S1E5: Bart Leenders, Port Man of the Year

[Music] Hello and welcome. My name is Enouxe Callagay and you are listening to the fifth episode of the podcast by the port of Rotterdam. As usually we discuss some of the most influential developments, trends and innovations with industry leaders. And our guest today is a true industry leader. Welcome Bart Lenders, Portman of the Year and Vice President Renewable Products at Nesta. Well Bart, glad to have you in our show today. Yes, before we really dive into your business, could you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Well, thank you for having me here. Talking about myself. Well, let's talk about the most important thing. I'm a father of two children and married to my wife. That's the most important thing. And then now we go to business. Working in the industry already for 25 years, of which the last 12 years I'm working for Nesta. And I started at Nesta with a really great job and that was to build the Rotterdam refinery and to recruit all the people. And working together in this industry is what really makes me tick. Yes, because before we really go into your career path, maybe also you have been chosen at the 41st Portman of the Year. Well, that's also a great title, of course, to have. What does it mean for you personally? Well, let me start by saying the Portman of the Year is a great title, but it's a title I see for the whole team. The whole Nesta team that works on our sustainable solutions. And it's great that it's been recognized and that I get this title in the name of I would say the whole team. And now this year I've got an extra opportunity to show how important sustainable solutions are for the whole Port of Rotterdam and basically for the whole globe. Yes, because does this title also makes you work easier to achieve results or goals? I think that's a good question. Probably it will help to promote what the Port is doing and I've benefited from the previous Portman and ladies and hopefully I can help for the future. Yes, that's how I look at it. So let's hope because you got a very important goal. You already mentioned something about it. We will talk about that later on, but also about your career because you're now the vice president, a global production at Nesta. You already mentioned something like 12 years ago. You had assignments. First of all, what is your education background and how did you become the vice president, global production? Well, that's a lot of questions. My education background is I'm a mechanical engineer by trade. So by accident I ended up in the petrochemical industries because I had to start somewhere. First, I wasn't attracted by it at all. But after two months, I was completely switched and so what great jobs can be done in petrochemical industries because it's about science, it's about working together and really getting things done. So you didn't realize that at the start? No, no, no. That's also why I think you always should start something and then learn from it and see how can I make a next step which fits myself. Well, I had a great career by ICA Huntsman and then Nesta came by 12 years ago and with the intention to build a renewable refinery and this was in the middle of the climate, not the climate crisis, the credit crunch, where there was a financial crisis. Nesta had this purpose to create a renewable refinery. Being it with own money and then I was thinking, hey, this is really a company with courage and then when discovering further the company of Nesta, the values of the company really fitted myself and a truly genuine company. So then I decided to take the risk and become the project director for the Rotterdam refinery and managing director and hiring all the people and I must say together with that team we've really accomplished great things and we still look back on this with great pride because in the beginning we were lost making that we believed in it and today we are the world leader in renewable products. Yes, so why is this mission so important for you then on a personal level? What is your personal mission? That sounds pretty heavy, what's my personal mission? My personal mission of course is to make sure we have a better world and that sounds very big but what can we all contribute? Everybody can contribute and in my case it is by giving leadership today to the global leadership team to work together, to share, don't think about hierarchy but think about how can we share collaboration, cross-clarity and also think cross-functional inside the company but also with partners. So that's how I contribute to assemble the knowledge to facilitate collaboration and then to get our next step and really getting things done. Yes. So that's one purpose and the other one is on the private side and talk a lot about it, in private life, in a podcast like this one, but that we all can contribute to a better world by thinking about changing things and that can be as simple as switching off the light in the meeting room. Yes and is it also because you are a father, you have children or is that a general mission for everyone? It shouldn't be a general mission for everyone. I think we have a common challenge here and of course we all have different drivers related to our background. Where do we come from? Are we raised in bigger families, smaller families, all makes a difference but I think there's no doubt about that we have to preserve the earth and that we all can make a contribution to that. Yes. So let's also talk about NESCEDEN because NESCEDEN is one of the world's leading companies in terms of sustainability. It wasn't a leading company from the beginning so can you explain us briefly what it is that NESCEDEN does and how it has reached disposition? NESCEDEN started as a fossil refining company but really paid a lot of attention to refining and not so much to crude oil where the bigger money was and by really inventing and innovating in the technology NESCEDEN discovered a way to make products that are exactly the same as fossil products but only created out of non-fossil waste and residues and that's called the next BTO HEO technology. So that's number one what helped. Number two is really having the courage to do things and be determined and just doing it and that's together has been the basis of the success getting things done and even if there is a headwind if you know the facts are right and if you know how to do things properly just unite do it continue to do it and that's how we make these step changes and also continue to think about the future because the last thing we should be doing now is getting complacent because we are a world leader. We are already talking about next technologies like using waste plastics and creating circularity over there or using electricity and that will be only in the next decade to replace or to capture CO2 out of the air and make fuels out of that. So those sorts of things we are also investing in. So not only benefit from today but always think I had what could be the next step. Yes so thinking ahead being in a way determined are those the two main factors in managing the transformation from a traditional petrol chemical company into now a France runner you could say in the field of renewable biofuels with plants and Finland, Singapore, the Netherlands, those the two main factors. I would describe it a bit differently but it comes both down to the same thing. What's far and foremost the most important thing is our values and today is that we care, we cooperate and we have courage. That's something in the DNA of all nester colleagues. Actually we have rejected and scarce label market very good technical people because of the fact that we felt their values are not the same as ours. The values is the far foremost important thing because that really tells whether you can face any challenge together and then it's the purpose. Those two values and purpose that makes the difference and of course strategies important technology is important but without shared values and without a purpose it's also our term. Yes so it's already a great achievement. This this transformation from the more old-fashioned sector to now the really the renewables but let's also talk about the future because the UN Emission A Gap Report 2021 shows us that the new national climate pledges combined with other mitigation measures put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7 degrees by the end of the century and that's well above the goals of the Paris climate. agreement and it would lead to a catastrophic change in the earth climate. So to keep the global warming below 1.5 degrees this century, the world really needs to have annual greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years. So much more action is needed and it seems that Nesta is well aware of this. So could you elaborate on your strategy for the future? Yeah, our future strategy first is to expand what we're doing today. Today together with our customers we already avoid the emission of 11 million tons of CO2. Our ambition is by 2030 to have the 20 million tons of CO2 together with our customers. We do that by expansion of our current as-and-base but also developing new technologies like circular plastics and hardware carbons made out of electricity and captured CO2. So those are the things we are doing. At the same time, also perhaps I should use the word educating, society, policy makers, stakeholders, even NGOs that we have a real combat and we have no time to lose. So we need to embrace all solutions and not be too selective or too preferable on preferred solutions because time is ticking. And what personally first raised me a lot of people talked about 2030 targets. But the target is today, it was actually yesterday. So every ton of emission we can accomplish today we should immediately avoid. Yes, 2030 is really coming very soon. It's only a few years ahead. It is. And still every ton we emit today out of fossil in the atmosphere will be there forever. Yes. So we need to embrace all solutions. And we have to act now. Act now. Embrace all solutions. Look at opportunities and some opportunities will have slight risks. Let's assess those, mitigate those and if those risk really materialize act then. Yes. So you're talking about cooperation working together, having that same goal. So who are the main stakeholders of Nesta? Our main stakeholders are our employees, our customers, society. Here in Rotterdam the new municipality of Rotterdam, policy makers, NGOs. We talk with everyone, we listen, try to understand and how we can together create a better future. Yes. And do you also believe that we need more interference by the government in terms of regulation to really meet that goal? Absolutely. It's needed that regulation is there. Where it's also important that regulation is good enough, meaning it's not trying to restrict and mitigate everything and with that takes a couple of years for the legislation to be developed and then in the end industry invest in things that cannot be used. So regulations important to be directive to set a framework but don't be too restrictive in the regulation. So it really needs to help, it has to be proactive. And what is the role of the port of Rotterdam or the port authorities to really make it change or accelerate this movement? The port of Rotterdam is the main port is a very important stakeholder, not only for society as such, with all the products that being made here to insulate our houses for example, or to have the renewable fuels, all good products that come out of this port. Also for the distribution of the sneakers that we wear and those are all flowing into the Netherlands to the port of Rotterdam. So that is the infrastructure function. Next to that, port of Rotterdam also has an influential position. It represents an important part of economy but also of the future. Port of Rotterdam can, towards policy makers, give a view point, a realistic view point, what is possible and where policy makers can facilitate. For the same thing, Port of Rotterdam can facilitate herself by connecting partners, by even reaching outside of Rotterdam for other partners and connecting the industries, for the purpose to get a combat climate change. So I see a lot of roles for Port of Rotterdam there, with words, but also with actions and sometimes financial support for good ideas. Yes, so is it going quickly now, according to your opinion? Well, you're talking to someone who is learned to be patient, but it's never fast enough. Never fast enough, no. And what advice would you give to our listeners or to the parties in logistic chain? How can they contribute to the climate goals? Well, a very easy solution for logistic partners would be to use our products, because they're drop-in products, you can replace your fossil product tomorrow. And they don't need any technological adjustments? With Nestomai, we know about diesel, for example, for road transport. No single modification is needed. You can use it in your trucks, you can use it in your ships, even the storages, the pipelines, they're all suitable because the characteristics of our products are exactly the same as fossil, even better, also for the burning inside the engine. And if you use our products, 90% less emissions, and 30% less particle matters in your emissions. So why is not everyone running to your company and asking for your fuels then? Oh, many are. And we still have space as we are expanding. Some might still be a bit afraid. Is this really as good as fossil? It's better. So just come to us and we have proven track records. La K-Lem is flying on our sustainable aviation fuels. We know multiple ships that are sailing on our renewable diesel. And of course, a lot of road transport. Actually, did you know in the Netherlands alone, Nestomai renewable diesel, you can just fuel up your car or your truck with 100% fossil fuel, fossil-free fuels today. Just look at the internet and you'll find it. Okay, but it's also a mind-shift then because people can't realize that it is as good as the old-fashioned fuels, the fossil fuels. Probably this and we're making a, we're talking about education and great to have this opportunity. Yes, it's just a matter of doing. Yes. So, okay, so that was your first tip. So they all have to use your fuels. Do you also have another more objective, another objective for them? Yeah, I said well, the first at hand, the other thing is really looking at partnerships. And thinking in yourself, what can we still do better? And today I spoke to the young Harbour Talent, Margit, and she explained about, for example, how, how information technology can help to have exactly the right arrival time for a ship at a Harbour. So to reduce speed, you use less energy. Simple things that really are easy to contribute and are even good for the bottom line of the companies as well. So there are so many solutions. So talk and listen to others and with that, you can make your contribution. Yes, and start today already. And that's what you already said. Yes, we can start today. So our previous guest was Avelina Brass. She is a director of a firm. And she also had a question for you. She didn't know who the next guest would be. But the question is, how can you be a role model and how can you inspire others to impact the climate change? Do you consider yourself as a role model? I don't know. That's a difficult question. Let me think on that. Okay, we come back to that because I also have another question because we always end this podcast with a question for the next guest without knowing who it will be. But do you have a question for the next guest? So what's on your mind? Yeah, for the next guest, I would like to know her or his view on how much emissions we have reduced five years from now. Okay, okay. So what will be the goal from five years from now? Okay, okay, wonderful. So we don't know yet who the next guest will be, but this is a very interesting question. And then we come back to the question of being a role model. So do you think you are a role model? Do we need to have more role models? Yes, we need more role models. That's any question. But you're hesitating. If you are one. Yeah, because we all try to be as a father, as a leader of a team, you try to do the good. So I try to be a role model. And how do I do that? First of all, by doing things that I really believe in, always take close to myself and try simple words to explain what I think and what could be a good direction forward, but also by listening a lot, trying to listen to understand all those few points and then bring it together in the team or to with the stakeholders, even with NGOs. So that's how I try to at least contribute and try to be a role model. Well, I think you're a fantastic role model. So thank you very much, Bart, for joining us today here in the show by talking, but also by listening. So thank you so much and good luck with the goals and with the perfect and great work you're doing for Nesta. Because we are going to close this fifth edition of the podcast. And if you want to leave a comment, please do because we like to read your comments and of course tell your colleagues and friends about this podcast. My name is Nuskele Hay and this series of podcasts is commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam, Technique by Borgonje Production and Edit by Lauder Brand Activation. Thank you for listening and stay tuned for the next one.