diff --git a/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/tasks.py b/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/tasks.py
index 696411628..962b36c1e 100644
--- a/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/tasks.py
+++ b/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/tasks.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 import time
 from concurrent.futures import as_completed, ProcessPoolExecutor, ThreadPoolExecutor
 import datetime
-from os import PathLike
 import json
+import shutil
 from typing import Dict, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 import pendulum
@@ -110,9 +110,8 @@ def fetch_release(
                 "fetch_releases: there should be at least 1 DatasetRelease in the Observatory API after the first DAG run"
             )
         prev_release = api.get_latest_dataset_release(dag_id=dag_id, entity_id="orcid", date_key="changefile_end_date")
-        logging.info(f"Extra: {prev_release.extra}")
-        logging.info(f"Type: {type(prev_release.extra)}")
-        prev_latest_modified_record = pendulum.parse(json.loads(prev_release.extra["latest_modified_record_date"]))
+        prev_latest_modified_record = pendulum.parse(json.loads(prev_release.extra)["latest_modified_record_date"])
+        logging.info(f"Proceeding with previous latest modified record date: {prev_latest_modified_record}")
         prev_release_end = prev_release.changefile_end_date
 
     return OrcidRelease(
@@ -314,7 +313,7 @@ def transform(release: dict, max_workers: Optional[int] = None):
 
     release = OrcidRelease.from_dict(release)
     if not max_workers:
-        max_workers = os.cpu_count() * 2
+        max_workers = os.cpu_count()
     logging.info(f"Using {max_workers} processes for transform operation")
 
     total_upsert_records = 0
@@ -368,6 +367,14 @@ def transform(release: dict, max_workers: Optional[int] = None):
         )
 
 
+def clean_downloads(release: dict):
+    """Removes all files in the downloads folder of the release"""
+    release = OrcidRelease.from_dict(release)
+
+    logging.info(f"Removing folder: {release.download_folder}")
+    shutil.rmtree(release.download_folder)
+
+
 def upload_transformed(release: dict):
     """Uploads the upsert and delete files to the transform bucket."""
 
diff --git a/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/telescope.py b/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/telescope.py
index 746781cb4..4194aa873 100644
--- a/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/telescope.py
+++ b/academic-observatory-workflows/academic_observatory_workflows/orcid_telescope/telescope.py
@@ -217,30 +217,21 @@ def latest_modified_record_date(release: dict, **context):
             return tasks.latest_modified_record_date(release)
 
         @task.kubernetes(
-            name="download",
+            name="download_transform",
             container_resources=gke_make_container_resources(
-                {"memory": "8G", "cpu": "8"}, dag_params.gke_params.gke_resource_overrides.get("download")
+                {"memory": "64G", "cpu": "16"}, dag_params.gke_params.gke_resource_overrides.get("download_transform")
             ),
             **kubernetes_task_params,
         )
-        def download(release: dict, **context):
-            """Reads each batch's manifest and downloads the files from the gcs bucket."""
-            from academic_observatory_workflows.orcid_telescope import tasks
+        def download_transform(release: dict, dag_params, **context):
+            """Reads each batch's manifest and downloads the files from the gcs bucket.
+            The download and transform tasks are merged to avoid mounting a disk with millions of files."""
 
-            tasks.download(release)
-
-        @task.kubernetes(
-            name="transform",
-            container_resources=gke_make_container_resources(
-                {"memory": "32G", "cpu": "16"}, dag_params.gke_params.gke_resource_overrides.get("transform")
-            ),
-            **kubernetes_task_params,
-        )
-        def transform(release: dict, dag_params, **context):
-            """Transforms the downloaded files into serveral bigquery-compatible .jsonl files"""
             from academic_observatory_workflows.orcid_telescope import tasks
 
+            tasks.download(release)
             tasks.transform(release, max_workers=dag_params.max_workers)
+            tasks.clean_downloads(release)
 
         @task.kubernetes(
             name="upload_transformed",
@@ -312,8 +303,7 @@ def cleanup_workflow(release: dict, **context) -> None:
         task_bq_create_main_table_snapshot = bq_create_main_table_snapshot(xcom_release, dag_params)
         task_create_manifests = create_manifests(xcom_release, dag_params)
         xcom_latest_modified_date = latest_modified_record_date(xcom_release)
-        task_download = download(xcom_release)
-        task_transform = transform(xcom_release, dag_params)
+        task_download_transform = download_transform(xcom_release, dag_params)
         task_upload_transformed = upload_transformed(xcom_release)
         task_bq_load_main_table = bq_load_main_table(xcom_release, dag_params)
         task_bq_load_upsert_table = bq_load_upsert_table(xcom_release, dag_params)
@@ -349,8 +339,7 @@ def cleanup_workflow(release: dict, **context) -> None:
             >> task_create_storage
             >> task_create_manifests
             >> xcom_latest_modified_date
-            >> task_download
-            >> task_transform
+            >> task_download_transform
             >> task_upload_transformed
             >> task_delete_storage
             >> task_bq_load_main_table