After a long time in the oil and gas industry, Simon Mann says he «turned green». Credit: Jeff Pugh
A former SAS mercenary imprisoned for his role in a failed coup in Africa has been appointed to lead a clean energy startup.
Simon Mann is set to become chairman of Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI) , a British company that plans to set up a European network of plants that will convert plastic waste into hydrogen.
This marks a turning point for Mr Mann, who after a long career in the oil and gas industry said he «became green.»
However, his past outside the City is much more colorful.
In 2004, Mr. Mann attempted to lead a team of 60 battle-hardened mercenaries in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea to overthrow his president.
The coup attempt ended when he and his team were arrested while flying in transit through Harare Airport in Zimbabwe.
Mr Mann, an old Etonian, initially said he was securing the mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but later confirmed plans to overthrow Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
The failed regime change became known as the «Wong coup» due to its hugely lucrative ambitions. Mann is said to win £9m if the coup succeeds. 
Simon Mann, accused of masterminding a failed coup plot, is escorted by a guard when he arrives for the start of the trial. Photo: Matthias Esono/AP. he was subsequently given a suspended sentence and fined $500,000 (£392,000) by a South African court.
Mr Mann was imprisoned in Zimbabwe, then extradited to Equatorial Guinea and sentenced to another 34 years imprisonment. He was pardoned by President Obiang in 2009.
Now 71, Mr. Mann has since built a career in the City, focusing on mining, oil and gas companies.
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However, in his new role, Mr. Mann will be promoting HUI's «pyrolysis» technology, which uses heat. to break down plastic into hydrogen and methane.
Mr Mann said that given his experience in the oil and gas industry, it might seem surprising that he is «now green».
“However, HUI is part of the same cycle,” he said. “The plastic waste that floods the world comes primarily from oil. Our technology will turn this plastic waste into usable fuel.”
0409 UK Hydrogen Demand Forecast
The war on plastic waste is a difficult but potentially lucrative task. In 2020, 55 million tons of plastic were produced in Europe, of which only a third was recycled.
The rest was sent to landfill or burned for energy.
Some types of plastic are difficult to recycle. dispose of, including thin films, black plastic, and anything contaminated with food. It is these plastics that HUI technology is targeting.
It uses pyrolysis, a well-known technology in which substances are heated to a temperature of 900°C.
This process is oxygen-free, so plastics cannot burn. Instead, they break down to form a mixture of gases, mainly methane and hydrogen, known as synthesis gas.
The hydrogen can then be purified and sold as fuel, and the remaining synthesis gas can be used for heating or manufacturing chemicals . .
Howard White, CEO of Hydrogen Utopia International, said: «Hydrogen is already used in buses and other vehicles around the world and we believe it is the fuel of the future.»
>Our technology turns plastic and other waste currently incinerated or landfilled into a clean and efficient source of energy.”
Meanwhile in Equatorial Guinea, 81-year-old President Obiang remains in office, which he has held since 1979. Last November, he won a sixth term in a non-competitive election, making him the world's longest-serving ruler.
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