Education?
MSc in Chemical Engineering from RWTH Aachen, Germany, and
PhD in Environmental Engineering from NTNU, Trondheim

Nationality?
German

Position/department?
Research Scientist at the Environmental Technology department

Which responsibilities/main tasks do you have in your job?
My focus is on CO₂ storage in minerals, but environmental technology is a broad field with many nuances. In my first year at IFE, for instance, I worked mainly on treatment of low-radioactive corrosion products from gas pipelines in the North Sea.

Olivine from Åheim, (Møre og Romsdal county, Norway) may also form beautiful crystals that are made into highly valuated gems. Centre picture: Powderized commercial grade olivine. The major profit lies in the important impact for the environment. Olivine may be used in the storage of CO₂ by forming very resistant carbonate minerals (eg. as  Magnesite in the picture to the right) and hence change waste into valued minerals.

Why did you apply for this job?
After several years in water research, I felt a need for new challenges and a change of scenery from Trondheim. Furthermore, I wanted to work with environmental issues related to  CO₂. The research position at IFE was an opportunity to realize all three wishes at once.

What is it that interests you in this field of research?
 CO₂ has come to be the “climate thug”, which makes it of course exciting to study. In nature we find many different processes that take care of  CO₂. These we can learn from in order to develop technologies that reduce  CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere. In my group we study methods for  CO₂ capture, storage (preferably for life) and possible areas of utilisation in industrial processes.

 
How would you describe working at IFE?
As a researcher at IFE I have a great deal of freedom with respect to organising project work and my work day. Experimental activities tend to entail working overtime in periods, but mostly you know when the extra efforts are required. As a research institution IFE has good access to literature, also electronically. Besides being a substantial part of the research work, this gives me the opportunity to keep myself updated. Surprisingly many of my colleagues at IFE have put in more than ten years of service at the Institute, so it seems people enjoy working here. Personally I find IFE’s campus very bright and green, which gives me a lot of breathing space.

Which challenges have you experienced?
I meet professional challenges continuously, not at least because I changed my field of topic since my last job. Many books and notes that I have not touched for years had to be brought to light again. It takes time to get an overview of people at IFE and to understand how things are organised and function. Luckily I have had good assistance from my mentor and our department secretary.

Any visions about how this technology can change the world?
The projects I am involved in may not change the world, but they can contribute to making the world a better place. Environmental technology can be seen as a collective effort where everybody contributes with their competence and skills. Many hands make light work.

Meet more of IFE's researchers here.