Profile – Dr. Godwell Pahla

Why did you join Altilium?

My journey to Altilium is quite interesting, actually. I was already doing recovery of critical minerals – nickel, cobalt, manganese – for my PhD, so, towards the end of my PhD, after submitting my thesis, that’s when I saw an opportunity at Altilium basically doing the same thing. It’s so rare you get the opportunity to continue in the same area as your PhD studies, so that was very compelling to me.

I’m really interested in this drive towards Net Zero – I’ve been quite passionate about reducing the effects of climate change since high school and, from my Masters on, I’ve been actively researching and working on projects related to this. When you do a project and you can see results, and develop practical solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, that’s a great thing, and that’s what really gets me going!

How do you explain what you do to other people?

I always ask people what they think happens to an EV battery that has reached the end of its life after five years of driving and explain how I use chemical engineering techniques to get the components that make up that battery to have a second life in a new car, rather than cause more environmental problems.

In a typical week, I spend two days in the lab and the other days on my computer doing data analysis, finding insights, and, of course, finding more problems for myself by identifying what else can I improve.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your role?

As a Chemical Process Engineer, my work is around optimisation and finding better ways to recover critical minerals, at low cost and at low environment impact – because if we’re harming the environment in the process we’re defeating the purpose.

It’s a constant problem, solution, problem solution, dynamic – and I solve problems through mathematics, with solutions that have a fundamental model behind them that works every time for everyone, everywhere.

What makes you positive about the future?

What excites me about the future is that everyone is aware of environmental impact and almost everyone is trying in their own small way, even if it’s just with food waste or plastic waste at home.

Many governments around the world are passionate about Net Zero, and attention is being given to practical solutions around the world. Even if we don’t get there by 2030, 2035, there will be an improvement, we are working towards something. That’s what gives me a positive outlook about the future.

How do you charge your battery?

I have three little kids, a 4 year old, a 2 year old and one six months old and, surprisingly, I feel refreshed after a long day at work when I get home and play with them and enter into their worlds. I also love going on walks and taking in all the great scenery around Tavistock, and I’m also a passionate Chelsea fan, so football also recharges me. So yes, family, good walks, football – they all help recharge my battery.