Luz Serrano Herrera, Energy Transition Engineer, attended the 2024 International CCS Summer School organized by the IEAGHG in Darwin. The International Energy Agency’s Greenhouse Gas R&D program is leading research into Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Of this prestigious course, she said that “it was an incredibly intense and transformative week.”

“Beyond the sheer amount and quality of the technical knowledge imparted about CCUS, which was fascinating, I had the opportunity to network with people from private, public and academic spheres, including participants from locations as remote as East Timor. I’m so grateful to Techint Engineering & Construction for offering me this unique experience,” says Luz Serrano Herrera, Energy Transition Engineer, of her time at the International CCS Summer School.

“Working for a company that invests as much in the Energy Transition as it does in training is a real privilege,” she adds.

Hailing from Colombia, Luz arrived in Argentina at the age of 16 to study at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires (FIUBA). In September 2021, she joined Techint E&C as a Young Professional (JP) working in the Process Design area. During her first year and a half, she was involved in a highly innovative CO² capture project. “It was the first of its kind that the company did for a customer in the United States. The project was about treating post-combustion gases in an absorption plant using amines, and it was a great learning experience for the whole team. Although it was a challenging task, we managed to issue a pre-FEED, or predefined design package, in just five months, and the customer was extremely satisfied,” she recalls.

After completing that, other opportunities came up, and Luz worked on projects for various companies in the Techint Group, from Ternium Brazil to Tenaris in Bay City, and ran a technological assessment for Tecpetrol. These experiences allowed her to expand and consolidate her knowledge of CO² capture techniques.

In May 2023, Luz was assigned to the operations area for the President Néstor Kirchner Gas Pipeline (GPNK in Spanish) in Argentina, where she took on a more operational and management role. She was closely involved in coordinating work on the surface installations for stretch 2 until the plant’s final shutdown in October 2023.

New talent joins the Energy Transition area

In August 2023, Hernan Milberg, Energy Transition Sr. Manager, invited her to join the Energy Transition area due to the expertise she’d amassed in CO² capture. After completing her assignment at GPNK, Luz joined the team as an Energy Transition Engineer. The area's flagship project at the moment is the FEED for the Paysandú Train 1 for HIF Global. Techint E&C is developing the engineering design for its first efuels plant, including CO² capture units and hydrogen production using electrolysis. This is where Luz is currently working as a Carbon Capture Engineer.

“Beyond the knowledge we’ve already accrued as a company, we’re always looking to expand our experience in these areas. It was Hernan who spotted the Summer School organized by the IEAGHG, an independent body that produces huge amounts of content and training on CCUS, and he saw this as an interesting opportunity for the team and encouraged me to apply,” Luz adds.

This year’s Summer School was held in Darwin, located in northern Australia, strategically chosen for its proximity to a planned cluster of companies, all carbon dioxide emitters. These emissions will be captured and the gas transported to a shared injection site for underground storage, making the location a key player in future carbon capture efforts.

During the week-long course, Luz attended lectures, visited an LNG plant and gave a group presentation on CO² capture technologies.

“We were asked to make the presentation as creative as possible, so we decided to adopt a couples therapy format. Each couple represented a different technology and they debated its pros and cons as part of a therapy session. And our team won the award for the best presentation of the week!” says the young engineer proudly.

Luz adds that, as well as networking, one of the things that struck her the most was how valuable it was to have the opportunity to exchange information about global projects. “This type of event gives you a ton of insights on issues, techniques and solutions that probably aren’t public knowledge because they’re not on the market yet. Another thing is that we realized that we have a lot of knowledge to contribute to everything on the basis of what we’ve developed. It was incredibly enriching,” she recalls.

In conclusion, she highlights the relevance of ongoing training and the support provided by Techint E&C during this process. “The truth is that this was a fantastic opportunity and I’m so grateful. Not all companies place such importance on training, and it’s a privilege to work for a company that encourages you to develop like this.”

What is CO² capture and underground storage?

Post-combustion carbon dioxide capture is a technology aimed at curbing CO² emissions produced by burning fossil fuels like coal or natural gas in power plants or in other industries. During combustion, carbon dioxide—a major greenhouse gas—is released into the atmosphere. Post-combustion capture separates the CO² from other fumes and exhaust gases, before they reach the atmosphere using different methods such as chemical absorbents that isolate and capture the CO² from other emissions.

Once the CO² has been captured, it is typically transported to a secure location for permanent storage, often in underground formations like saline aquifers or depleted gas fields. While underground storage remains a common approach, alternative uses for captured CO² are gaining interest . For instance, carbon dioxide can be used in industrial processes, such as the production of chemicals or as a substitute for petroleum derivatives in making plastics and efuels. These alternatives not only reduce atmospheric CO² levels, but also create economic value by transforming a waste product into a valuable resource.