With our energy systems going through profound change, Adam Duckett asked chemical engineers who have transitioned from oil and gas to greener pursuits for insights that could help others make the switch
MICHELLE MORTON made an internal switch within an oil and gas firm to focus on biofuels. She later became the company’s sustainability manager for new energies.
MORTON: Lots of skills were transferable including project management, problem solving, and people management. The work did not include much traditional chemical engineering except for “mass balance” concepts which are now widely used in the sustainability sphere to transfer information through the supply chain.
MASIRU MOHAMMED moved into nuclear new build in 2019. His experience is applicable to early and mid-career engineers.
MOHAMMED : My key transferable skills were project management, stakeholder management, financial management, FEED, and risk management including HAZOPs.
YASMIN ALI has worked at fossil-fuelled power stations and in oil and gas exploration and production. She now works for RWE’s battery project development team.
ALI: There are tasks like selecting contractors for engineering studies and managing engineering consultancies that are identical process-wise.
RICHARD BOOCOCK works as a consultant in clean energy after a career at Air Products supporting clients across sectors including oil and gas.
BOOCOCK: The principles of chemical engineering are not changing dramatically – we still look at unit operations, we still have to follow the laws of thermodynamics. Know-how is perhaps less transferable, for example running a hydrocracker in a refinery is not directly transferable to running an electrolyser complex in a green hydrogen plant. However, I do think that sometimes we overstate the clarity of separation between the old world and the new world. New world sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants will utilise many of the same unit operations that we have seen in old-world gas-to-liquid plants.
ROY CALDER works as an industry principle on new energies for industrial software firm Aveva. He says his perspective is applicable to professionals working across engineering, technical sales, project management, and strategic leadership roles, plus those at the intersection of policy, technology, and sustainability.
CALDER: Chemical engineering-based technical problem-solving, process simulation and optimisation, as well as project management skills were highly transferable.
SANJOY SEN works on energy transition projects following roles in petchems and oil and gas.
SEN: My transferable skills have included] techno-economic concept evaluation, multidisciplinary team working, and putting process safety at the heart of everything.
TONY GRIFFITHS made the switch in mid-2020, setting up a consultancy designing web applications to support the decision-making for clean energy and decarbonisation projects.
GRIFFITHS: I found that the skills I thought had the least direct application like hardcore process engineering, such as detailed P&ID, flare header network simulation, and relief valve sizing, or how the subsurface drilling world really works, often crop up. It’s quite valuable in debunking some popular myth or making a sensible judgement on the viability of aspects of energy transition projects especially for hydrogen, carbon capture, geothermal, and offshore wind.
GEORGE HOOPER now works as an energy consultant after holding a variety of roles including at the New Zealand Synthetic Fuels Corporation and the country’s department of scientific and industrial research.
HOOPER: Thermodynamics is an unexpected yet highly transferable skill. It provides the foundation for many engineering analyses. My experience has shown that many in the renewable energy sector lack a strong grasp of thermodynamics, which hampers their ability to adopt a systems approach to technical interventions.
MORTON: Mass balance and whole systems viewpoints were super useful.
CALDER: Soft skills such as stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to translate technical concepts for non-specialists has proved unexpectedly critical in renewables.
SEN: Not so much a skill but the ability to sometimes ask “dumb” questions and challenge assumptions can help. Not everything has always been thought through.
GRIFFITHS: Perhaps a slightly random one that sticks out for me are the semi-sophisticated probabilistic/stochastic methods…used in oil and gas development planning to help understand and discuss the shape of uncertainty, and what different outcomes may emerge for a given decision. I think these techniques are under-used in traditional engineering/project risk analysis work, and I think they could add so much value to assess the viability and risks of hydrogen, carbon capture, intermittent renewables, or energy storage projects.
CALDER: Candidates should stress adaptability, have a strong grasp of process design and optimisation, and a strong passion for sustainability. Showcasing success in multi-disciplinary projects and a willingness to learn new skills also sets applicants apart.
HOOPER: The ability to lead in highly technical environments, manage multi-disciplinary effort, and balance technical, economic, and strategic considerations. Employers value a systems understanding of engineering and commercial frameworks, as well as practical knowledge of regulatory and commercial environments for successful deployment.
BOOCOCK: Top of mind for me are systems thinking, risk management, process safety, large capital project execution and coordination, operational excellence, and flawless startup.
MOHAMMED: I relied heavily on my LinkedIn profile, updating the certification training that I completed, and collecting references from past colleagues. I used AI CV optimisation tools to help align my skillset with each job advert I was responding to. I also attended conferences and career fairs.
ANDREW RAWSTRON who made the switch in 2023 after working in design, project management, plant management and as a director, now works as an independent consultant helping companies optimise their processes.
RAWSTRON: I talked about my previous wins and how these are not sector specific. How I delivered 20% year-on-year productivity improvements. How I developed new ways of bringing in production.
CALDER: Demonstrating a proactive commitment to learning new technologies and aligning with sustainability goals resonates with colleagues and clients alike.
GRIFFITHS: I market my oil and gas background as being fundamental in understanding energy projects and showing expertise in energy project delivery.
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