What is the energy transition really about? The term is popular among politicians and scientists alike and designates the ongoing major changes in global energy systems. IRENA, a UN body for renewable energy, defines it as “a pathway toward transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon […]” [1]. Said differently, energy generation is going from being predominantly based on gas and oil to integrate more renewable and sustainable technologies, such as wind and solar power.
Going from oil & gas to renewables
The use of the word transition is not arbitrary, and it implies a process of continuity from the established system to a new energy era. It is not, say for example ‘the energy disruption’, because the infrastructure and generation are building on existing resources and gradually transforming albeit at a high pace.
EIT InnoEnergy Master School aims to educate the builders of the energy system of tomorrow emerging from this transition. Governments are pushing for more impact, faster. To achieve this, we need the most talented individuals on board! In this context, bringing knowledge from the gas and oil sector can be a valuable asset.
From oil u0026 gas to becoming an EIT InnoEnergy student?
To dig dipper, I decided to interview a fellow student. Natasha Witto, a second-year student in Master’s in Sustainable Energy Systems experienced the value of moving from the oil and gas sector to focus on sustainable energy.
What experience do you have from the oil and gas sector?
“After my bachelor’s, I joined the graduate programme of the oil and gas company, Shell, in Indonesia, where I am from. The programme consisted of two rotations where I spent the first year working with Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE). This rotation was very valuable since I got to work in the field, to know operators and processes, helping to build a safety culture at the company. For my second rotation, I worked as Logistics Coordinator where I worked developing new projects, thinking of strategies to serve customers better and improve deliverables.”
This sounds very interesting, were there any specific skills you developed during this work?
“The two rotations were very different. In both rotations, management skills and communication were key. These are skills that have also been useful for me during project work throughout my master’s. As a HSSE engineer I learned a lot about risk management and safety, while my second rotation gave me insight in working with the commercial aspect of operations and communicating with customers that could sometimes be located remotely, making logistics challenging.”
I see, this sounds like valuable skills to have. So why did you join EIT InnoEnergy Master School, instead of continuing working?
“Well, my core interest was always energy, and I believe this is true for many professionals working in the oil and gas sector. When I wanted to work for Shell it was mainly to work with energy and when I was there, I learned about their sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. Many oil and gas companies are transitioning to include clean and renewable energies in their portfolios and I also believe renewable energy is the future. When I learned about the EIT InnoEnergy Master School I saw this as an opportunity to continue studying so that I could focus more on sustainable energy which is also what companies are leaning towards to stay relevant.”
Cool! And now you’ve almost completed your master degree, with only on semester left. Has it delivered on your expectations?
“Yes, I really enjoyed that during my first year I got to learn about the wide variety of renewable generation technologies which really broadened my perspective. I also liked how we don’t only focus on generation, but also on energy storage technologies and the market aspect. Since I come from Indonesia where the energy market is a monopoly, it was very interesting for me to learn about how the market is structured in Europe and seeing the opportunities of establishing business models in the energy sector.”
Oh yes, there is quite a big focus on innovation at EIT InnoEnergy Master School…
“Yes, I have joined many of the events the company organises, for example the ‘Battle of Green Talent’ which is a start-up challenge. I also joined case-challenges with industry during the Career Impact Challenges in the energy fair, Enlit, in Milan. There I got to see various ways of working with energy, for example, as an energy consultant which I hadn’t really considered before.
That is indeed valuable. To finish off, I’m curious, what do you want to do when you graduate?
“Well, I am still trying to find out where I can best use my skills. In my thesis I will focus on LCA with a research company which I hope will help me see if research is something I enjoy. I think I want to stay in Europe for some years and then maybe go back to Indonesia and try to create a start-up. I want to work with renewable energy and the master’s has opened many different doors so now I just need to find out what I want to do.”
By Maria Isabel Bang Jensen, EIT InnoEnergy Master School student