Get to know Iain Catto, who went from being a Process Operator to our Process Lead a few months ago, as he talks about the transition and what the job means to him.
How did you begin working at Celtic Renewables?
IC: I was working offshore before on a towage and salvage vessel and wanted to move to an onshore position. Looking at jobs online, the one at Celtic Renewable came up and it just ticked every box for me. It just seemed like a great opportunity to join a company starting from the ground up.
What made you want to work at Celtic Renewables?
IC: I liked the whole ethos of the company. The fact that it’s just starting means there is the chance to put your own name on something as well. And I think it’s going to be world-leading – it’s so unique. The unique selling point really rang true for me and coming from a background where I’ve worked in offshore in oil and gas, I thought it was time for a change, time to start working in a green environment.
You’re the Process Lead at Celtic Renewables. What does this position entail?
IC: It varies quite a lot, especially where we are at the minute, every day is different. I’m responsible for ensuring the safe day-to-day running of the plant and making sure that it’s running as efficiently as possible. I’m also the first point of contact for all the process operators. So, my day generally consists of finding out what’s going on process-wise and keeping the process going. At the moment, we’re still doing a lot of control work and deciding what the priorities are for contractors and our other teams. Planning logistics is also part of that.
Prior to being process lead, I was a process operator myself, so it’s been a bit of a change – instead of being in the control room all the time, I am also in the office and instead of being one of the guys and girls, I’m now looking after them. It was a big step up, but it’s been challenging in a good way. I’ve grown a lot and learned so much in the past couple of months.
What’s your favourite part of working at Celtic Renewables?
IC: The people. I think the people I’m working alongside make the job a lot easier.
I also like the science behind our process, I love going into the lab and seeing the results from our fermentations, seeing the process develop and thinking about how we can constantly improve it. It’s honestly what gets me out of bed in the morning and my wife and friends are probably sick of hearing me speak about it – but I’m just really excited to see where the company is going, and I think I’m in a great position just now to help it.
What are you looking forward to seeing in the future of the industry?
IC: I am looking forward to seeing us grow and being a global leader. I think it is such a great opportunity at this point in time to be from the ground starting up and I think we’ll be seeing exponential growth. Trying to get away from this reliance on fossil fuels and using low-cost by-products from other industries, maybe even looking at different substrates in the future, that’s really exciting.
What is one thing you do in your day-to-day life to be more sustainable?
IC: I’m very stringent with our household recycling. Other than that, it’s little things like trying to use less gas and electricity, swapping out old light bulbs with energy-efficient ones… little bits and pieces like that. As a keen gardener, I also try to have bee-friendly plants in my garden, trying to encourage as many bees as possible to populate.