Energy Transitions

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Kristian Ruby, Secretary General, Eurelectric and Serge Colle, Global Energy & Resources Industry Market Leader, EY, about what is needed to overcome grid bottlenecks while maximising reliability. This episode will answer questions about: The importance of derisking investment through updated policy frameworks Incentives and derisking mechanisms to rightsize grids for 20 years from now How TSOs and DSO need to prepare for future challenges Accessing funding for grid expansion without creating a huge bill for the customer The importance of closing the loop between electrification needs,  grid plans and climate targets Understanding the need to build a foundation of knowledge to guide policymakers in future decision making Both Kristian Ruby and Serge Colle will be discussing the future of grids at the Eurelectric Power Summit, taking place in Lagonissi, Greece, 22 – 23 May 2024. The summit will address in detail the challenges and opportunities we face to keep the lights on.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pedro Amaral Jorge, President of APREN (Portuguese Renewable Energy Association), explains how being an early adopter of renewable energy set Portugal up for success on its path to energy and economic transformation. In this episode, we answer these questions: How is Portugal maximising its renewable energy resources, especially wind and hydro? What policy mechanisms give the country an advantage and help speed up renewables uptake? Why was renewable energy critical to ensuring a positive economic cycle in the country? Does Portugal have the skills and experience needed to achieve net zero goals? What is the future of transition fuels like natural gas? What is APREN's role in Portugal's renewable energy sector and how can renewable energy associations in other countries model their advocacy and policy efforts?

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Danielle Merfeld, Global Chief Technology Officer at Hanwha Qcells, provides insights into these expansion plans, highlighting the success of their Dalton factory, one of the largest manufacturing plants of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. In 2023, Hanwa Qcells, founded in Germany and headquartered in South Korea invested $2.5 billion in starting a US supply chain. In this episode, insights will be provided into: The capital and technical know-how needed to create a complex solar supply chain How Q Cells fosters innovation by centralising production processes Why the US market is a strategic focus for Qcells The importance of partnerships and investing in other suppliers to stimulate growth How the US policy landscape is facilitating growth and participation from European companies Why Europe has lost its first-mover advantage over the US when it comes to solar Why there is still room for innovation and disruption in the mature solar market How effective data management can lead to greater efficiency Merfeld will be speaking at the World Energy Congress taking place in Rotterdam 22-25 April.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director-General of the World Nuclear Association, delves into how the sector is implementing the lessons learned over past decades to become more cost and energy-efficient. She also explains why she believes nuclear power is critical to providing energy security and resilience in our energy system. In this episode you will gain insights into: The nuclear projects coming online around the world, including China, UAE and Bangladesh. Why nuclear power is critical for decarbonising industry, heating and cooling. New reactor technologies and why old-school, big builds are still needed. How innovation, digitalisation and AI are making nuclear power plants more cost-effective and efficient. How the nuclear power sector is embracing circular economy. The Net Zero Nuclear initiative and its role in ushering in the next generation of nuclear power through supporting policy and supply chain growth. What the sector is doing to increase diversity, as well as attract and retain women. This episode is brought to you in partnership with the World Energy Council leading up to the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, 22-25 April 2024.Register to be a part of the conversation

Rotterdam, a Dutch city with one of the biggest ports in the world, is notorious for its polluting industry. In fact, the city's harbour is responsible for 20% of all emissions in the Netherlands and has more work to do than most cities to achieve climate neutrality. However, there is hope on this emissions-heavy horizon, according to Rotterdam Vice Mayor, Chantal Zeegers. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Zeegers, who considers herself a proud 'Rotterdammer', spoke to Pamela Largue about how this city is becoming a trendsetter in terms of implementing net-zero strategies. Zeegers shares the positive progress being made across Rotterdam industry and society and answers the following questions: How is Rotterdam balancing industrial growth with achieving energy transition? How is the city ensuring its citizens participate in and profit from the sustainability agenda? What policies are being employed to achieve deep decarbonisation? How is the national government collaborating with industry for green operations? Which clean energy technologies, resources and projects are making the biggest impact in Rotterdam? How are strong "conviction and cooperation" turning this city from an underdog into a trendsetter of energy transition in the Netherlands and Europe? Rotterdam is the host city for the World Energy Congress taking place from 22-25 April 2024. According to Zeegers, the city is well suited to such an event as it showcases innovative solutions to all aspects of the energy transition and the impacts of climate change. Register to be a part of the conversation

Addressing the energy trilemma of security, affordability and sustainability, while ensuring a healthy planet and better life for its inhabitants, will require more than good leadership. It will require great leadership and collaboration, which we have never seen before. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council, maps a divergent, uncomfortable but critical path to great leadership in energy and beyond. Dr Angela Wilkinson shares her multi-dimensional and people-centred insights by answering the following questions about leadership in energy: How does the leadership in the energy transition differ from traditional leadership qualities? What are the differences between good leadership and great leadership? Why is it important to recognize emerging leaders who may not be well-known or celebrated in the energy transition space? How can leadership qualities in the public, private, and civic sectors be blended to drive effective energy transitions? What does it mean to have a "communal cookery kitchen" approach to leadership? How can the energy transition be redesigned for people and the planet? How does the people-centric approach to energy transition align with the goal of engaging a wider and more diverse pool of leaders and participants? Why is it important to include future generations in the dialogue and decision-making processes surrounding energy transitions? What role does emotional intelligence play in effective leadership? How can the energy transition movement promote collaboration and diverse perspectives to drive meaningful change? This episode is brought to you in partnership with the World Energy Council leading up to the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, 22-25 April 2024. Register to be a part of the conversation

Florence Coullet talks to Sylvia Breukers, Partner and Researcher at DuneWorks, about getting energy communities ready for peer-to-peer energy trading.

With Siemens Energy now operating as an independent player in the energy industry, we ask Executive Vice-President of Generation, Karim Amin, about the role he expects the company to play in the energy transition and how he sees future technologies meeting market needs in sector coupling, energy storage, hydrogen and renewable integration.

Enlit director Paddy Young explores the renewable energy trends set to flourish this year with three energy journalists: Jennifer Runyon of Renewable Energy World; Leigh Collins of Recharge; and Kelvin Ross of Power Engineering International.

A just transition to decarbonisation is more than merely an abstract concept. It’s a complex issue based on human rights and if ignored will result in real world consequences for vulnerable people and species.In fact, many scholars refer to this as a ‘wicked problem’ – a problem that is incredibly difficult to solve because of the very complex and often undefined nature of it. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Susie Ho, Director of the Monash Innovation Guarantee, Monash University and Gerry Nagtzaam, Associate Professor at Monash University, unpack what it means to achieve a just transition to decarbonisation. They elaborate on the different groups that will be most impacted by climate change and the critical importance of agreed definitions to achieve policy cohesion and ensure no one is left behind. They describe the concept of climate justice and its various forms, with Ho explaining that there are many different forms of justice, such as inter generational justice, something the youth are championing. “Today’s youth are going to see more severe climate impacts than any generation before and as custodians of the future what is our responsibility to them not only in terms of protecting earths life support systems and their health and wellbeing but also in terms of preparing them to lead through this change.” Added Nagtzaam: “When we have this debate we often characterise it as we did with sustainable development, as a human problem, but it isn’t. There are myriad other species on the planet that climate change is going to affect as well.” Both Ho and Nagtzaam also speak to the recent big issue at COPs being loss and damage, with Ho highlighting that while a great deal of funding has been mobilised, “the money that’s been pledged so far is several magnitudes short of where we should be”. Susie Ho and Gerry Nagtzaam have coauthored a book with Diane Kraal, Katie O'Bryan and Jadranka Petrovic titled: A Just Transition to Decarbonisation: Themes of Loss and Damage, Transport, Nature and Youth. This Palgrave Macmillan title tackles the challenge of a just transition to decarbonisation based around four UN COP themes.

In this episode, Pamela Largue speaks to Kate Willard, Chair of Thames Estuary Growth Board, about the importance of industrial clusters in fostering sector integration and driving decarbonisation. Industrial clusters are not only spurring innovation, explains Willard, but also bringing together supply and demand in a way that aligns strategies and grows businesses.   Willard explains that the benefits of clustering go far beyond the borders of the UK and Europe. Work is being done with global estuaries as well to decarbonise industries around the world .   Guest: Government appointed Envoy Kate Willard OBE, Thames Estuary Growth Board Resources: Join us at Enlit Europe to meet Kate Willard and join the conversation Learn more about Thames Estuary

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Series, experts from Networked Energy Services and Griffin Group take a close look at how to effectively optimize Smart Meter Installations and Project Execution using various processes and tools. This discussion spotlights case studies from Poland and the Caribbean that benefited from these features. To shed light on this topic, Jonathan Spencer Jones speaks with three industry experts. This episode is brought to you by Networked Energy Services, Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES) is a global smart energy leader in the worldwide transformation of the electricity grid into an energy control network.

Estonia is a hotspot for many unique circular economy projects. One such project is the country’s first pumped storage hydroelectric plant being built at the site of a mine in Ida-Virumaa. The 225MW plant will be constructed using limestone rubble and closed tunnels created during the mining of oil shale. The upper reservoir will be built on a tailings structure, and a closed mine will be used as the lower reservoir. The project is an extension of energy company Enefit’s sustainability strategy and represents the remarkable progress Estonia is making on its path to energy transition. Margus Vals, a Member of the Management Board of Enefit joined Pamela Largue for an enlightening discussion on this pumped hydro project. Vals also provided a snapshot of Estonia’s energy sector, it’s plan for energy independence and shift to renewables.

The near bankruptcy of Wien Energie, Austria's largest energy supplier, could cause a ripple effect throughout Europe. No wonder both the Austrian government and the city of Vienna are eager to bail the company out. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Peter Gönitzer, former CEO of Wien Energie and co-founder of the Nobilegroup gives us an assessment of the situation as well as its ramifications for the European markets.

As Europe’s electricity prices soar, the European Commission is considering whether the energy market design is fit for purpose. Governments are weighing market interventions such as price caps and decoupling wholesale power and gas prices. Pamela Largue is joined by Prof Dr Stefan Ulreich, Internationalization Officer at the Biberach University of Applied Sciences, to unpack whether these market instruments are really needed and what the potential impact could be on energy bills and renewables investments. Resources: Visit Energy Trading Day – Zürich, Switzerland | 21 September 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act puts America back on the world stage in the fight to achieve Paris Climate Goals and signals to the world that it is a willing partner and participant in global efforts to actively fight climate change.  To unpack this legislation, what it provides to the US clean energy market and what it doesn't, I am joined by US colleague John Engel, Content Director for Renewable Energy World.   To shed light on what the Inflation Reduction Act means for Europe and to identify similarities with the European Green Deal, I am joined by Areti Ntaradimou, Editor of Smart Energy International & Content Director Enlit Europe.

As Europe comes to terms with its overreliance on Russian gas and looks at ways to secure supply for the coming winter, nuclear power, once considered to do more harm than good, is back on the table. Did Europe abandon nuclear power too soon and is this power source making a comeback? According to IEA’s Executive Director Fatih Birol; “In today’s context of the global energy crisis, skyrocketing fossil fuel prices, energy security challenges and ambitious climate commitments, I believe nuclear power has a unique opportunity to stage a comeback.” Join Rudy Koenig, independent energy advisor and Kirsty Gogan, co-founder of Terrapraxis to unpack this rapidly evolving landscape.   Resources: How to repower 2TW of coal by 2050 Repowering existing coal plant infrastructure is the largest single carbon abatement opportunity on the planet and could greatly accelerate the clean energy transition. By replacing coal-fired boilers at existing coal plants with carbon-free small modular reactors (SMRs), also known as advanced heat sources, these power plants can generate carbon-free electricity, rather than carbon-intensive electricity. The Decommissioning Gap – Key to a holistic pathway for energy transition As the global energy system moves from the old, fossil-based, to the new, “sustainable” system, key stakeholders are realizing that replacing the old with the new is a multi-trillion dollar challenge on top of a multi-trillion dollar challenge. Join us at Enlit Europe Enlit brings the energy community together to seize current opportunities, spotlight future ones, and inspire the next generation to be part of moving the energy transition forward. Join us in Frankfurt 29 Nov – 2 Dec 2022 and be a part of the journey. IEA - Nuclear power can play a major role in enabling secure transitions to low emissions energy systems

As Russia continues its campaign to weaponise energy, Europe is closing ranks with various regulatory mechanisms designed to reduce gas usage and secure stores for the upcoming winter. One such mechanism is the Save Gas for a Safe Winter initiative, which aims to reduce gas use across all member states by 15%. Will this, together with RePowerEU, be sufficient to mitigate the potential energy and economic risks associated with a major gas shortage and should Europe be preparing for a worst case scenario? Monika Morawiecka senior advisor for the Regulatory Assistance Project answers these questions and looks at further policy measures needed to boost energy security while ensuring EU Green Deal objectives are realised.   Resources: Joy of Flex report

Europe continues to face volatile energy markets and uncertain gas supplies, with some countries becoming particularly vulnerable to the effects of this current energy crisis. Governments are attempting to control demand through reduced usage, while simultaneously securing supply by switching to alternative fuels - all while mitigating financing constraints and regulatory bottlenecks. Patrick Bauduin talks to Aura Sabadus senior journalist at ICIS about these issues, as well as price capping and energy market integration with Eastern Europe.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Series, our guests unpack the Benefits and challenges of AMI for a developing country like India, which is going through a massive AMI rollout exercise for its 270 million electricity connections. While there will be many benefits to the distribution companies from the adoption of AMI, there will be many unknowns and unforeseen challenges for all stakeholders, including system integrators, OEMs, Utilities, Government and Consumers. With an estimated 20-30% of challenges faced by a utility, unique to them and their customer base, the remaining 70%-80% are common barriers for any utility in any developing country. The benefits and challenges are also linked to the maturity of a Utility, which translates into the volume and frequency of how AMI will be used by the Utility for its Energy Transition like DER, Energy Storage and EV. Guest: Rishi. P. Goyal, Assistant Vice President, Director Cell, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, New Delhi, India Speakers: - Sunil Mittal is working with Networked Energy Services as Director (Business Development) for Indian Market- Larry Colton, Director, International Business Development and Government Affairs Host: Jonathan Spencer Jones

With the increase in wind and solar generation, guaranteeing adequate system flexibility is vitally important to ensure sufficient capacity to cover demand. Phil Thompson CEO of Balance Power unpacks the UK’s recurring misalignment of generation and demand that leaves the nation vulnerable to power shortages and wasted excess generation and looks at how many megawatt hours are needed to resolve the situation.

Pamela Largue speaks to Katie Jackson, Executive Vice President, Acquisition & Divestment and New Business Development at Shell and new chair of POWERful WOMEN about how to ensure gender diversity and inclusion within a rapidly changing energy sector. Jackson also shares candid insights on why women in senior roles can help build stronger businesses that are more adaptable to changing markets on the journey to Net Zero. POWERful Women is a professional initiative that seeks to promote the growth and leadership development of women across the energy sector. Every year in Spring POWERful Women, in partnership with PwC UK, reports on gender diversity at the top of the UK energy industry. The  statistics reflect the number of women in board and executive director roles in the top 80 energy companies, focussing on the most significant employers in the UK energy industry. POWERful Women aims to see 30% of executive board roles and 40% of middle management roles filled by women by 2030.

Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity and an energy supplier to more than 3.5 million British homes and businesses, EDF UK recently announced a £50 billion low carbon programme to help Britain achieve net zero. Referring to current extreme market conditions, price surges and the increased importance of risk management for energy trading, how do you achieve maximum agility? In this episode, we connect with Mark Teuton, Senior Manager of Business Solutions at EDF UK the largest B2B energy retailer in the United Kingdom. Mark shares insight into EDF UK’s work and how agile energy trading plays a key role in supporting energy transition goals. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Web Services, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally.

As the energy landscape undergoes rapid change, risk appetites and preferences follow suit. Compounding the more traditional risks associated with energy projects, such as cost overruns and ineffective resource management, we now have to deal with the increasing influence of rising commodity prices, fluctuating markets and geopolitical tensions. To unpack effective risk management at a time when the world is experiencing an energy revolution, Enlit World’s Pamela Largue is joined by Charles Wilsoncroft, partner at HKA. Wilsoncroft highlights some of the key risks facing energy stakeholders and how best to mitigate them, as well as how to manage contract risks as margins tighten.

A critical phase in the life of any start-up is to successfully fundraise sufficient money to maintain its planned growth and development trajectory. One of the most popular options is to raise corporate venture capital (CVC). According to CB Insights, CVC globally hit a record high of $73 billion in 2020, but that figure was exceeded in the first six months of 2021, i.e. $79 billion. From a start-up’s perspective, they get not only funding, but can also benefit from the advice and network and infrastructure of a corporation. Clearly, there are enormous benefits to securing CVC, but It’s not straightforward and should be viewed as a challenging task. To help new ventures get it right, Dr Heather Johnstone speaks with Raamu Moneyam and Olga Jensen from BayWa r.e. Energy Ventures, the ventures arm of BayWa r.e., to get some useful dos and don’ts, and top tips, as well as general guidance. Plus, they share some unique aspects of their approach when it comes to investing in new ventures. Host: Dr Heather Johnstone, Director – Initiate @ Enlit Europe Guests: Olga Jensen, Associate, BayWa r.e. Energy Ventures Raamu Moneyam, Senior Associate, BayWa r.e. Energy Ventures

Nils Røkke, Executive Vice President Sustainability at SINTEF and Chair of EERA (European Energy Research Alliance) talks to Pamela Largue about why the North Sea is often referred to as the “energy Silicon Valley of Europe”. Røkke highlights the great untapped potential of the area and the huge possibility to harvest renewables, while also developing clean energy technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, biomass and hydrogen.

The energy markets are going through unprecedented volatility. Energy security in Europe is making headlines and everyone is talking about their energy bill. Clearly we need to talk about energy prices and about how they are evolving. To make sense of this we invited Natasha Fielding, European Natural gas specialist for Argus media and her Colleague Justin Colley, specialist in European Electricity markets.

Dr Jill Miscandlon is a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Strathclyde University’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) in the UK, and is focused on making circularity a reality. One of Jill’s research areas is the development of a more sustainable lifecycle for electrical machines through the use of a variety of circular economy principals. She discusses the key aspects of the research project, including its main deliverables, as well as sharing some of her preliminary findings. Overall, Jill makes a compelling case for why taking a circular approach to addressing the many challenges of building a low-carbon future is not a ‘nice to do’, but is a ‘must do’.   Host: Dr Heather Johnstone, Director – Initiate @ Enlit Europe Guest: Dr Jill Miscandlon, Senior Manufacturing Engineer, AFRC, Strathclyde University

The annual Dakar Rally is increasingly committed to a more responsible rally raid, focusing on the development of alternative engines and technological innovation. We talk to Steve McEvoy, Automotive Lead at engineering and digital transformation consultancy Expleo about the development of cleaner vehicles powered by hydrogen for the Dakar Rally and discusses hydrogen’s potential in decarbonising the automotive industry at large. Learn more about the hydrogen vehicle being designed by Expleo and racing expertise partner Faster or read about Expleo’s research on the use of hydrogen energy and its impact on the automotive sector.

On a monthly basis, we discuss the Energy Markets in this podcast. In this ‘Energy Markets Talk’, Christian Baer, Secretary General of Europex discusses the current energy prices surges and how the energy market design keeps on evolving.* Europex is the Association of European Energy Exchanges, representing the interests of exchange-based wholesale electricity, gas and environmental markets by focusing on developments of the European regulatory framework for wholesale energy trading.  *Recorded prior to the conflict in Ukraine.

In the first of an exclusive nine-part series entitled ‘Future Energy Perspectives’, Karim Amin, Executive Vice-President of Generation at Siemens Energy, spotlights the key factors for reaching a net-zero economy by mid-century. Text: Karim Amin / Siemens EnergyRead by: Philip Gordon This series is brought to you by Power Engineering International and Enlit, in partnership with Siemens Energy. For more information, visit: www.powerengineeringint.com/future-energy-perspectives/

This podcast discussion provides a brief look at the wins and disappointments from the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow. We answer the question, what’s next and unpack how Enlit Europe in Milan will capitalise on the current momentum within the energy sector to drive forward Europe’s energy transition. Host: Pamela Largue, Staff Writer, Power Engineering International Speakers: Paddy Young, Director of Enlit Kelvin Ross, Editor-in-Chief, Power Engineering International and Enlit Europe Areti Ntaradimou, Editor, Smart Energy International and Content Direction, Enlit Europe

Marcus Lehmann provides insights on the nascent, yet rapidly expanding field of wave energy in the USA. More specifically, he talks about CalWave Power Technologies’ pilot project, which resulted in wave energy converter technology being deployed off the pier of Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego. This is a long-duration demonstration of a fully submerged wave energy system in California and it's being funded by a US DOE development contract. Host: Pamela Largue, Staff WriterSpeaker: Marcus Lehmann, CEO of CalWave

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe recently signed a partnership agreement with UK-based Global OTEC for the deployment of a commercial Floating Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Platform. We explore this project in more detail, and unpack how this cutting edge technology holds a key to decarbonising small island nations. Host: Pamela Largue, Staff Writer, Power Engineering International Speakers: Dr Tessa Gordelier, Business Research Fellow, Renewable Energy Research Group, University of Exeter Dan Grech, Founder & CEO, Global OTEC

Norway recently announced the Ocean Grid project that will develop new technology, knowledge, and solutions to enable the profitable development of offshore wind on the Norwegian continental shelf - key to achieving climate targets. We unpack how this region, traditionally focused on oil & gas, has made significant progress in the burgeoning offshore wind sector and become a leading force driving Europe’s green energy transition. Host: Pamela Largue, Staff Writer Speaker: John Olav Giæver Tande, Chief Scientist, Research Manager, and Director of NorthWind at SINTEF Energi AS

In the context of Fit for 55, we unpack Poland’s shift away from coal, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of this shift and the importance of ensuring a just transition. Speakers: Michał Motylewski , Managing Counsel, DentonsMichał Motylewski, attorney-at-law, is a managing counsel in Dentons’ Warsaw office and a member of the Warsaw Energy and Natural Resources practice team. Michał specializes in Energy Law and, in particular, in issues relating to the development of the EU’s internal market in electricity and gas and the implementation of power market reforms in Poland, including the current implementation of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package.  Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera, President, Forum EnergiiFounder and leader of Forum Energii - the first Polish energy transition think tank in Poland. She focuses on European energy and climate regulations, electricity markets, renewable energy sources. In the past, she worked at the Ministry of Environment, among others as Deputy Minister responsible for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Joanna is involved in global and EU climate negotiations. She has worked at Agora Energiewende – German energy transition  think tank and the Danish Oersted.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about the field of perovskites, why it’s causing such a buzz in the solar community and the various applications being tested in labs in the US and United Kingdom.Join Prof Henry Snaith FRS, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford PV and Binks Professor of Renewable Energy in the Physics Department of the University of Oxford; Joseph J . Berry, a Senior Research Fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and Laura Schelhas, a research scientist and group manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, USA.

A minimum of controls and a maximum of simplicity used to be the defining characteristics of wind turbines. However, over the past few decades, turbines have become highly sophisticated and are now the world’s biggest rotating machines. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to two pioneers of the wind industry. Referred to as the Godfathers of wind, Denmark’s Henrik Stiesdal and Britain’s Andrew Garrad, winners of the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, describe how turbines have advanced over the years. From building turbines in their parent’s fields in the 70’s, these two stalwarts have been on the boundary of what is possible, contributing to and witnessing wind turbines become an important contributor to the electricity supply and having a greater impact on the grid. “Gradually, as the turbines got bigger and bigger, they also became more and more complicated…going from something like a tractor in the early 80’s to more like a giant helicopter now,” explained Garrad. The old turbines were heavier, whereas now they are lighter and smarter with enhanced controls, said Stiesdal. “They did not become more complicated just because engineers like to make them like that…they got more complicated partly because we needed them to change their behaviour,” he added. Stiesdal and Garrad explain why bigger isn’t always better and why the industry now needs to focus on increasing efficiency and reliability rather than size. They also discuss why floating offshore wind will provide the next quantum leap in wind turbine technology.

The cleantech investment space is an ever-evolving and complex ecosystem, with increasing pressure to innovate and an increasing need for investment to bring new technology to fruition. And while there have been some big investments over the past decade, a liquidity crunch, rising interest rates and geopolitical tumult are making the cleantech investment landscape tricky to navigate. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Joseph Jacobelli, managing partner of Bougie Impact Capital and host of The Asia Climate Capital Podcast, delves into identifying and mitigating the risks impacting the cleantech investment space. Jacobelli unpacks the importance of policy and government support in fostering investor confidence and explains why China continues to dominate the space. He also answers the question about which technologies are gaining the most attention from investors and why. "What make investors most comfortable are those technologies with a long track record...and whose levelised cost of energy per unit of electricity produced is falling relatively quickly..."

Home to one of the most diverse marine energy testing facilities in the world, the Orkney Islands are a picture of natural beauty, as well as green energy innovation. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) began testing technology in 2004 and since then, the Centre and the industry have developed in leaps and bounds. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Neil Kermode, Managing Director of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), about the origins of tidal and wave energy and how EMEC has played a role in the development of the marine energy sector. "People realised the best way to try and bring an industry forward is to have a test centre where you can get ideas out of the lab or out of the bathtub and get them to into saltwater..." In the 20 years that the test centre has been functioning, 35 different types of technology from 22 different developers across 11 countries have graced the waters around Orkney. The centre has seen a great deal of progress. One of the first milestones saw the world's first floating deepwater offshore wave machine generate power into a national grid. EMEC has also been making hydrogen from power generated by an Orbital Marine turbine and is generating synthetic fuels using air-captured carbon, something that holds great promise for aviation. Listen to this episode to hear what's next for tidal and wave energy.

The energy sector is facing multiple challenges that require innovation that goes beyond technology. From energy security to economic turbulence and a changing energy mix, it has been a bumpy road for the energy industry in the past few years. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue spoke to Claudia Blanco of GE Vernova about the role of policy, technology and specifically leadership in solving these challenges now and for future generations. During the conversation, that took place at Enlit Europe 2023 in Paris, Blanco speaks passionately about the progress that has been made so far, for example in terms of making gas plants hydrogen-ready. However, she also addresses the fact that there is a significant skills gap and that she believes that there is a lot to be done to make the industry more attractive.

Fusion energy has moved from the realm of science to being an energy force with tangible benefits to society. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Christopher Mowry, CEO of Type One Energy and Chair of the Fusion Industry Association, about why he believes fusion is finally ready to take its place in the energy mix and why the power source is the ‘vaccine of climate change’. “It causes me to consider how the world mobilised to develop a vaccine against Covid and when the chips were down, government worked with private sector and academia to produce in one year, something that usually takes a decade.” Mowry explains that the technology exists, but as with the Covid response, we now need the social mobilisation and acknowledgement to really drive fusion acceptance and deployment. “Theres no practical way to achieve net zero globally in the energy space without fusion being part of the future energy mix,” stated Mowry. Despite the technological maturity, Mowry explains there are still policy and supply chain developments needed to make fusion a reality. However, he is optimistic that the first pilot fusion power plant under contract will be finalised by the end of this decade, putting fusion electrons on the power grid by the mid 2030s.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Jeff Earl, Director of Business Development at Sapphire Technologies, about the latest innovative turboexpander technology and the promise it holds for the decarbonisation journey. Unpacking the latest trends, Earl talks about turboexpanders, a specific kind of power generating equipment that converts pressure energy into electricity through an inlet and outlet. Unlike combustion turbines, this technology has no ignition, which means there are no CO2, NOx or SOx emissions. Earl explains that this power generation equipment is not only carbon friendly, but that the levelized cost of electricity generated is also competitive contributing to a strong business case. This episode is brought to you by Sapphire Technologies; which develops, manufactures, and sells energy recovery systems for hydrogen and natural gas industrial applications.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, we hear from industry experts at Nokia, Dominique Verhulst, Global Head of Utilities, and Hansen Chan, IP Networks Product Marketing, about how IEC 61850 is revolutionizing the utility industry. Many utilities are integrating utility-scale and residential distributed energy resources (DERs) into their electric grids at an unprecedented pace. Meanwhile, the time-division multiplexing (TDM) technology they use for communications in intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) such as relays and remote terminal units (RTUs) approaching end-of-life. In response to these changes, more and more utilities are turning to IEC 61850 to introduce automation and digitalisation to their electric grids. This episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast is brought to you by Nokia, a multinational B2B technology innovation leader in networking, powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, providing leading end-to-end grid communications and analytics solutions to meet the unique mission-critical needs of power and water utilities and renewable energy.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue had a candid conversation with Javier Cavada, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power EMEA, about why speed and scale must be the focus points of our decarbonisation mission.  Cavada spoke to the progress being made in achieving greener power generation, making it clear that all, rather than a select few technologies will help us achieve our energy transition goals. He emphasised that renewable energy is disrupting our energy system, but that this disruption can be managed by making incremental changes, changes that must be driven by unified action. Without unity, stressed Cavada, we can not meet our net zero goals.  “The amount of change is to be massive… change of the patterns of behaviour of the society, and to do that we need to change politics… this is something individual countries, cities, companies can not do by themselves…" Listen to the full episode to learn more about Javier Cavada's view on how to shift from a hydrocarbon-heavy energy system while maximising existing assets, and how the war in Ukraine has emphasised energy sovereignty and impacted decarbonisation. Also, Cavada shares his book recommendations, which may surprise you.   Javier Cavada will be speaking at Enlit Europe taking place in Paris, 28-30 Nov, where he will be discussing Europe’s gas and hydrogen strategies to achieve energy transition.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Yusuf Latief speaks to Bernard Salha, CTO of EDF Group, to unpack nuclear’s role in the energy mix, grid optimisation and the importance of digitalisation and AI to secure the future of the sector. While all eyes are on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, nuclear’s role in the energy mix is evolving quickly. And even though there seems little doubt about the role of nuclear power as a source of clean power and flexible capacity, the evolving and increasingly complex energy system means digitalisation will become critical to ensuring nuclear capacity is maximised. “We have to take into account that this global system is going to be more complex, more decentralised with several actors, and that the stability is going to need to have all these actors, all these different players working together. In that respect, digital systems for grid management are absolutely necessary.” Bernard Salha Listen to this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast to hear from Salha about the role of nuclear power, its integration with the power grid, as well as the new technologies making decentralised systems a reality. Don't miss out on a special discount for our Energy Transitions Podcast listeners: To receive your 25% discount on an Enlit Europe Summit delegate pass, visit www.enlit-europe.com/registerpod and enter the podcast discount code provided in this episode on the payment page. We look forward to seeing you in Paris.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, we hear from Leon Laing, Manager: Planning and Customer Services at the Drakenstein Municipality in the Western Cape, South Africa on how the SF6-free transition is revolutionising how they manage and operate their power distribution system. While South Africa is not yet regulating the shift to SF6 free switchgear, Laing is pre-empting this inevitable step and ensuring his municipal district is not only ahead of the curve, but setting the standard for sustainability. Leon is responsible for the municipality’s electric planning and design where forward-thinking for assets of this cost and nature is critical. This forward-thinking has led to the Drakenstein Municipality being the first in Africa to install and operate Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and digital connectivity. Read more:First African SF6-free switchgear installed in South Africa This episode is brought to you by Schneider Electric, a French multinational company specialising in digital automation and energy management. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industries, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software, and services.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, we are joined by Jeroen van Hoof, Global Energy Utilities & Resources leader in PwC and Vice Chair of the 2024 World Energy Congress, to explore the complexities of energy transition. Van Hoof emphasises the human elements at the heart of our shift to net zero. Understanding how a new energy system will impact people’s daily lives, promoting energy literacy, as well as encouraging buy in and commitment from people, not only governments and corporations, are critical elements of a successful transition. This transition is a complex balancing act between many moving parts, according to van Hoof, and a marshalled, collective effort will be necessary to bring it all together. “Managing energy transitions is as complicated as upgrading a Swiss precision clock without first stopping it from working. Collective collaboration of all the moving parts is key.” Don't miss out on a special discount for our Energy Transitions Podcast listeners: To receive your 25% discount on an Enlit Europe Summit delegate pass, visit www.enlit-europe.com/registerpod and enter the podcast discount code provided in this episode on the payment page. We look forward to seeing you in Paris.

How to sustainably decarbonise heating – a topic increasingly on our radar as we strive to become more energy efficient – and one of the key focus points in this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast. There are several new innovative technologies making an impact to decarbonise the heating space, such as deep geothermal, solar geothermal, and harnessing of waste heat. To learn more about how these technologies are making an impact and driving decarbonisation efforts, Pamela Largue speaks to Dr Andrej Jentsch, Programme Manager of the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on District Heating and Cooling. Additional resources:REA: resource exergy analysis – Calculation guide for energy systems, including district heating and coolingIEA Technology Collaboration Platform on District Heating and CoolingIEA: Tracking Clean Energy Progress report Jentsch, who mainly works for the AGFW, an association promoting district heating and cooling and combined heat and power, delves into why our progress (or lack thereof) is a matter of will and why we can not achieve our efficiency goals without a systems per

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Caroline Hargrove, CTO at Ceres, about solid oxide fuel cell technology and the record levels of efficiency being achieved. Ceres, a UK-headquartered climate technology developer, recently won the 2023 MacRobert Engineering Award. The award celebrates innovation that makes an impact, and Ceres’ reversible fuel cell technology, capable of generating power from a range of different fuels, is doing just that, explains Hargrove. “We, over 20 years, have been developing this technology that is in this goldilocks temperature range, which is about 600 degrees …they become a lot more efficient than the low temperature fuel cells…In an industrial application, efficiency matters…" In this Energy Transitions Podcast episode, Hargrove also unpacks the potential of fuel cells to decarbonise hard to abate sectors and discusses the importance of establishing an effective supply chain, making fuel cells at an affordable price and ensuring they are fit for purpose.

The role of nuclear power in Europe’s energy mix remains controversial. However, many would argue that nuclear power offers a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels and a cheaper energy source per kilowatt hour. Also, exciting new technology advances are causing a rethink of what nuclear power could look like in the the future. The question is this, does nuclear need a rebrand? Will the industry’s reputation negatively impact its future and how can we use the lessons learned from the past to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue is joined by Yves Desbazeille, director general of NuclearEurope, to explore whether it’s possible to give nuclear power an image makeover. To listen to other episodes: https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/

The built environment is one of the main sources of carbon emissions but it also provides one of the most opportune spaces for clean tech project development.  Behind the meter, energy efficiency and demand response projects, in particular, could make a significant contribution towards lowering the carbon footprint of buildings and the infrastructure that connects them. However, barriers to project development and finance must be overcome in order to spur progress towards net zero and empower all players, especially small and medium sized enterprises.  In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Yusuf Latief spoke to Jessica Stromback, CEO of Joule Assets and Co-Founder of the Sustainable Energy Finance Association (SEFA), regarding the practical steps to figuring out financing and bringing net-zero projects to life. To listen to other episodes: https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/

The Voluntary Carbon Market is designed to encourage emissions reductions and support sustainable development. Although a nascent market, it is gaining traction amongst corporations and governments alike as pressure mounts to reach decarbonisation goals. However, some argue that the VCM lacks standardisation, regulation and credibility, allows organisations to continue emitting greenhouse gasses rather than reducing emissions, and facilitates double counting. To cut through the complexities of the VCM and understand how to tap into the benefits this market has to offer, Pamela Largue spoke to Luke Leslie, CEO at carbon project financier Carbon Neutral Royalty.

In the face of rising energy prices and economic challenges, companies are increasingly aware of the importance of maximising their assets, by recovering and regenerating assets where possible.It’s a deliberate and strategic shift from a linear to a circular economy that makes the most of our planet's resources, and and makes good economic sense for businesses.To map the obvious and the more obscure benefits of a circular asset management strategy, Pamela Largue speaks to Paolo Perani, Sustainability Manager for ABB’s Electrification Distribution Solutions and Stuart Thompson, President, Electrification Service Division at ABB.

In March this year, the European Commission released the Critical Raw Materials Act to ensure a sustainable, domestic supply of materials to support the green and digital transitions. But are these measures enough to keep Europe competitive and progressing adequately towards net zero? And more specifically, what would a copper shortage mean for the continent’s decarbonisation journey?   To explore the consequences of the copper crunch and unpack strategies to strengthen the supply chain, Pamela Largue speaks to Layla Sawyer - Secretary General - currENT Europe.

As the world transitions to net zero, it has never been more important to embrace sustainable business models, no matter how disruptive they may be. As the world faces a time of economic strain with high inflation and volatile markets, sustainability could fall further down the priority list, putting decarbonisation targets at risk. To highlight the importance of circularity, as well as why sustainable business models are critical to maintaining a competitive edge and ensuring a robust supply chain, Pamela Largue speaks to Ionut Farcas, Senior Vice President, Europe & International Hub, Power Products Division at  . “It's completely nonsense to throw away something that is good...doing harm to our earth just to have new things. Circularity, it's one of the things that jointly as an ecosystem we need to accelerate." - Ionut Farcas

The role of Türkiye in Europe's energy markets has grown significantly and Turkish energy companies are stepping up their strategic game to ensure they are well placed to maximise opportunities. One such company is the Turkish renewable energy developer Enerjisa Üretim, which recently started a new subsidiary and unified all commercial activities in Türkiye, Europe and worldwide under a single brand; Enerjisa Commodities. My colleague Patrick Bauduin speaks with Ahmet Özbeyin, Head of Growth and Planning of Enerjisa Commodities, about the changing market dynamics in the South Eastern European region and how Enerjisa is preparing for the region’s future energy landscape.

It has been a tumultuous time in Europe’s power sector, with a variety of internal and external shocks impacting energy markets and net zero progress. Pamela Largue has a candid conversation with Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, about whether we are on track to meet the 1.5 degree goal, the impact of the war in Ukraine and the importance of protecting our grids from physical, military, and cyber threats. Ruby unpacks the new threat landscape and the radical resilience needed to mitigate these threats and talks about how to unlock a significant uptick in investments needed to speed up the pace of change in the sector.  “If it was just about integrating renewables and connecting a lot of heat pumps, that was the challenge a few years ago. Now on top of that we have a military threat dimension, a very present threat of sabotage that we need to integrate into this.” “Security of supply is the new prerequisite for delivering on net zero – system reliability becomes a critical climate objective”   Resources Connecting the Dots report Register for The Power Summit 2023

Dr. Judith Wunschik, Chief Cybersecurity Officer at Siemens Energy discusses all things cybersecurity and what it means for the digital transformation of the energy industry.

The use of green hydrogen for energy storage and as a clean fuel is certainly not a new concept however the need for a viable hydrogen economy is becoming more pressing as our efforts to decabonise ramp up. At this stage of the green hydrogen game, it is critical to invest wisely in the necessary infrastructure and create the required demand to spur development. To unpack the intricacies of how to build a functional hydrogen economy, Pamela Largue speaks to Professor Dr Emmanouil Kakaras, Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries EMEA. Prof. Kakaras shares his insights into how to create demand to justify the infrastructure development needed to feed the market and the importance of leveraging industrial use cases to this end. “Demand creation has to happen where green hydrogen is the most competitive substitute” Prof Kakaras also explains the disruptive impact of green hydrogen on the power generation and gas turbine markets, giving us examples of exciting demonstration projects such as the MHI Takasago plant in Japan. It’s home to a variety of electrolysers, storage, compression and hydrogen-fired gas turbines and according to Prof Kakaras, it’s the ‘Disneyland of the hydrogen research’.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Series, we hear from Aurélien Schwartz, CEO of Metroscope on the current challenges that the power generation industry is facing. The Power Generation industry, providing energy to the whole economy, is the first in line to achieve full decarbonisation. Every scenario towards net zero requires a massive electrification of society along with a transformation of our means to generate power in the upcoming 10 years. Power generation companies are hence seeking solutions to improve efficiency, lower environmental harm, and reliably diagnose problems to tackle maintenance costs. This episode is brought to you by Metroscope, a Software as a Service company with offices in France, Germany and the US. The company is committed to creating the best software for monitoring and diagnostics for industrial customers. They believe in sober and conscious industrial facilities, leveraging AI and Operating Experience to improve process efficiency, tackle maintenance costs and fight C02 emissions.

Now that the European Commission has published its proposal for electricity market design reforms, Patrick Bauduin talks to Maria Popova, Director for Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Electricity at the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET), about what was proposed and what the implications of those proposals could be for Europe.

District self-balancing: a way of coordinating flexible use of electricity loads, distributed generation and energy storage. Consumption balancing provides an interesting case study of enabling both energy communities to come online while providing new avenues of flexible congestion management for utilities. Yusuf Latief spoke to Simon Anderson, CEO of The Traxis Group and chair of SmartEn’s Active Buildings and Neighbourhood’s Committee to find out how district self-balancing will play a critical role in our future energy system. "One approach that is being considered by several DSOs is the centralisation of data and control...I think this is going to be an awful lot harder than it sounds and could give rise to major data security concerns..." Simon Anderson

Denmark’s energy islands are at the forefront of innovation, combining scientific advancement and real world application. These hubs will operate as green power plants at sea and are expected to play a major role in the phasing-out of fossil fuel energy sources and allowing countries around the Baltic and North Seas to maximise the vast offshore wind potential in the region. To tell us more about these green energy marvels, I am joined by Jacob Østergaard, Professor and Head of Division, Department of Wind and Energy Systems, Technical University of Denmark.

Without energy market reform to boost flexible balancing capacity, Europe could miss out on achieving its ambitious renewable energy goals. That was the bottom line of a report from Wärtsilä that focuses on managing system imbalances of a renewable-based energy system. To discuss the report’s findings in more detail and to unpack measures needed to attract investments into flexible power, Pamela Largue spoke to Anja Frada, chief operating officer, Wärtsilä Energy. Frada delves into the importance of creating a technology agnostic capability market and improving price transparency. She also talks about why we can be hopeful about the next decade, what challenges need to be addressed and how we go about mitigating risks to our energy system of the future. Resources: Energy Market Redesign: For a Decarbonised Europe

Northern Europe, also known as the cradle of offshore wind, is one of the most attractive areas because of it shallow waters, wind speeds, local competencies, and access to established supply chains. It’s a critical piece of real estate and it’s the centre of Statkrafts renewed strategic focus on offshore wind. David Flood, Senior Vice President Offshore Wind at Statkraft, explains why the Norwegian hydropower giant has returned to offshore wind and is now working to position itself as an industrial developer and operator in the sector.

With net zero requiring 7 billion tonnes of CO2 to be captured and stored annually by 2050, Ruth Herbert, CEO of CCSA, highlights the long but critical road ahead for carbon capture technology. The sector had a slow and tedious start, as the cost and disruption of CCS projects hindered deployment. Herbert explains, however, that the true cost of delaying CCS could be devastating for our net zero goals and that by moving early and decisively, we can ultimately ensure a cheaper transition.

Europe’s Energy Council recently voted for an EU gas price cap despite warnings from the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET) and other industry representatives.  The question is, what happens now? Mark Copley, CEO of EFET talks about how this will impact Europe’s gas markets. He explains why political intervention remains one of the biggest risks to the energy industry potentially reducing confidence in the long term.

As climate change impacts weather patterns, droughts and floods are becoming more commonplace impacting hydropower projects around the world. In the face of this, many naysayers are criticising the renewables resource citing a lack of sustainability and affordability. However, according to Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association, more hydropower is the answer. Rich explains how this form of generation can supply flood and drought control, protect water supply and support irrigation. Furthermore, pumped storage is one of the most important system balancing mechanisms available to us, a non-negotiable for a successful transition to renewables. Rich also talks about how the industry has learned valuable lessons from past mistakes and is taking proactive steps to ensure future hydropower projects meet the highest sustainability standards.

In 2021, Siemens Gamesa started operating its first green hydrogen pilot project in Brande, Denmark. Since then, the Brande Hydrogen project has produced green hydrogen from an onshore wind turbine connected to an electrolyzer, producing fuel to power taxis in Copenhagen, Denmark. After 15 months of operation, Siemens Gamesa has released a whitepaper on the technical, policy and commercial findings thus far. To discuss these findings in more detail and talk about the journey to scale this nascent technology, Pamela Largue speaks to Benedikt Mayerle, Lead Solution Architect, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Resources: Siemens Gamesa Whitepaper - Green Hydrogen Unlocked: Brande HydrogenKey learnings from operating a pioneering pilot project

In this COP27 special edition of the Energy Transitions Podcast series, Yusuf Latief speaks to Bertrand Piccard, United Nations Ambassador for the Environment and Special Advisor to the European Commission about the urgent need to modernise industry, whether our net zero goals are realistic and if all the COP-related talk will ultimately deliver the results being promised.

In the face of more frequent extreme weather events caused by climate change, cities are facing new challenges and need to find new solutions to face them. One of these challenges is to improve water management – one of the key pillars of sustainable cities – a factor behind the rapidly maturing smart water solutions market. To investigate how cities and utilities are employing smart water solutions to manage water resources, prevent flooding and drive resilience within the water and power sectors, Yusuf Latief is joined by two experts from Guidehouse Insights; Eric Woods, Research Director, Smart Cities and Urban Innovation and Grant Samms, Climate and Energy Research Analyst. Resources: Smart Water Systems for Smart Cities report from Guidehouse Insights