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Imogen Ashton

Bridging Process Engineering and Commercial Strategy for a Just Energy Transition: A Junior Consultant's View



It feels like a lifetime ago that I first joined the io consulting team as a development consultant as part of a Year in Industry MEng. From the very first interview, I was immediately impressed by the company’s strong sense of community and collaborative working style. As my placement comes to an end, I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to the whole team for an unforgettable experience and share some highlights from this year.


This past year has far exceeded my expectations. I feel completely integrated into the io team. The work culture is truly inspiring, built on a foundation of creativity and knowledge-sharing. This experience would not have been possible without the company’s steadfast commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.


My involvement has spanned numerous interesting roles, including project controls and process engineering across a preFEED project, FEED project and conceptual study. The nature of engineering consultancy work has been both inspiring and instrumental in developing my technical and interpersonal skills. This has shaped my understanding of the critical engineering, design and investment challenges across the entire project lifecycle. Throughout this journey, I have learned to embrace uncertainty and adapt to changing circumstances, which has been invaluable for my professional growth.


One project highlight was working as a process engineer alongside Simon Cooper and Safina Jivraj to design a decarbonisation solution for a cement plant in Germany, aiming for net zero production. Our objective was to capture at least 96% of the CO2 produced, liquify and transport it to the North Sea for sequestration.


This work began with a site visit to Germany, where I gained first-hand insights into the implications of installing a new carbon capture facility onto an existing plant in terms of safety and footprint constraints. I was delighted to participate in the kick-off meeting during the visit and the subsequent framing and decision workshops. These sessions shaped my ability to tailor our expertise from the energy sector to the cement industry. We had to ensure our deliverables aligned with existing engineering work while also advocating for systems thinking over traditional unit operation models.


Designing the cryogenic carbon capture facility presented inherently multifaceted challenges. The project intricacies raised questions from the technical engineering issues to specific commercial challenges. How do we store and transport CO2 by rail? For such nascent technology, what is the best way to obtain accurate cost estimates? I experienced this first-hand through my responsibility for managing vendor engagement and needing answers to these questions. My role involved identifying potential suppliers, presenting them with the process specifications and orchestrating meetings where I facilitated discussions on integrating their operations into the overall carbon capture process. This required negotiating budget quotes and resolving operational conflicts between adjacent units. It was fascinating to observe the influence of the EU Innovation Fund on financial decision-making and vendor support.


It was a privilege to be involved in creating a net zero solution for a notoriously hard-to-abate sector. Witnessing the innovation required to integrate cryogenic carbon capture with cement manufacturing was incredibly rewarding. Collaborating with engineers in the cement industry on this project in this endeavour was a fantastic experience. This project provided a remarkable opportunity to contribute to a sustainable future while honing my engineering skills.



As someone fascinated by the energy transition, I have particularly enjoyed discussing the wider implications of our projects with both graduates and senior consultants. For example, as a junior member of our team, I have been involved in developing a purpose statement detailing the io ‘vision’. This is one of the many ways, I have been encouraged to think critically about the moral responsibilities we hold as engineers and the consequences of our designs and decisions. This was insightful in seeing how here at io, ethical considerations are integrated into project planning and executions to enable the development of solutions which are equitable and sustainable. I particularly enjoyed discussing how we can provide value to the clients whilst promoting a forward-thinking systems mindset to enable a just energy transition.


I had the chance to participate in Decision Quality (DQ) training, which provided valuable insights into how io consulting conducts workshops and applies DQ principles to fully engage stakeholders in making strategic energy decisions. Historically, estimates for energy projects in terms of time, cost, and production have been overly optimistic, leading to significant losses in expected value. Among the various challenges in decision-making, the lack of clarity regarding value drivers for concept selection and the influence of cognitive biases were the most striking.


The training emphasised the critical components of DQ, which are designed to align stakeholders and tackle these issues effectively. Through practical exercises, we identified value drivers for a hypothetical decision, aiming to clarify objectives and reconcile any trade-off conflicts. This highlighted the impact of strategic decisions, going beyond the usual technical and commercial considerations. The experience was truly insightful, reinforcing the importance of high quality decision-making processes in achieving successful energy project outcomes.


io has been instrumental in supporting my efforts to expand my understanding of the holistic solutions critical to advancing the energy transition. For instance, attending sustainability conferences has provided me with a deeper awareness of the commercial complexities surrounding the energy transition. Additionally, engaging in regular 'toolbox talks' has been an invaluable opportunity to stay informed about exciting projects across the company. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how my teammates have used their broad experiences and perspectives to develop innovative low carbon solutions.


If I were to pinpoint the most valuable aspect of this year, it would be the discovery of my passion for a career within the energy sector. Above all, I am leaving this placement excited to continue growing, learning and contributing to the mission of delivering clean, safe and affordable energy for all.

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