33 THE CEO INTERVIEW A Look Inside the www.ceotodaymagazine.com UNDERGROUND ENERGY STORAGE INDUSTRY Dr. Leonhard Ganzer Managing Director at UEST (Underground Energy Storage Technologies) Can you tell us about your experience leading R&D projects and technology development in the area of underground hydrogen and CO2 storage, and how you plan to apply this expertise in your role as Managing Director of UEST? My role within UEST puts me in a position allowing me to transfer technologies developed during past and ongoing R&D projects at academia into the industry. Our industry is in need of solutions and technologies for the energy transition. Most of the R&D projects that I dealt with in academia aimed at solving complex challenges and solutions were typically developed at lab-scale or at most for pilot-scale. This applies to underground storage of hydrogen and carbon-dioxide alike. R&D projects are often characterised by the presence of unexpected challenges, outcomes and hurdles. This requires flexible project teams and agile project management. The energy transition business areas UEST is active in often require similar flexibility and robust management skills. Our clients benefit from the expertise of all UEST partners with strong technical background and plenty of experience in challenging projects. The unique know-how of partners within UEST will position us in the market as independent and singlesource provider for exciting, cross-disciplinary and complex projects from pilot-scale to full field-scale in these areas. Can you discuss the current state of the underground energy storage industry, and what you see as the key challenges and trends in the field? Natural gas storage in the geological subsurface is an established technology since many decades. With the
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