My ChemEng Career Path: Ross Wilson

Principal bioresources process specialist, AtkinsRéalis

I GRADUATED with a master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Strathclyde in 2018. I’ve worked at Atkins -Réalis since graduating in a variety of roles in and around the water sector. I started with some drinking water work, then did some desalination work in the Middle East, and now currently my job title is principal bioresources process specialist. Essentially, I focus on how process technology can help tackle some of the water sector’s most pressing challenges associated with wastewater treatment and sewage sludge management.

What attracted you to the sector?

I always had a kind of natural pull towards water treatment. Even back at high school I did my advanced higher chemistry project looking at using roasted banana peel – which you might even now call biochar – as a means of removing heavy metals from water. And I did my master’s thesis in looking at selective recovery of copper from acid mine drainage. So, I’ve always had a kind of interest in water treatment processes. I really thought a career in the water sector could be rewarding and fulfilling. And I also always liked the idea that you could recover some value from waste.

What attracted you to your role?

My role really centres around looking at how process technologies can be utilised to best process sewage sludge, which can typically be the arrow out of the end of the wastewater treatment flow sheet. There’s real global uncertainty in the future of sewage sludge management. This is driven by challenges from public perception issues, contamination, through to things like microplastics and PFAS, process emissions and regulatory uncertainty. And at the same time, we’re wising up to the real energy and nutrient value in sewage sludge and looking at wastewater in general as a sort of feedstock for the circular economy. So, I was attracted to this role in the AtkinsRealis bioresources team, so I could be part of deploying some of the fascinating chemical engineering taking place in the sector.

What does your typical day or week involve?

I’ve got a real variety in my workdays, which I guess is a benefit to working for a consultancy. Often, you’re involved in quite different types of projects, and it makes for a really good way to build up a nice breadth of experience early in your career. Day to day, I manage projects with civil, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical and hydraulic engineers, speak with regulatory experts and work with other process engineers and design, and prepare and run a lot of workshops. I help to develop biosolids management strategies, which requires a bit of creativity, which is nice. I discuss technologies with vendors, which is always interesting, and get to be competitive when preparing proposals for winning work.

What's the most exciting development or opportunity in your field that you wish more people knew about?

One of my favourites, we’re looking at filtering out toilet paper or cellulose pulp from sewage. We’re interested in the downstream benefits of that process, what happens downstream at the wastewater treatment works when you take the cellulose pulp toilet paper out. We’re also looking at what we can do with that cellulose pulp, so one of the avenues is looking at fermentation of that into green chemicals. I’m also supporting on a project where we’re looking at turning a significant portion of the UK’s sewage sludge into jet fuel – that is actually a thing! There’s a process called hydrothermal liquefaction which breaks organic matter such as sewage sludge into a biocrude oil, which can then be refined into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). So, lots of cool things going on.

What IChemE resources do you recommend students use to help them take the first steps in their career

I generally found IChemE’s Chartership programme really useful in shaping the initial years of my career. It ensured I got a good broad range of technical and general experience. And it really helped me, with my mentor, sort out target areas of development. In addition, I’d also advocate for engaging with special interest groups (SIGs) and attending IChemE events. I think it’s a really great way to learn more but, importantly, expand your network, which is something I’ve found to be really vital in my career so far.

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Click this link for the full interview with Ross