Alp Yesilkaya is a Project Manager at Mormair with a background in civil engineering and a master’s degree in project management. Currently, he is contributing to Mormair’s Innovate UK grant projects and leading Mormair’s participation in Shell’s StartUp Engine accelerator program, working with Shell mentors to create conceptual engineering studies focused on decarbonizing the St. Fergus Terminal, Fife NGL, and Dragon LNG Plants. Alp is also involved with Genç Türkler, a political organization in Turkey, within their energy policy team.
How did you first come across GGR?
When I started my master’s at Heriot-Watt University, I began working for Mormair, initially to help with contract management and the overall day-to-day operations. However, it didn’t stay that way for long. Being a total nerd for innovative and emerging technologies, I quickly developed an interest in the company’s main technology, Chemical Looping Combustion, and began teaching myself about it while taking on more responsibilities.
Anyone in this field knows that most things are highly interconnected, as is often the case in science, which leads you to explore other topics to better understand what you’ve just learned. That’s exactly what happened with me. Although I was familiar with some climate change mitigation technologies before, it wasn’t until a few months into working in the industry that I became fully aware of and knowledgeable about GGR, as an umbrella term for removal technologies, policies, and all the other elements it encompasses.
A year later, I conducted my dissertation as an extended research proposal, where I explored a novel method of CO2 transportation using the existing hydrocarbon infrastructure. Looking back, I can confidently say this was the single most impactful experience that significantly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the academic, political, technical, and societal aspects of both emission reductions and GGR.
Who inspired you when you were looking to get into the industry?
In my case, the inspiration kicked in months after I entered the industry. For the first few months, it was just a normal job where you get paid for doing things that don’t really require much inspiration.
Things changed, and I found myself researching these topics randomly, when the following dots started connecting in my head: GGR is a serious business with global public and private attention. It’s likely essential to mitigating climate change, and there’s already an incredible and ever-developing ecosystem of CCS and GGR companies, filled with some of the smartest people I’ve ever had the chance to meet and work with. Moreover, the technical side is so exciting that it makes me want to drop everything and become a chemical or process engineer.
As these thoughts took shape, I realized I wanted to push myself professionally and contribute to this evolving ecosystem.
Getting into the industry didn’t require much inspiration, but developing the passion I have now, and deciding that this is what I want to do going forward, were inspired by the people who have built and continue to build this ecosystem.
What aspect within your role now is motivating you?
I am quite fascinated and excited by the amount of impact a single conversation can have in emerging fields like GGR.
Last year at the UK Metals Expo in Birmingham, we spent two full days talking to industry experts and academics without much meaningful progress. During the last hour of the expo, we had a last-minute conversation with Dr. Bruce Adderley from Innovate UK. Later on, he introduced us to the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), with whom we ended up partnering for the CLIMATES grant application. We won that grant thanks to that last-minute conversation.
This experience fundamentally changed the way I approach and view things. It also made me realize that I really enjoy making connections, finding collaboration opportunities, and creating synergies, which is a large chunk of what I do at Mormair.
Currently, I am leading our involvement in Shell’s StartUp Engine accelerator program and creating conceptual studies and proposals while collaborating with some mentors from Shell. Needless to say, I am beyond motivated at every site visit.
Where do you see the biggest gaps and need for further resources?
One of the biggest gaps I see in the GGR field is the challenge of scaling up promising technologies from the lab to real-world applications. There’s a plethora of innovative ideas and small-scale projects, but taking that leap to commercial-scale operations often hits a wall due to insufficient funding, lack of infrastructure, or technical limitations.
There is also a pressing need for more interdisciplinary collaboration. The challenges we face are complex and multifaceted, requiring input from engineers, policymakers, scientists, and even social scientists to develop holistic solutions. I believe that creating platforms for these diverse groups to collaborate can lead to breakthroughs that we might not achieve working in isolation.
Lastly, policy and regulatory frameworks need to catch up with the pace of technological advancement. Clear guidelines and supportive policies can provide the necessary environment for innovation to thrive. Allocating more resources to develop these frameworks can accelerate the adoption of GGR.
What advice would you give someone looking to get into GGR?
I started working in this field within the first few months of arriving in the UK for my master’s studies. My English-speaking skills were rusty, and as a result, I was a bit introverted and kept to myself, even when others tried to engage with me. It took time to build up confidence in my ability to hold meaningful, work-related conversations. However, I noticed that things accelerated significantly and became more enjoyable as I grew comfortable with challenging discussions. I have also realized that this is also crucial for developing critical thinking in the context of GGR, which ultimately shapes your vision and defines you as an individual in the field.
In my experience, communities tend to be some of the best resources you can access in this field. Knowledge naturally radiates from people, and the more you expose yourself to this, the easier everything becomes.
I think the most important thing is to find your niche and surround yourself with likeminded people as soon as possible.
Can you describe your 2050 vision for GGR?
My 2050 vision for GGR is a mix of cautious optimism and realism. If I’m being totally honest, I think we’re going to miss the global targets for 2050. The pace at which large-scale implementation is moving just isn’t fast enough, and it’s hard to see that turning around drastically in the short term. But—and here’s where I’m optimistic—by 2050, I believe we’ll see a suite of technologies in place that will help mitigate the majority of the damage caused by a greater than 2°C increase in global temperatures.
GGR will likely be one part of a much broader strategy, where we have everything from direct air capture to nature-based solutions working together. There will be a strong interplay between prevention and mitigation technologies. I imagine we’ll see regional hubs of GGR solutions, tailored to their local environments, as well as policy frameworks that support these systems on a large scale.
It’s not going to be a smooth journey, but I believe by then we’ll have developed smarter and more efficient technologies that will help ease the pressure on ecosystems and societies.
