Meet Sarah Rowbotham! Originally a Technical Operator at Celtic Renewables, she transitioned into her current role as Process Operator this summer.
Sarah brought a wealth of hands-on practical experience and process knowledge to the team and with her fermentation and laboratory background, we would not want to miss her as part of the Celtic Crew!
How did you start to work at Celtic Renewables?
SR: I have worked in Grangemouth for quite a few years. From my previous employment, I became aware of a new plant being built ‘out the back’. I followed the progress on Celtic’s construction journey through LinkedIn. Straight away I was interested in the whole concept, reading about the sustainability and innovation they were undertaking, I knew I could thrive in a company that was doing something viable, making an important impact on the environment.
What made you want to work at Celtic Renewables?
SR: The sustainability and the innovation are just amazing. All the waste streams and by-products that we’ve classed as useless for such a long time aren’t really ‘waste’. We can re-work them and into high-value commodities.
What’s your favourite part about working at Celtic Renewables?
SR: We have had the opportunity to be involved with everything from the beginning: one day you could be shovelling snow to clear the way for site deliveries and the next, writing SOPs, Risk assessments and learning about distillation columns. We’re such a mixed bag right now and joining from the start of commissioning means you get to throw yourself in and pick up every part of the plant and laboratory. We are all working with the same passion and excitement, aiming towards our first batch of solvents.
What are you looking forward to witnessing in the future of the industry?
SR: The closest thing is getting the bio-stream commissioned, then increasing that up to our big fermenter scale before getting our first solvents off! For all the hard work people have put in, the day we achieve this will be momentous. Continuing to prove the technology and watch it grow will be amazing. Then seeing Celtic grow globally, with the research continuing in the background, looking at different ‘waste’ streams we can utilise.
What is one thing you do in your day-to-day life to be more sustainable?
SR: Celtic has truly made me a bit more mindful of things. I’ve got three children and you’re always running around so it’s taking that time to stop and think. I always love to recycle, for example, I give a lot of the children’s clothes away to charities and women’s organisations. I think it’s important to do things like this. We have swapped our home energy provider to a renewable energy company and have reduced our food waste by planning meals weekly. Every change has a positive impact on my family’s carbon footprint.