4 minutes with… Alan Flavelle, Director, Greenpower Energy

Tell us about your company and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

After a long history in coal mining [formed in 1899] we are now at a point where we find ourselves working at ways to transform Victorian Brown Coal [VBC] into useful products. VBC is a very immature product-essentially lignin. In our view it is one of the best sources of lignin available as well as one of the cheapest.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

For processing the VBC we are relying on an oxidative technique developed by Professor Ken Anderson of the Southern Illinois University. His process and our lignite/lignin are well suited to each other. We plan to construct a pilot plant in Victoria so the commercial process is entirely de-risked. Some of the output is of direct use; eg ethyl vanillate, and other products are platform chemicals for making bio-degradable plastic. We have engaged a university to see if the basic output solution could have a role as a soil improver.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?  

To win more complete public acceptance for the bio-industry.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change? 

To develop an organization which sets standards. Similar to the role played by the American Petroleum Institute [API] for the North American Petroleum Industry.

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?  

Something of an accident. Our company found itself with the ownership rights to a substantial tonnage of VBC. Developing a strategy for extracting useful products from us lead us to the oxidative process and treating it as a bio-resource.

Where are you from? 

Born in Victoria, Australia. Grew up and educated in Western Australia

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway?

Majored in physics plus a substantial amount of geology and maths. Began in the school of engineering and after summer work with the Australian analogue of the USGS switched to earth science.

Who do you consider your mentors – could be personal, business, or just people you have read about and admire. What have you learned from them?

After graduating, my first boss was Dr F J G Neumann an earth scientist who had worked in North America and Europe. He taught me the importance of being able to extract the maximum benefit from data bases which sometimes were far from complete.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?  

In times of adversity, no matter what you are doing, never neglect your science. Find ways of keeping up.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry?

Following my wife around museums, galleries and old buildings in Europe.

What are 3 books you’d want to have with you, if you were stranded on a desert island

The complete works of Bernard Shaw.

A copy of The Principia by Newton: in Latin and English. Plus a good Latin/English dictionary.

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?  

Have just finished reading “Before I go to Sleep” by S J Watson

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?

Central Italy from Florence down to Rome.