Optimal Group and Optimal Renewable Gas (ORG) has announced that they have appointed Luca Febbraio as the new Chief Development Officer for Optimal Renewable Gas.
This high profile appointment is following the company’s recent signing of an agreement with BOC-Elgas to facilitate the development of the Westbury BioLNG Project.
In this role, Febbraio will help to drive this new project for the benefit of the business.
Optimal Renewable Gas hires Luca Febbraio
Luca Febbraio has more than 25 years’ international experience in corporate and business development, in the energy (renewable and waste) and infrastructure sectors.
He was previously a Director in the Specialised Asset & Finance team at Macquarie Group, responsible for the origination of deals in the renewable and waste sector.
In the new role, Luca Febbraio will be responsible for developing renewable gas projects at ORG in addition to securing major feed stock and off-takers for future projects.
Optimal Group Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Craig Dugan welcomed Luca Febbraio.
“We are delighted to have Luca on board as he has a fantastic track record in renewables, having worked with Macquarie bank in renewable energy and waste asset finance.”
“Luca Febbraio’s commercial and financing background will be very crucial to our efforts in completing the necessary agreements in order to secure Optimal Group’s business.”
“He will also be required to strongly and effectively engage with potential and future partners of Optimal Renewable Gas as we continue to develop our renewable gas portfolio.”
“With ten plants to be constructed Luca will be a key driver of the ORG brand and business.”
Optimal Renewable Gas targets hydrogen market
Febbraio will also being responsible for Optimal’s hydrogen markets, including the further expansion of Optimal’s Hydrogen business, as Head of Hydrogen Business Development.
“Our hydrogen business is growing rapidly,” Dugan said.
“Luca will therefore, take on the responsibility of gaining strategic partnerships, business development and commercialisation of our hydrogen suite of solutions and products including ITM Power Electrolysers, Capstone Hydrogen MicroTurbines and Fuel Cells.”
“As the hydrogen market rapidly expands, it is vital that Optimal provides our customers with the strongest possible commercial and technical support to get their projects underway.”
“Luca’s experience in large scale renewable energy projects and green hydrogen technologies will ensure he is well placed to meet our customers’ needs in this exciting new business area,”
“Renewable gas, whether it is biomethane or hydrogen, will be the key component for Australian industry reaching net zero. For many of our industrial customers, natural gas provides more than 60% of their total energy needs required for steam and process heat.”
“The electrical grid simply does not have the relevant capacity to replace this with electricity for many industries and hence renewable energy provides an immediate pathway to net zero.”
“Luca will be able to engage with our customers through this renewable energy supply chain to ensure that we are suitably able to meet the requirements of our customers.”
Optimal Renewable Gas has a pipeline of additional projects in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. ORG is seeking to develop avenues to add to its biogas portfolio.
“Our aim is to have ten grid scale biogas projects with a mix of Biogas to grid and Biogas to LNG within ten years. The secret to success in this field will be through speed and scale.”
“Customers are urgently seeking a solution to address their thermal energy requirements.”
“Biogas is therefore offering them a commercially and technically proven alternative which is solving Australia’s urgent desire to divert putrescible from the landfills,” Dugan said.
