Prateek Bumb

Prateek is the principal innovator of our carbon capture technologies. He is responsible for developing and delivering Carbon Clean’s technology roadmap and leading our project engineering team. With a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Prateek co-founded Carbon Clean in 2009. He is also a member of the Board. His expertise involves innovation and implementation of CO2 capture technology from idea to commercial stage. To date, he has over 110 active patent assets across 18 patent families covering 30 countries, and has developed a modular technology, CycloneCC, that is vital for scaling industrial carbon capture deployment to achieve global net zero targets. He has published papers at several international conferences and in journals on carbon capture technology. Selected for the Young Alumni Achiever Award (YAAA) in 2019, IIT Kharagpur and National Mission Innovation Champion by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. He also featured in Indian Innovators: 20 Brilliant Thinkers Who are Changing India in 2015. During COP28 Prateek won two major awards: the Terra Carta Seal, presented by His Majesty King Charles III, and the COP28 Energy Transition Changemaker award.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

14:25

Downstream & Chemical Conference Room A 14:25 - 15:05

Redefining downstream: turning legacy assets into green hubs

A growing number of refineries and petrochemical producers are exploring ways to transform their operations to remain profitable, meet emerging policy demands and enable low-carbon production. This shift presents an opportunity to repurpose existing assets and align with long-term market expectations, but it also comes with significant financial, technological and logistical challenges. Retrofitting ageing refineries to produce biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and e-fuels – alongside the deployment of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) – is emerging as a key pathway to long-term competitiveness. Meanwhile, petrochemical facilities are advancing chemical recycling, bio-based chemicals and CO₂-derived feedstocks as part of broader decarbonisation strategies. Early adopters have shown that industrial collaboration, advanced processing technologies and scalable infrastructure are key to making this realignment viable. However, success will depend on regional policy support, investment certainty and long-term demand for low-carbon fuels and sustainable chemicals. Whether on a large scale or for only a select few facilities, the global energy industry must adopt a forward-thinking, solutions-driven approach to unlock change.

Attendee insights:

Explore the realities of turning traditional refining and petrochemical assets into low-carbon operations, and assess what makes these transitions successful