Tales of a Human Energy Transition - Waste to energy in the quest to decarbonise aviation and shipping
Katerina Garyfalou, a geologist turned business director at Clean Planet Energy tells us all about her career pivot
Hola gente! Esperamos hayan tenido un gran verano and that you reconnected with loved ones, with nature and that you got a bit more interested in all things climate!
We have a very especial guest today, so stay with us 😎🌍
Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP)? If you live on planet Earth chances are that you have, but just in case you haven’t, the GPGP is the most polluted patch of water on the planet. It is an accumulation of all kinds of plastic, it’s three times the size of France permanently floating somewhere in between Hawaii and California due to the ocean gyres.
Plastic debris in the ocean is an ever growing problem. Death, constriction, dermal and external wounds, reduced population size, intestinal blockage and gastric rupture are among the list of impacts that plastics cause on marine life. But that is only the consequences we can see on fauna; marine plastic debris poses another threat to the whole food chain: Over time (decades to hundred of years), the sun, waves and wind action break down major pieces of plastic into pieces no bigger than 5 mm. These microplastics get eaten by all sorts of organisms that end up in our eating table causing physical and chemical toxicity in humans as well. The impact on human health is an ongoing field research but the concern is rising. We need to address the plastic crisis before it turns into the next global health crisis.
As Hannah Ritchie puts it in her article Where does our plastic accumulate in the ocean and what does that mean for the future?:
“We must stop plastic waste entering our waterways as soon as possible. Most of the plastic that ends up in our oceans does so because of poor waste management practices – particularly in low-to-middle income countries; this means that good waste management across the world is essential to achieving this.”
Enter the stage Clean Planet Energy (CPE), a UK based company utilising the circular economy that is targeting the use of discarded plastic to turn it into synthetic fuels for both the maritime and aviation sectors. CPE is building ecoPlants that can recycle almost 20,000 tons/year of every kind of plastic, even the non-recyclable type and they convert it into ultra-clean fuel. CPE claims that with this process they reduce up to 75% in CO2 emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels. Therefore the impact of CPE on climate is two-fold. They are addressing the plastic crisis while bringing in an alternative fuel that can help decarbonize the aviation and shipping industries.
According to Our World in Data, aviation accounts for 1.9% of global CO2 emissions. Eighty one % of aviation emissions come from passenger travel and 19% from freight. In the passenger category, 60% of emissions come from international travel, and 40% from domestic. Shipping contributes to 1.7% of the total global GHG emissions, mainly from the burning of petrol or diesel on boats. This includes both passenger and freight maritime trips.
With a combined 3.6% of total emissions, aviation and shipping industries are huge contributors to GHG emissions. The real problem is to decarbonise these sectors in sustainable ways. A variety of investors (Bill Gate’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures and others) are pouring money in technologies like batteries, hydrogen, e-fuels, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), etc; in order to get the emissions from planes and ships around the world as close to net zero as possible. It’s a big techno-commercial challenge for the industry and governments alike, and therein lays the opportunity for innovative entrepreneurs that are contributing to this space.
The current “sustainable” alternative to fossil fuels are SAFs that are produced by blending biofuel with fossil fuels. This makes SAFs more expensive and they still emit GHG. Moreover, of the challenges for SAFs scale up production is the fact that biofuels might compete with agriculture in a not-so-trivial energy vs food dilemma.
Now with this preamble, our guest this week is going to tell us a lot about what her company, Clean Planet Energy is doing, but perhaps most importantly, she will share insights on her career pivot from the O&G industry into a role that has given her the opportunity to align her values of protecting the environment and maximizing impact. Katerina Garyfalou, is the commercial and business development director at Clean Planet Energy.
We are very excited about this conversation because, for full disclosure, Katerina’s own energy transition from O&G to a clean energy role is quite an inspiration for the program we are building with our partners at Terra.do. We want to help fellow upstream O&G workers to trace their own road map to pivot their careers to clean energy jobs. And to do so, we can’t stress enough the importance of roles models like Katerina. We are delighted that she has kindly agreed to be one of our guest lecturers in the program and as you will read next, we can all learn a lot from her journey.
Here our conversation with Katerina:
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length purposes).
Explorationists: Katerina, you have a fascinating energy transition story but also a cool background. You effectively went from a very geoscientific role all the way into changing industries completely, while staying within the energy game. I wanted to explore a bit how you managed to go from O&G Exploration all the way into a clean start-up that is looking to convert discarded plastic into synthetic fuels. Let’s start from the end, and then we backtrack a bit. Who is Clean Planet Energy? What are they doing and what are they trying to solve?
Katerina Garyfalou: Fantastic. Thank you very much. It's not very often that you pause for a bit and think about what you've done in your past job. So as you said, I am the Commercial and Business Development Director of Clean Planet Energy or CPE. It is indeed a very exciting start-up and their mission resonates a lot with things that I have very close to my heart. Essentially what we do is we take non recyclable waste plastic, and we convert it into Ultra-Clean Fuels for the marine and aviation sectors, and also we produce naphtha.
We’re very much into the circular economy, and we're trying to provide an immediate solution to those industries, while we're trying to find what the perfect solution would be to continue the global trade and transportation of people without too much impact on the environment. This is what we do and the reason why it resonates a lot with my heart is because I see that as I get older in my life, doing a job that has a deep meaning to me becomes a priority.
And it was perhaps a year ago, I think, when I went to an island in Greece, a beautiful island in the Aegean. So I was there in a very remote beach for the summer; and I was shocked to see how much plastic there was in the water, and in the beach despite being in a very remote area.
A few months later, I started diving in Mexico and again, the same thing, you are diving in those beautiful places, and you could see plastic and waste everywhere around you. So, when CPE came and talked to me for this potential role, it actually meant a lot to me to have a big, more active role and try to do something where I can have a smaller impact on the environment. This is what attracts me the most about CPE and I was really thrilled to work for a smaller company, in a start-up, after having worked for a big oil company.
That's what I do now and I'm looking after partnerships, contracts for feedstock & offtake, strategy, PR, marketing, all sorts of things, a bit of everything!
That's start-up life! So let me unpack that for a moment. Well, first, I think that it's very inspiring to see, I think that a lot of people may judge without knowing a bit the personal journey of our colleagues or peers in the oil industry, I think that especially of those of our generation that are driven by our values of really trying to make a positive change. Probably a lot of people are surprised by hearing these kinds of (clean energy) pivoting stories from geoscientists that have spent their whole careers in oil and gas. So that's one point I wanted to make, it's so important to show that these stories, your story, are possible. But let’s backtrack for a bit, how did you get into the O&G in the first place? Where did you study and how Geology brought you to where you are now?
I was in Greece at the time. I went to the University of Patras, which is an area south of Athens. I did a four years geology degree, which is, it's very interesting how the course works in Greece compared to other universities around the world. Because the first two years you do geology, or physics or mathematics, all of those three schools share the same curriculum for physics, maths, and chemistry. So it was very intense. Course around numbers, if you like, because if it hadn't been for geology, probably I would have chosen to be a mathematician.
Yes, when you're a geologist, or a geoscientist in general, you get to experience a fascination for how geological processes occur at a very different time and planetary scale. I think that, in a way, that connects us in a very special way with our planet, even with our climate. Fast forward a bit: You spent a couple of years afterwards in the industry, You’ve worked a lot in Africa, and with the connections that you had, and even the experiences working for an international company, what skills are you bringing with you from the industry that you're now applying to your new role?
Yes, it's interesting that you say that I, when I recently got a job with Clean Planet Energy I was really fascinated and excited about what they do. It was a bit different from what I used to do in my previous job. So I got stressed thinking ‘I'm not going to be able to do what they want’. But it's interesting, a few months in, I realised that my everyday job was actually identical. It's just that the product changes, the people change. But the day to day tasks are very, very similar. It's important for people from the energy sector that are considering working into the energy transition to realise, that the skills are actually very similar.
I’ve made two transitions in my (professional) life. The first one, which was the most difficult one, was when I decided to leave behind the very technical work, and then do a bit more commercial and business development work. That transition took me longer, and it was heavy, more painful. The second transition was slightly easier. However, the skills that I used for both transitions were transferable because even as a geoscientist the skills are similar. You know, as a geologist, I had to work with multiscale, multidisciplinary data, how to talk and communicate with engineers, geologists, and then come up with models together and present it. That’s pretty much what you do, even if you're in a commercial role. This applies to O&G and also to companies working on the energy transition. My main job was to communicate with people trying to simplify what seems to be difficult.
It is a bit of a sales pitch that I had to do in all of my jobs. Either you're trying to promote a geological model, or you're trying to promote an area or business area that you want to develop or if you want to promote a partnership, it is this sales pitch skill that you take across with you throughout your career.
It's interesting because we build all these skills and I agree with you that everyone is selling something, and you mentioned that the technical transition was harder. I see parallels in my own transition (from technical work in a supermajor to a commercial role in an Geophysical services company). Could you distil then some sort of a recipe, if you like, for geoscientists that may consider a similar pivot?
Well, when you join a company, as a technical person, and you develop a successful career, it is harder to go against people's perception of what they think about you. So they categorise you as a geologist, or a geophysicist. In my case, I found it difficult to convince the same people that I'm actually equally good at doing something else.
But the change did happen. It required me to be more persistent, to try and look for or create opportunities for me to demonstrate that I can do (other) things. So I had to go over and beyond my everyday work in order to demonstrate to my managers at a time that I'm capable, and really want to do something else. That was a bit tricky, because they know that you may do a good job on what you do, it's not because they don't want you to progress your career, it's just they don't want to lose a very good geologist, or a very good technical person.
That's what I say to some people when they email to ask me about career transitions. People shouldn't give up if they know what they want to do. I had loads of obstacles in my career; it was not easy, but I didn't give up. Once I realised what I wanted to do, I always tried to find ways to do it. And even if it doesn't work within the company you work for, people should seek other opportunities elsewhere.
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Exactly. It's a message of resilience and grit, that everything is possible if you put your heart into it; but luck and how/when opportunities arise play a huge part. Can you talk a bit about the role of luck in your progression?
I was lucky, in a sense, that in the company where I used to work for, there were several commercial opportunities coming my way. I was always raising my hand and putting myself forward to say: ‘I can help with this or I can do this and that’. So I was lucky in that sense. I was surrounding myself with opportunities that my company had, so I could actually take responsibility.
That brings me to a question then. How crucial was your MBA then? Because MBAs are usually one of those vehicles for career pivots that young and less young people might consider to open up new opportunities, new industries, do you think that your MBA at London Business School (LBS) was the key to open the door with Clean Planet Energy?
Ok, this is not going to be a straightforward answer. Not because I didn't enjoy my time during the MBA, or I didn't find it helpful. It's just that so many things have happened that led me to where I am now, even COVID and the way that the whole world has changed, right? I changed as a person with what happened in my personal life as well. So it's not easy to isolate only the LBS story.
But then I remember very well, on the first day at the school, you had to write what you wanted to do and explain why you wanted to do the MBA. I'm thankful that I was exposed to so many brilliant minds and great professors at LBS that helped me realise what I actually wanted to do and what I didn't want to do.
I decided that I didn’t want to go back to a very corporate environment that is too stiff for me, I'm tired of being in a very bureaucratic environment. The MBA gives you that clarity, you have all those conversations, it is amazing to attend a course with very, very bright minds. I'm very thankful.
Absolutely. Let's go back to Clean Planet Energy for a moment. Can you describe what sort of industries you're tackling, why the kind of things you're bringing to market are important? I understand that you are in the building phase of some of the eco plants. Are you guys hiring? What are the milestones for CPE in the next 2-3 years?
Of course, and I'm always excited describing what we’re up to at CPE. We're on a very exciting part of our journey. We are in the midst of a very nice momentum, we're growing. So what we're doing now: we have two plants (both in the UK), they're under construction with the first one ready in Q1-Q2 next year (2022), and then the next one 6-8 months after. We are growing in many different directions; we are hoping this year to be in a position to announce many more locations in the UK. We have interesting partnerships, discussing both feedstock and offtake. We had quite a few announcements recently regarding our products, both within the aviation and in the marine sectors. And I'm grateful that those are impacting the market and that has brought us interesting opportunities from places all around the world like Asia, US, Australia and Europe.
It's really exciting to see that there is a very nice momentum around the world to try and do something, to eliminate waste and do something good for the environment while you are part of the circular economy. We're a small team of around 10 people that work very close with each other, we have a flat structure. At some point, I guess when things will get busier we will have to try and increase our team.
I cannot wait, when we start building the first eco plant, what we do is very unique in terms of the way we build our plants. Thirty percent of our investment goes into the outer shell of the plant, which is more of the way they look and they feel. So we have tranquillity, gardens, and nature reserves built around the main facilities. I'm really looking forward to when that part of the construction starts to actually be physically there and help the team with that vision.
Interesting, and lots definitely going on. So CPE is helping decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and shipping; so the output that you guys produce or will produce in these eco plants will be syn-fuels, eco-fuels? How are they categorised? And how do they compare with traditional aviation fuels for example?
I don't know where we meet the same specifications as biofuels and e-fuels, the legislation needs to get up to speed a bit, because this is why we find it hard. The legislation is not synced around the world yet, when it comes to waste to energy, I think they see the potential, but we need to help other companies to develop further. We were focusing more on the marine and aviation sector, and our products provide a minimum of 75% CO2 reduction compared to fossil fuels.
We're focusing on those two industries, even though there are products that can also be used on road transportation; however that area has alternative solutions (i.e electrification, hydrogen, etc). The thing is that when it comes to marine and aviation, by tomorrow night, another 75,000 cargo ships will set sail and I don't know how many 100s or 1000s of airplanes will take off and you cannot just stop global trading. We need an immediate solution for those sectors until possibly finding what could be an even better solution.
We need more CPEs around the world, more companies like us and more solutions to support this journey.
Absolutely. So how do you see your competitors? This sounds pretty much like hydrogen, ammonia, even electricity. All those might be potential solutions as you're describing. Do you see this as a zero-sum game or on the contrary, you think that bringing in another fuel into the mix will actually help? How do you see that ecosystem evolving?
Hey, very interesting you asked me that because yesterday I joined a conference online and in the panel with me there were representatives that are providing solutions through hydrogen and other methods. What I said was that the world needs energy, I don't think there is one solution for everything. We need all of those solutions to work together. So that's why I don't see either of them as a competitor and the same came from them (peers) as well. They don't see us as competition. The more the better!
So then last, What would be the things that you're looking forward to this year in terms of scale? Are you looking for new partnerships or maybe potentially raising some money? What are the things that will make 2021 a great year for Clean Planet Energy?
We're looking for partnerships that will help us grow. We want to grow and fast, we're very ambitious. That's what we're looking for: to work with local authorities, with charities that deal with plastic, and to work with the private sector. This is the year where we make some of our key partnerships, and they will help us grow in the future.
For the moment, just focusing on the UK, or are there plans to already move internationally?
We have plans to expand outside the UK as well. It’s all very exciting.
If you wanted to inspire some of our peer geoscientists that are thinking about the energy transition, is there any resource that you would recommend to them in terms of ‘Hey, you can have a look at these books, or podcasts or programmes as well as mentorships? What would you suggest to them?
You know, what I would say is, mentoring is really important, it has really helped me find my path. Mentoring and taking the time to network and connect with people. The more I had discussions with people, the more I realised what I wanted, or didn't want to do, but that takes time and effort. It's not always as successful as trying to talk to hundred people, and then maybe five replied to you, but even if only one person is actively engaged with you, that makes the difference! That's why I say ‘don't give up!’ And be curious to talk to people, and actually mean it.
Be also authentic with your communication. There's so much material, so many books, I wish I had the time to read even more. But you know, it was not easy. My journey has not been easy. It has taken me a while. But it's really important how you feel when you wake up in the morning to go to work. It's really a very personal thing for each person to discover what actually makes them happy and what will make them happy to go to work every day. I'm really privileged that I found that. That’s not saying that I regret anything that I've done in the past, because that has contributed to who I am now and to the skills I have now.
So it's really important to embrace every step in your career, I had roles that were not very appealing to me. But in each one of them, I tried to find something exciting about it and move forward.
That's a great message. I think it's a great closing. We really wish you well Katerina. It's nice that you've found that place in your career. I think a lot of people spend their whole lives trying to get to that space and obviously we wish a lot of success for Clean Planet Energy.
Thank you very much for having me. Thank you very much, David.
Our recommended reading for this week:
Terrament, the startup we covered in our last episode, got accepted into the Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP) accelerator program. Great news for Eric Chaves and Terrament!
If you want to send us an idea or a tip, a #ClimateTech company that we should have a look at, or if you have any questions, please reach us at: davidcongeof@gmail.com or arraiz.p.daniel@gmail.com.
Some of the music we’ve been listening:
Vayalo! El sonero del mundo, nunca cansa