Meet Perla, a Process Engineering PhD at TotalEnergies

Who are you?
Hello, I’m Perla HADDAD, Doctor in Process Engineering, and I have been working for three years at TotalEnergies as a Research Engineer at the Lacq Research and Study Center (PERL). More specifically, I work on absorption as a CO₂ capture technology.

What does your role at TotalEnergies involve?
My role is to assess and characterize new solvents capable of capturing the CO₂ emitted by industrial facilities. To do this, I run laboratory experiments, evaluate performance on semi-industrial pilots, and contribute to improving them in order to prepare technologies that can respond to tomorrow’s energy challenges.

Why is this strategic for the Company?
CO₂ capture is one of the key levers for decarbonizing certain industrial activities. My role is to assess and develop capture solutions that are more efficient and less energy-intensive.

A common misconception about your job?
Yes: that a researcher is not essential in industry. And yet, behind every new technology, every process improvement and every innovative solution, there are years of research and studies carried out by researchers in the laboratory.

What motivates you in your job?
What motivates me most in my job is turning an idea into a concrete solution. I love doing puzzles, and I see research as one huge puzzle. Every piece of data, every experiment and every exchange with colleagues helps add another piece.

Would you rather explain your research topic to a six-year-old child or to a grandmother?
To a six-year-old child, with the big puzzle. Maybe it would help them understand the challenges of tomorrow.

Your favorite word in your job?
“Collaboration”. What makes my experience at TotalEnergies so enriching is working with colleagues who have different areas of expertise and with international partners.

And the one you no longer want to hear?
“Failure”. In Research, as in life, a failure is still a result, not an ending.

If your job were a cake, it would be…?
A baklava. First, as a nod to my Lebanese roots. And also because it is made up of many small layers stacked together to create a result that often hides some very beautiful surprises.

Your secret superpower at the office?
A smile and good mood. It’s simple, it’s contagious, and it’s essential for continuing to move forward together.