Interview: “Mr. Diesel”
Ole Grøne, a ubiquitous figure at MAN D&T, recently turned 70 years old and celebrated his 40th year jubilee with MAN D&T. We had the chance to catch up with "Mr. Diesel" after the celebrations.
Ole Grøne (Photo: MAN D&T)
Ole Grøne, a ubiquitous figure at MAN D&T, turned 70 years old on April 26 and celebrated his 40th year jubilee with MAN D&T on May 1, 2016.
Ole Grøne studied Chemical Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark and joined the Burmeister & Wain Company in 1976. From being a Manager of the Marine Installation Department he made his way through different stations at MAN D&T up to his today’s position of being the Senior Vice President of Two Stroke Engine Sales and Promotion.
The name “Mr. Diesel” first began to be used in connection with Ole Grøne a number of years ago by journalists and shipowners and has since become a common nickname for him. Thus, it is not a name MAN Diesel&Turbo has given him but, rather, one earned from industry. Peter Pospiech had the chance to catch up with Mr. Diesel after the celebrations.
Where do you find the motivation for your work?
Customer relations are important for me. Communicating our technology while at the same time listening to the customer requirements in support of their business is motivating in a creative house as ours.
Which life experience has had the greatest influence for the work what you are doing now?
I cannot point to any single experience, but as long as I can remember, I have always felt a drive to see and work worldwide. What I do now and have done for years is a perfect match to that.
What do you consider as your greatest achievement?
Two things stand out: One was the start of understanding environmental affairs in the form of the need for control of NOx, SOx and CO2 in our house and these technologies for such would be the main development drivers. The early development of marine SCR systems on two stroke engines was the start.
The other one, and on the same token, was the energy saving coming from the shift from steam engines to diesel engines, latest in LNG carriers and even as dual fuel ME-GI engines in ocean shipping.
Which personality would you like to meet one day?
There are so many interesting personalities in the world with whom I feel to share interests, so I will refrain from pointing to a single individual.
Which occurrence/incident had particularly impressed you most?
It has been the growing size of ships and the development of flying, including the space programs. On the political side it was the events leading to the unification of Germany.
Which business idea/concept would you like to realize (if you would have access to an unlimited budget)?
Within our field of business it will be a developing a combustion process that maintain or even increase the high diesel efficiency with much reduced NOx emission.
Where do you see the greatest challenges for your industry?
Now, as already for some time the greatest challenges – and opportunities – are in developing emission control systems that both are affordable, economical to use and as reliable as the engines.
(As published in the August 2016 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News)