"Those working in the energy industry have the opportunity to improve people’s lives – is there anything more rewarding than that?"

Manuel Cortés Moreno (29), from Madrid, moved to the UK in 2017 after receiving a scholarship to study an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh. He works as a Decarbonisation Consultant for Costain and is heavily involved in the South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC), seeking to decarbonise heavy industry in South Wales – the second largest carbon emitting region in the UK.

I grew up in Madrid and was the first member of my family to go to university. While in Madrid, I completed a double degree in Chemical and Energy Engineering because I wanted to understand how we powered our day-to-day lives. I became fascinated by how we can decarbonise our industry, transport, homes and power generation – transitioning to a cleaner energy system. To further my learning, I applied and was accepted for an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh. 

After completing my MSc I joined Costain as a Decarbonisation Consultant. I sit within Costain’s Environmental and Sustainability Consultancy team and apply my knowledge of decarbonisation strategies to a variety of sectors, including energy, transport and water. 

One of the main projects I work on currently is the South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) Deployment project, which is led by Costain. The project aims to decarbonise heavy industry and power generation in South Wales, through the use of cleaner technologies such as Hydrogen, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and renewable energy.

South Wales is the second largest industrial emitter in the UK, releasing the equivalent of 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. The region will need to play a key role in the energy transition if Wales, and the UK more broadly, are to succeed in achieving the UK Government’s legally binding carbon reduction targets.

I believe that the industry has the ability and, importantly, the responsibility to play a major role in the transition to a clean economy. We should leverage the expertise of the industry to accelerate the energy transition by upskilling our workforce, repurposing existing infrastructure and transforming legacy operations. The future of the energy industry is bright yet challenging. Those within the industry, plus any newcomers, will be responsible for delivering the energy transition, as well as meeting the increasing energy demand from a growing global population. 

My advice for anyone looking to join the industry is ‘we need you’. The industry needs to tap into all available skills to succeed, as well as drawing on the passion of individuals who want to leave the industry, and the world, in a better place. The challenge is huge, and we need for people from different backgrounds, not just technical and engineering roles. You will have the opportunity to improve people's lives… is there anything more rewarding than that?