Venture development & funding
Contributed extensively to fundraising activities, funding applications and the administration and management of research funding programmes.
PYROLYSIS · PROJECT EXPERIENCE
From an idea
to an industrial
pyrolysis facility.
Development and delivery of a commercial-scale pyrolysis research facility, beginning with early-stage venture development and laboratory testing, then progressing through industrial installation, commissioning and operation.
Project
Commercial-Scale Pyrolysis R&D FacilityProject role
Raymond McGreal Co-founder
Organisation
HEAT Systems / Carbon Clean Prior professional experience
Location
Claremorris, County Mayo Ireland
01The project
Building a platform
for thermal research.
The project began with an empty industrial warehouse in Claremorris. We established a laboratory, installed a small-scale pyrolysis system and began developing the practical knowledge needed to progress the technology.
Over a number of years, the laboratory supported research programmes and trials, including publicly funded research and paid testing for private clients. That work created a foundation for scaling up from a small research system to a commercial-scale continuous pyrolysis facility.
The resulting installation centred on an indirect-fired rotary kiln, with material handling, heating, controls and supporting infrastructure brought together within an operational research environment.
Core equipment
Rotary kilnContinuous, indirect-fired processApprox. throughput
1.2 t/hourReported system capacityPublished temperature
Up to 900°CReported operating figureFacilities
Plant + laboratoryResearch, client trials and scale-up development02My role
Co-founder.
Hands-on delivery.
As a co-founder, my contribution combined business development with the practical work of creating and operating an industrial research facility.
My responsibilities moved between funding, research planning and stakeholder discussions, careful design and prototyping, contractor management, waste facility permit requirements, on-site installation and commissioning. I also operated the laboratory and its test systems.
Research & paid trials
Operated the laboratory and lab-scale system, supported funded research and delivered testing activities for private clients.
Design & prototyping
Developed, modelled and prototyped practical solutions, using testing and observation to inform technical decisions.
Installation & contractors
Led on-site installation activities, coordinated contractors and resolved practical equipment and facility integration challenges.
Permitting & stakeholders
Implemented waste facility permit requirements and engaged with project partners, contractors and other stakeholders.
Start-up & troubleshooting
Worked hands-on through equipment integration, installation and commissioning, resolving issues as the facility moved towards operation.
03The system
Industrial-scale
experimental facility
The industrial installation brought together an indirect-fired rotary kiln and the surrounding equipment needed for continuous processing, including feed handling, heat delivery, controls and plant support systems.
It was conceived as an experimental facility rather than a fixed-purpose production line. The laboratory and industrial plant could support material trials, process learning and further technical development.
04Project delivery
From a laboratory
to industrial scale.
The facility was developed in stages. We established small-scale research capability first, spent years running trials and learning from the results, then undertook the larger investment and coordination required for an industrial-scale installation.
At every stage, progress depended on practical decisions across design, funding, contractors, permitting and commissioning, with testing informing what happened next.
Establish the lab
Adapt an empty warehouse and install the small-scale system and laboratory infrastructure.
Run trials & learn
Operate the lab for funded research and paid client trials, refining process knowledge over time.
Develop the plant
Progress research and funding plans, coordinate equipment and prepare for industrial installation.
Install & commission
Manage contractors, implement permit requirements, resolve site issues and commission the facility.
05Experience and approach
Thinking, designing
and making.
This project gave me long-term experience working across research, physical construction, industrial operations, funding, regulation and collaboration. It also reinforced the value of learning through direct experimentation.
That experience now informs my independent practice at FutureBright, from pyrolysis and research demonstrators to technical visualisation, prototypes and original physical objects.
My approach is iterative. Ideas develop through a conversation between theory and practice: careful observation, drawing and modelling, hands-on prototyping, testing and redesign. Each stage informs the next, leaving room for both technical rigour and creative discovery.
This case study documents prior professional experience with HEAT Systems / Carbon Clean. The facility was not commissioned through FutureBright.
FUTUREBRIGHT / CONTINUING THE WORK
Have a project to develop?
FutureBright brings practical experience in research, design and making to pyrolysis systems, prototypes, visualisation and original physical projects. Get in touch to discuss an idea or a development challenge.
