Meet Our Experts: Damien Garot
At CRM Group, innovation is driven by people. Behind every breakthrough lies the expertise and passion of our teams. In this interview, we meet Damien, one of our dedicated experts, who shares his insights into Energy and Low Impact Industry and gives us a closer look at the challenges, ambitions, and technologies shaping his work.
First, can you introduce yourself, tell us how long you’ve been working at CRM Group, your career and explain your current role?
I am Damien Garot, I am a Chemical Engineer of ULiege (ULg at that time). I entered CRM Group in 2014 as a Project leader. I was working at EcoTechnoPole-Wallonie SCRL on pyrolysis and gasification under pressure for customers like Air Liquide LURGI. I was offered a contract when the company was taken over by CRM Group. At that time, the team was very small. In the testing hall, there were two pilot facilities in operation (especially ‘HUGE’) and a great deal of idle stuff.
I first carried on working in the thermo-chemical processes and the production of alternative fuels. However, the challenge was to expand our scientific and technical offer to the customers and to develop new projects. With colleagues from MPR and customers like ArcelorMittal and JohnCockerill, I have participated in the adaptation and new acquisition of pilot capabilities to embrace new R&D fields and value propositions.
Years after years, the activities and their scope enlarged, I took progressively charge of the R&D pilot platform and the team. After a while, a new Unit was created : Energy and Low Impact Industry.
Your current work covers a number of fields, but let's focus a little on CO2 mitigation, which is a very interesting topics. Can you tell us more about it?
Within the Unit, CO2 and fossil fuel avoidance is one of the activities that has been recently created (beside CO2 capture) and is under development. Our skills and knowledge is building up but we have already several projects. I coordinated the first pilot trials of direct reduction of iron ore (especially with hydrogen) on the ‘HUGE’ pilot facility. With the team, we have designed a new dedicated reactor for this process and we are now about to commission it.
With the Walloon Recovery and Resilience Plan, I had the opportunity to investigate the electrification of Multiple Hearth Furnaces in support to JohnCockerill (HECO2 portfolio). The world’s first electrically heated MHF is now running in CRM ETP’s premises!
Another topic, based on an idea from Carmeuse Technologies, I set up with them a project on the development of a prototype reactor for hydration of lime with high energy efficiency. This project is ongoing.
Finally, sewage sludge is a latest topic where I am growing new proposals.
You just mentioned Sewage sludge, can you tell us more?
This is the residue from wastewater treatment. Nothing appealing but this material comes under scrutiny in Wallonia and Europe because of various concerns (notably persistant organic pollutants). New processes are needed to recover phosphorous from this waste in an energy-efficient and clean way. I investigated sewage sludge gasification more than ten years ago and some outcomes are likely to be processed for scaling up.
Lastly, what advice would you give to a young student entering this field today?
Research & Development to industrial application is not an easy path. You will climb hills and enjoy beautiful scenery but also face cliffs and precipices.
Besides learning scientific and technical knowledge, skills like flexibilitiy and perseverance are necessary. Keeping cool and constructive in professional relationships can help a lot. Nowadays, I feel that young graduates have to think out-of-the-box and keep aware that humankind is a part of the Earth’s ecosystem.