Petroplan Insights

When Suzie joined Petroplan, in March 2013, she was just 18 months out of her master’s degree. It all started with a leap of faith – ‘Even though I hadn’t worked in HR before, they recognised that they could train me up and that I had other things to offer in the role.’

She fell right in the deep end from the beginning, with Petroplan introducing a new HR system at the time and her role varying from crafting carefully worded letters to reporting and basic coding (!), she had to learn quickly and immerse herself in all things HR.

Through her can-do attitude and natural curiosity, she gained her seniors’ trust early on and was allowed room to grow and discover more about the business; the people, the needs, the priorities. ‘It was a role that touched every aspect of HR, but also every bit of the business at every level.’

As part of Petroplan’s L&D programme, Suzie was offered to do a CIPD qualification course right at her interviewing stage; 6 months in her new role, and having acquired some practical knowledge, she decided to go for it; she was eligible for a CIPD level 7 diploma – ‘Every weekend would see me studying, learning, trying to absorb all this information so I was ready to pass the exams.’ And she did – with merits and distinctions!

While Suzie was growing professionally, Petroplan was growing along; halfway through her CIPD course and with the addition of a more junior member to the HR team, to cover Petroplan’s expansion needs, Suzie gets promoted to HR Advisor and takes on much of the day to day running of the HR department. Soon after that, Suzie gets a further promotion and becomes Petroplan’s HR Manager.

Having conquered that professional summit, it was time to start planning a personal one. With a slightly difficult start and a lot of support from Petroplan, Suzie becomes a mum for the first time in 2017. The birth of her first child sees her going on maternity leave and questioning her return to work. But Petroplan’s flexible working policy, offers her and her family an alternative solution, suitable to her new lifestyle.  

‘The best decision I made was saying ‘yes’ to giving Petroplan two mornings a week after my son was born.’

Suzie gradually increased her hours with Petroplan until the birth of her second child in 2019. With the same high level of support from Petroplan, she came back from her second maternity leave and is now still at two and a half day weeks. This allows her to be with her children while getting involved with very interesting HR projects at Petroplan, like the roll out of a new HR system, the design and implementation of a global well being programme or the editing and circulation of Petroplan’s monthly People News. Suzie also finds time to volunteer with her local church – a precious commitment that so agrees with her character.

‘I feel so fortunate to have this balance, where I have my family life, my volunteering life and my work life…and I give a good amount of time to each thing.’

When discussing the future, she feels hopeful and optimistic; she loves the balance that she’s been allowed to achieve and is confident that, with her children growing up, she’ll still be able to enjoy professional progression without missing out on the dear family moments.

‘One thing I've learned in the past five years is that I don't have to give every waking minute and I don't have to work full time in order to grow a career.’

The flexibility, support and understanding she’s experienced so far has made her want to take a personalised approach to her interactions with the Petroplan people. As Global HR Manager, she has to deal with many difficult situations in people related matters and find a resolution which will suit both the individual and the business.

‘If you take the time to understand what the individual needs and what the business needs in detail, you can start to come up with a solution that works well for both; we won’t get it right every time…but it’s important to be honest with people and take time to explain and get them involved in the decisions.’

Her biggest lesson learnt so far and the advice she’d give to anyone starting out would be to set clear boundaries; to love the work you do but not let it creep into your personal life. To find something you love to do outside of work which will allow you to recharge and clear your mind.   

Suzie loves people, words, and exciting new projects; she loves her job, her family and her volunteering work.

Suzie is an achiever, a thinker, and an objective advisor; she’s a professional, a working mum, a giving individual and Petroplan is her home!

As the world continues to experience the effects of climate change, governments and organizations have made a lot of noise about reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and transition to cleaner forms of energy. How much of the talk turns into action will be critical for the future of our industry and our world.

Arash Roknian is leading Petroplan’s Clean Energy business in the US, as it becomes a larger part of the organization’s overall business model.  

“As a recruiter, I’m drawn to clean energy because it represents a huge opportunity for innovation and economic growth,” says Arash.

“The clean energy sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, with tremendous potential for job creation and economic development.”

Arash acknowledges that the pace of change can never be fast enough, given the urgency and what’s at stake.

“When we look at the progress that has been made so far, as well as some of the challenges that remain, it’s clear there’s a long way to go.”

One of the most significant signs of progress has been the rapid growth of renewable energy sources. According to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power accounted for 72% of global electricity generation capacity additions in 2020. This number continues to grow.

In fact, renewable energy sources are now the second-largest source of electricity worldwide. This growth has been driven by falling costs and government incentives, as well as increasing awareness of the need to address climate change.

Another positive development has been the increasing adoption of electric vehicles. While it’s still a small percentage of the overall vehicle market, sales of electric vehicles have been growing rapidly in recent years.

“We’re looking at up to 25% of new cars being electric by 2025,” Arash says.

“This growth is expected to continue as more automakers introduce new electric models and governments implement policies to encourage their adoption”

Despite these positive developments, there are still significant challenges in the energy transition. While renewable energy sources are growing rapidly, they still only account for a small percentage of total energy consumption.

“Another challenge is the need to upgrade and modernize electricity grids,” he says.

“Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are intermittent, meaning that they are not always available when needed. This requires a flexible and resilient electricity grid that can balance supply and demand in real-time.”

A major aspect of his team’s current activities is Hydrogen, where the US is making a huge push in development.

“It is a particularly exciting energy source for a number of reasons, including its high energy content, its versatility, and its potential to be produced from renewable sources.”

Hydrogen has a very high energy content per unit of weight, making it an extremely efficient fuel. It has three times more energy per unit of weight than gasoline, and when burned, it produces only water vapor as a byproduct. This makes hydrogen a very clean-burning fuel, with no emissions of pollutants or greenhouse gases.

Hydrogen is a very versatile energy source. It can be used in a variety of applications, including fuel cells for vehicles and power generation, industrial processes, and heating. It can also be used as a feedstock for the production of chemicals and other materials.

Hydrogen also has the potential to be produced from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power through a process called electrolysis. This involves using electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When renewable energy is used to power the electrolysis process, the resulting hydrogen is completely carbon-free and emits no greenhouse gases.

Despite these challenges involved in production and storage, there is growing excitement around its potential as a clean, versatile, and efficient fuel.

Finally, there is the challenge of ensuring that the energy transition is equitable and just.

“The shift to renewable energy sources has the potential to create new jobs and economic opportunities, but it also has the potential to disrupt existing industries and communities. It is important that the transition is managed in a way that takes into account the needs and concerns of all stakeholders, including workers in the fossil fuel industry.”

Arash himself has been working in recruitment for ten years. After beginning his career in London, he transitioned to Houston four years ago, looking to take a role in one of the key battlegrounds of the energy transition.

“As a millennial, I’m acutely aware of the urgent need to address climate change and transition to a more sustainable, clean energy future. For me, working in clean energy is not just a job, it's a way to make a real difference and help build a better world.”

“Finally, I am drawn to clean energy because it offers the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds and disciplines. The transition to clean energy is a complex, interdisciplinary challenge that requires collaboration and cooperation across a wide range of fields, from engineering and science to policy and finance. I believe that diverse teams are more innovative and effective, and I am excited about the prospect of working with people from different backgrounds and perspectives to find creative solutions to the challenges of the clean energy transition.”

The renewable energy sector will continue to grow in the coming years, with the potential to create up to 42 million jobs globally by 2050. However, this growth will depend on supportive policies and investment in the sector, as well as the continued development and deployment of renewable energy technologies.

“We’re all excited about the possibilities. We just need to make sure we’re moving fast enough.”

Historically a region that has relied heavily on its vast reserves of oil and gas, the Middle East, is fast becoming a leader in renewable energy. 

Clean energy capacity in the region doubled between 2010 and 2020 to 40GW, with this figure set to double again by 2024. 

The shift has been sparked by changes in legislation as an increasing number of countries commit to clean energy targets and net zero. 

For decades, the Middle East’s energy mix has been comprised almost exclusively of oil and natural gas. As recently as 2019, these two energy sources made up more than 98% of total supply in the region. 

Recent volatility with oil and gas prices has underlined the risks of relying solely on fossil fuels and, as part of the wider push towards net zero, several countries are now seeking to diversify their energy assets. 

The UAE, a leader for renewables in the region, is aiming to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50% by 2050. Along with a scaling up of solar, wind and biomass, the country is also targeting a 25% share of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030. 

Saudi Arabia has set the most ambitious target of generating 50% of its energy from clean sources by 2030. Solar farms will be the driving force behind the Kingdom’s transition, with the country also investing heavily in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. 

Elsewhere, Qatar is among the countries adopting electric vehicle (EV) technologies and plans to transition to an emissions-free public transport system by 2030. Israel and Oman are also taking steps to reach net zero by 2050, generating thousands of renewable energy jobs for local people. 

Some of the world’s biggest and most ambitious renewable energy projects can be found in the Middle East. We’ve picked out three key projects that are set to drive the region’s transition to renewable energy over the coming decades. 

The Neom megacity currently under construction in the northwest of Saudi Arabia promises to push the boundaries of urban design. Its ambitious scope of work extends to energy, with the city to be powered entirely by solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy. 

Neom will also feature what has been dubbed the world’s largest green-hydrogen-based ammonia production plant. The facility is expected to produce up to 600 tonnes of carbon-free hydrogen per day, which will be used as a sustainable alternative to fuel within the global transportation industry.   

Operational since 2013, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is soon to be the world’s largest single-site solar power plant. The power plant’s capacity is projected to reach 5GW by 2030, enough to power 320,000 homes. At its peak, the project created around 1,280 energy sector jobs. 

Alongside the Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant, which primarily serves the city of Abu Dhabi and holds the current title for the world’s largest single-site power plant, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will play a key part in the UAE’s push towards net zero.   

Dumat al-Jandal Wind Farm is Saudi Arabia’s first wind farm and the largest of its kind in the Middle East. Construction on the project began in 2019 and the wind farm was connected to the country’s grid last year. To date, it has created over 1,000 wind farm jobs for local people. 

Work on Dumat al-Jandal is still ongoing, with completion imminent. Once fully operational, it’s expected that the wind farm will have a capacity of 400MW, helping to displace approximately one million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. 

With its sprawling desert terrain and exposure to intense solar irradiation, the future of energy in the Middle East is likely to be led by solar power.  The renewable energy source is set to account for 15% of the region’s power mix by 2030, creating thousands of solar jobs in the process. 

Due to the intermittent nature of solar energy, significant resources have also been allocated to wind energy. New projects in Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will generate plenty of wind farm jobs for local people and industry contractors while bringing the region closer to its clean energy targets. 

The region has also emerged as a leader in green hydrogen. Several trade agreements, including the UAE-Germany Hydrogen Partnership and Saudi Arabia-Germany Hydrogen Agreement, will see the Middle East becoming a major exporter of green hydrogen in the coming decades. 

Similarly, the region has established itself as a hub for the development of CCS technology. Carbon capture will help to reduce emissions from industrial processes while also contributing to the production of low-carbon hydrogen. 

The development of clean energy in the Middle East is exciting news not only for the region but also for the rest of the world. Other countries will benefit from the region’s exports and innovations, creating millions of renewable energy jobs and accelerating the global push towards net zero. 

With over a decade’s experience in the Middle East, Petroplan is perfectly placed to support renewable energy companies and candidates through the energy transition. We recruit for a wide range of renewable energy jobs and can be trusted to find the right fit for any role.  

Contact us today to discuss our specialist renewable energy recruitment services. 

The transition to renewable energy has given rise to a modern-day mineral rush. Increasing investment in green technology has seen soaring demand for the essential materials that power these systems. 

According to the World Bank, production of the planet’s most critical minerals for energy transition will need to grow by 500% over the next 30 years in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. 

Surging demand for these materials presents new challenges to energy security – challenges that can only be solved through the combined efforts of key players from across the supply chain. 

As with oil refineries and power plants, renewable energy systems are reliant on a wide range of minerals for their construction and continued operation. Generally, these systems require more minerals than their fossil fuel-based counterparts. 

According to the IEA, the production of an electric vehicle (EV) calls for approximately six times more minerals than a conventional car. Offshore wind farms need 12 times as many minerals for every megawatt of electricity produced compared to natural gas systems. 

Elsewhere, critical minerals can be found in the high-performance motors, batteries and generators that power solar farms and green hydrogen systems. The widespread need for raw materials and required pace of transition means that minerals sourcing must be scaled up significantly. 

The types of minerals needed to support energy transition vary by technology. Some elements are essential for batteries, while others are especially suited to motors, magnets or electrical wiring. Here, we explore five of the materials in greatest demand. 

Arguably the most important mineral for energy transition, copper can be found in a wide range of clean energy technologies including wind turbines and solar panels as well as the energy infrastructure that stores and transports electricity. 

Copper is second only to silver in terms of thermal and electricity conductivity, making the metal especially suited to electrical cabling and wiring. On average, clean energy systems consume around five times more copper than those used in traditional power generation. 

Lithium is among the minerals currently in highest demand, with supply set to triple between 2021 and 2030. The metal is the key component of lithium-ion batteries, used to power many EVs and energy storage systems. 

Light and highly reactive, lithium has a unique ability to store large amounts of energy. However, it’s also finite, has an energy-intensive mining process and can be difficult to recycle. Many challenges lie ahead to scale up and make lithium supply sustainable.  

Just like lithium, cobalt is a critical material that’s used widely in rechargeable batteries. Previously, most cobalt had been used in mobile phones and laptops, however this has changed recently with EV batteries now constituting the largest single user of the metal. 

The growth of the EV market will see demand for cobalt more than quadruple between 2020 and 2050. It’s hoped that a significant chunk of this demand will be met with recycled cobalt, which, compared to lithium, is easier to extract from used batteries. 

Nickel is a versatile metal with many applications in renewable energy infrastructure. Like lithium and cobalt, it can be found in lithium-ion batteries, as well as offshore wind farm equipment, green hydrogen electrolysers and geothermal power stations. 

The metal’s strong resistance to atmospheric corrosion makes it suitable for use in extreme environments. While geothermal energy is yet to be used on a mass scale, the IEA expects that the renewable energy source will account for up to 80% of nickel demand by 2040.   

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a set of seventeen metallic elements that includes the fifteen lanthanides as well as scandium and yttrium. While these metals are actually quite common, they are rarely found in large enough quantities to be extracted economically. 

Several rare earths are key to energy transition. These include neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, which are used to manufacture the permanent magnets found in the generators of wind turbines and EVs.   

Even under the least ambitious emissions pathway, the supply of critical minerals for the energy transition will need to increase dramatically. Scaling up supply brings several challenges, including resource shortages, trade restrictions and new environmental concerns associated with extraction. 

While many minerals already have an established recycling infrastructure, others like lithium are yet to be recycled on a mass scale. In these cases, it’s generally accepted that new mining jobs and projects will be required to meet the immediate needs of the transition. 

The demand for these minerals is set to create thousands of new exploration jobs in the short and medium term as secondary production is scaled. Increasing investment in minerals recycling will also generate a large number of jobs in renewable energy. 

Beyond the balancing act of primary and secondary production, there are also geopolitical hurdles to overcome. International collaboration between governments and corporations will underpin the transition, with key players working together closely to develop sustainable supply chains. 

Only through a holistic approach that considers the combined impact of minerals sourcing on the environment and communities that produce these key materials will it be possible to transition successfully to renewable energy. 

We’re proud to play our part in energy transition and stand ready to support employers looking to recruit for a wide range of mining jobs as well as jobs in renewable energy. Contact us today to find out how we can help with your talent acquisition process.