How I contribute to the evolution of decarbonisation solutions
Nick discusses the evolution of decarbonisation and how the approach to providing solutions for customers is changing.
Nick Flinn is the General Manager of Decarbonisation at Shell Catalysts & Technologies. He entered the energy industry 27 years ago as a process technologist at an oil refinery in the United Kingdom. The last 17 years have been at Shell Catalysts & Technologies.
In this interview on 鈥�How I Make Every Molecule Matter鈥�, Nick discusses the evolution of decarbonisation from both a customer and a technology perspective and how the approach to providing solutions for customers is changing.
1. Please tell us more about your current work and how it supports decarbonisation initiatives.
I started leading our Decarbonisation Solutions portfolio about 18 months ago. The essence of the portfolio is taking all the technologies we currently have within Shell Catalysts & Technologies and bringing those to market. Using those technologies, we seek out strategic partners to build solutions.
Historically, we have worked intensely with the oil and gas sector, but we are expanding that scope. We want to work with anyone who鈥檚 got a decarbonisation challenge to address. In particular, we have renewed focus on those hard-to-abate sectors. We are working much closer now with power stations, steel, cement and waste-to-energy (WTE) companies, all of which are considered hard-to-abate.
My day-to-day work centers on decarbonisation efforts. We are focused on customers and helping them address challenges. Within our portfolio, we have one team that helps people understand their decarbonisation pathways. A second team looks at how our team can help them create projects to solve their decarbonisation challenges.
2. Can you, from a 36,000 feet view, discuss evolution in decarbonisation from the customer鈥檚 perspective?
Different customers see evolution happening in different ways. Take oil refineries. Early in my career, I worked for a United Kingdom refinery built in the early 1900s. The refinery was very basic at the time, using a lot of heaters and pipes, making a crude version of the fuels refiners produce today.
Over time refinery technology has evolved as have their related products. Leaded petroleum gave way to unleaded petroleum and then taking out sulphur from various fuels dealing with bottom-of-the-barrel. Decarbonisation is the next evolution. Instead of carbon dioxide (CO2) primarily going into the atmosphere, we will explore solutions to capture and store CO2 or convert it into valuable products.
Discover: Shell CANSOLV CO2 Capture System
3. For customers outside the oil and gas industry, can you describe the evolution of decarbonisation?
Comparatively, those in power sectors see the evolution from a different perspective. Using natural gas or other fuel provided by oil and gas companies, many energy producers generate power through gas turbines and other assets. The assets used bring the technology challenges into focus. It鈥檚 not to say the oil and gas industry doesn鈥檛 have technology challenges because they do. For power companies, it鈥檚 a steeper hill to climb.
For power companies, we help customers understand and pick the correct solutions. Several questions need answering. Our customers want to know how to get new technology projects off the ground and how to deal with all the permitting and environmental considerations. What about subsidies? Also, how to build partnerships with local stakeholders and non-government organisations.
Our power customers need and want to understand those conditions. Shell Catalysts & Technologies is there to help. In that way, we create deeper partnerships with non-traditional clients.
In the end, each company wants a fair return on investment and leaders continue to be very focused on optimisation that leads to higher margins.
4. Please give more detail about the evolution of decarbonisation from a technology perspective?
We are starting to use proven technologies in new ways. Said another way, we use our deep expertise and knowledge of technology gained over many decades and put it into different applications.
The wind business is a great example. Ten years ago, wind technology was costly. We could only create many megawatt hours from wind if we paid a lot of money. It was costly. Now, wind energy is considerably less than it was ten years ago. And it's competitive.
We're going through a similar journey with some of our technologies today.
Right now, those technologies are costly, but they are the first of a kind. Shell is taking action to evolve these technologies faster and, at the same time, make solutions affordable for our customers. We constantly learn from customers and partners as they integrate and use technologies.
5. What motivates you to continue working toward decarbonisation goals?
The people I work with are a significant driver behind the passion I bring to this job daily. My passion and energy come from them. I鈥檓 not just talking about my team members but also our customers. I enjoy our collaboration because it leads to understanding our customers鈥� challenges, value drivers and how they see their pathway to evolving in this new energy landscape. For me, it鈥檚 essential to be a part of the solution to moving the world forward and to creating more and cleaner energy.
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