, FIChemE, FEI, has nearly 50 years service as a professional chemical engineer in process engineering, commissioning, consultancy, and management positions. His main expertise is in the production, treatment and use of synthesis gas (syngas) for fuel gas, hydrogen, chemical and fertiliser, and power production. For the first ten years of his career, he was involved in all aspects of the design, erection and commissioning of units for the production, treatment and use of syngas in Town Gas, Refinery, Fertiliser and Power industries. He led the conceptual design teams for the 500 MW ISAB and Sarlux IGCC plants in Italy and is currently part of the Management Team for the first IGCC plant to be erected in the UK by Powerfuel plc at Hatfield, South Yorkshire. He is the originator of several patents and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and of the Energy Institute. He will chair the Eleventh European Gasification Conference to be held in Sardinia in March 2012.