Rising Stars Winner Q&A

Pedro Medina, Senior Technology Development Engineer, CEPSA

2017 Winner – Part of the Rising Stars Winner Q&A, with Sarah Casey, Project Director, World Refining Association

Published on 16th July 2020

How has the lockdown affected your daily work routine?

Just some days before the lockdown my company suggested that we work from home. That was the situation from March 11th until July 7th, and now we have started going back into the office once a week. Working from home is an excellent experience.

Tell us about your role as Environmental & Sustainability engineer, what was the most exciting project you worked on?

In this role I participated in the air quality technical working groups of Concawe; I revised different BREFs (Best available techniques reference document) pointing its implications for CEPSA refineries and chemical plants. The most exciting projects I worked on include a Due Diligence performance for new petrochemical plant acquisitions and a new refinery environmental project analysis.

What about your current role as Senior Technology Development engineer, what are your focuses and your favourite thing about the role?

I perform evaluation and selection of technologies for new projects (leading the environmental technology adaptation for new regulations, refinery conversion increase, energy transition adaptation, new product formulation etc.) and retrofittings. I also perform techno-economic analysis of projects in which these technologies could be applied. My favourite thing about the role is that I am constantly updated about new technologies in refining, chemical, energy transition and circular economy.

What is the technology that you’re most excited about and why? CCUS, hydrogen, biofuels or chemical recycling?

Biofuels and chemical recycling, as they offer the refining industry a good opportunity to adapt to energy transition quickly, without the need for huge changes.

What would you say is the biggest challenge for downstream today?

Downstream is facing very tough times with multiple threats. Nowadays reduction in demand due to coronavirus is hitting the business side of things hard, but in the middle/long term, energy transition (mainly transport electrification and plastic use restrictions) will force the industry to adapt very quickly to the new environment, otherwise you will be out of the market.

What do you think the young engineers of today will say to our 2020 Rising Stars question? (A Day in the Life of a 2050 Process Engineer: How would you revitalise the downstream sector for a role in the energy transition?)

That is a really interesting question. By 2050, downstream should have adapted to the energy transition, so I think from now on a Process Engineer should be open not only to refining and petrochemicals, but also to any possible technology that could transform the refineries into energy and material conversion hubs.

What is your favourite book?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

You might be interested in

Rising Stars Winner Q&A, Damian Kwiatkowski

Rising Stars Winner Q&A, Damian Kwiatkowski

Damian Kwiatkowski, Junior Process Engineer at Grupa LOTOS S.A. won the ERTC Rising Stars Award back in November 2019 in Poland. Damian tells us about his Rising Stars experience, how his career evolved since, as well as his general thoughts on challenges the Refining industry is facing at the moment. Read More

Antonio Joyanes, SVP Refining, CEPSA

Antonio Joyanes, SVP Refining, CEPSA

At ERTC 2019 in Poland, Antonio Joyanes, SVP Refining at CEPSA told us more about Digitalisation, whether it is just a buzzword and its impact on the refining industry. He also shared his thoughts on whether refineries must move away from producing liquid hydrocarbons in order to remain competitive in the energy transition. Read More

La Visión De AspenTech – La Planta del Futuro

La Visión De AspenTech – La Planta del Futuro

Entrevista WRA – Alex Muro VP Ventas, América Latina, AspenTech Read More

WRA Interview Series | John Cooper

WRA Interview Series | John Cooper

The WRA’s goal is to support the refining industry and its transition to a sustainable future. We had a conversation with John Cooper, Director General for FuelsEurope and Concawe about how they are working with the European Commission and putting refineries at the heart of the Green Deal. We discussed FuelsEurope’s report “Clean Fuels for All” and how the current refinery blueprint will differ significantly to the refinery of 2050. Read More