Energy Transitions

The global hydrogen sector appears to be moving beyond ambitious plans and into the build phase, with projects progressing from announcements to final investment decisions, construction and operation.That’s according to Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, who spoke with Pamela Largue for this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast. Drawing on the Council’s latest Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report, Jemelkova highlights evidence of a sector increasingly focused on turning ambition into deployment. She takes listeners on a tour of China, Europe and the US, exploring their different approaches to hydrogen development and the critical role of policy in unlocking demand and investment. She also offers a candid look at the challenges facing sectors such as green steel, what project cancellations and consolidation tell us about a maturing market as well as what it will take to build competitive hydrogen ecosystems. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

On April 28, 2025, a large-scale power outage swept across Iberia, disrupting daily life within seconds and exposing the limits of current approaches to grid reliability. The event highlighted both the challenges of managing increasingly decentralised renewable assets and the shortcomings of traditional emergency protocols. According to Adrian Guggisberg, Division President Electrical Distribution Solutions, at ABB, it is a clear sign that the grid has become far more complex, and that our traditional ways of thinking are no longer sufficient. This was one of Guggisberg’s key messages in this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast. He emphasises the need to make better decisions about how we build, operate, and configure the grid to keep pace with its transformation. Guggisberg argues that digitalisation is essential to bringing greater transparency to the decentralised grid, including its configurations and settings. It can also enable more coordinated action across distributed points of the network to balance active and reactive power and manage power quality. Ultimately, utilities, technology providers, and policymakers need to align on planning, standards, and investment. Without greater coordination, he warns, grid resilience will struggle to keep pace with the rapid transformation of the energy system. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

Imagine a home where EVs, solar panels, batteries and other energy technologies work seamlessly together to help households manage their energy, while playing an active role in balancing the grid.That vision is rapidly becoming a reality. As renewables and electrification gather pace, households are moving beyond simply consuming energy to generating, storing, managing and even trading it. The result is a complex home energy ecosystem with the potential to cut costs, improve resilience and provide valuable flexibility to an increasingly decentralised energy system. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Andrew Clint, CEO of UK-based smart energy technology company myenergi, about this shift and what it means for consumers and the wider energy system.He highlights the value to consumers and the grid and also notes the challenges of bringing these technologies together, ensuring they communicate and that consumers can navigate multiple devices, apps and tariffs. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

As renewables expand and electricity markets become more complex, the ability to intelligently optimise energy assets across multiple markets and revenue streams is becoming increasingly important.In this episode of the Enlit Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Christian Seitl, senior battery and market strategy expert at CyberGrid, about the growing role of intelligent optimisation in the energy transition.He unpacks how optimisation, automation and artificial intelligence can help unlock more value from batteries, renewables and other flexible assets and how combining forecasting and automation can support real-time decision-making.Seitl also highlights some of the practical barriers holding back fully optimised co-located energy sites, including a lack of standardisation between technologies and the complexity of market rules, accounting and grid tariffs. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

Integration, resilience and competitiveness - three words that capture where Europe’s energy transition stands today and the necessary elements for a secure energy future. Europe’s energy transition has moved beyond simply adding renewable capacity to integrating a complex energy system, building resilience in the face of uncertainty and keeping the European industry competitive. This episode of the Energy Transitions podcast explores this progression through a conversation with Paddy Young, event director of Enlit Europe. From grids, storage and flexibility to energy security, investment and industrial competitiveness, Young shares what he’s hearing across the energy ecosystem and why greater alignment and collaboration are urgently needed. The conversation also looks ahead to Enlit Europe in Vienna, where these themes will take centre stage, alongside a new Finance & Invest focus and the Evolution Talks, which will bring leaders from across the ecosystem together.

Could AI help wave energy operate more efficiently, while ocean energy provides clean, stable power for the growing AI economy?In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Inna Braverman, founder and CEO of Eco Wave Power, and Yufei Tang, associate professor at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), explore the possibilities of this symbiotic relationship.Tang and Braverman discuss the convergence of wave energy, AI and data centres, focusing on WaveGPT, an AI-enabled system being developed to support predictive maintenance, anomaly detection and real-time operational decision-making for wave-energy systems.They also highlight the collaboration between Eco Wave Power, FAU and the University of Michigan, which explores an AI-optimised coastal data-centre concept powered by wave energy and supported by energy storage.It’s an inspiring glance into the future of how renewable energy systems could work and demonstrates why the future of AI-powered energy may be closer to the ocean than we think.

As governments, utilities and investors navigate geopolitical uncertainty and increasing pressure to decarbonise and electrify, one question continues to dominate the energy transition: where will the money come from?Sadly, many across the world continue to suffer energy poverty and billions of dollars remain on the sidelines despite enormous demand for energy infrastructure. In the latest episode of the Enlit Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Woochong Um, CEO of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, about how to address this persistent challenge, what it takes to unlock investment for clean energy in developing economies and how to connect the money with the projects and people needing it most.According to Um, the real challenge is not a lack of capital, but a lack of bankable projects, enabling policies and collaboration. He also emphasises that the energy transition, climate action and economic development are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing goals.

As the European Commission advances key legislative proposals, such as Electrification Action Plan and the EU ETS review, the focus is shifting from setting renewable energy targets to delivering them. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Vasiliki Klonari, Director of Energy System Integration at WindEurope, about why this is the most consequential legislative cycle for Europe's energy future. She highlights the critical importance of coherent policies to achieve investor confidence and smarter system integration and lays out how Europe can move beyond ambition to implementation and greater energy autonomy.

Europe has already lost around half of its primary aluminium production in recent years, driven by soaring energy costs and intense international competition and yet the ambition to decarbonise industry has never been greater. To unpack the realities facing European industry, as well as the policies that are advancing or preventing deindustrialisation, Pamela Largue speaks with Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. Voss explores why competitively priced electricity is fundamental to Europe's industrial future, why long-term investment in renewables, grids and storage matters more than short-term fixes, and how geopolitical events have reshaped Europe's thinking on trade, resilience and strategic autonomy.While the industry's commitment to net zero is unwavering, Voss argues that policy must be grounded in technological reality.

As battery energy storage systems become an increasingly critical part of the energy transition, the conversation is shifting from simply deploying more assets to ensuring they are used as intelligently as possible.In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Henri Taskinen, CEO and co-founder of Capalo AI, about the sophisticated optimisation and trading strategies that are unlocking the full value of battery storage. He focuses in on how AI, forecasting and advanced algorithms enable storage assets to respond dynamically to changing market conditions, as well as why intelligent optimisation is becoming essential to project bankability.

In this Energy Transitions Podcast, Jacopo Tosoni says that energy storage has now become critical infrastructure to deliver energy security. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about:  The drivers behind the unprecedented pace of Europe's energy storage market growth; The markets leading deployment and what countries like the UK, Italy and Germany are doing differently; How storage is becoming essential alongside solar and wind as renewable penetration increases; Why long-duration energy storage is gaining momentum; The policy and regulatory changes still needed to unlock the sector's full potential; What the recent EU tripartite agreement on energy storage signals and whether it's ambitious enough; How innovation in storage technologies could strengthen Europe's industrial competitiveness and support the growing demand from AI data centres.

According to Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, delivering hydrogen projects can be likened to a game of Whac-A-Mole and in this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, she explains why. Hydrogen projects are easy to announce, but difficult to deliver, with early enthusiasm often giving way to the practical work of securing permits, financing, and securing infrastructure and regulatory approvals. Every hurdle exposes the next one, she explains. A project may overcome financing, only to face planning delays, for example. However, says Jackson, this situation is not evidence that hydrogen has failed or that the sector has entered a repetitive cycle with no hope of growth. Rather, it reflects the complexity of building an entirely new energy sector, where technical, financial, regulatory and market challenges must all be addressed before projects become operational. And more importantly, it reflects a maturing sector moving from hype to execution. Jackson emphasises that hydrogen, alongside carbon capture and electrification, will play a critical role in building a resilient, low-carbon energy system, if we can shift hydrogen through these “awkward teenage years”.

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented wave of electricity demand growth. While electrification and electric vehicles continue to contribute significantly, the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centres has introduced a new level of complexity. Facilities consuming hundreds of megawatts, or even gigawatts, of power are being developed on timelines far shorter than utilities have traditionally planned for. This creates a mismatch between supply, demand and network capacity that manifests as grid congestion. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus Energy US, to learn more about how the grid congestion challenge should be tackled. He points to the expanding role of distributed assets such as energy storage and highlights the regulatory reforms needed to unlock smarter networks. Chaset also asserts that while continued investment in generation and network infrastructure is critical, the reality is that building more assets alone may not be enough. The future grid will need to be smarter, more flexible and more responsive to survive the increasing demand loads we are expecting in the future.

As governments grapple with volatile fossil fuel prices, supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty, is the renewable energy agenda being overshadowed by the growing focus on energy security? In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, about why he believes today's energy security concerns are actually accelerating, not slowing, the shift to renewable energy. He points to growing momentum across Europe and Asia, where policymakers are accelerating renewable deployment, electrification, storage and grid investment. In his view, renewables are now not only the cleanest option, but increasingly the fastest and most cost-effective way to add new generation capacity.

Industrial heat accounts for roughly two-thirds of energy use in manufacturing, yet it remains one of the least discussed challenges in the energy transition.  In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Daniel Galis, Europe Director at the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, about the European Innovation Fund's €1 billion Heat Auction and its role in accelerating industrial heat decarbonisation. Daniel explains how competitive auction mechanisms are being used to support renewable heat technologies, explores why electric boilers dominated the first funding round, and discusses the barriers facing heat pumps, geothermal and solar thermal solutions.  He also highlights a critical challenge for Europe’s industrial future: high electricity prices.

Geopolitical instability, persistent fossil fuel dependence, and the need to maintain industrial competitiveness are forcing European policymakers and energy leaders to confront increasingly urgent questions about whether policies support or hinder energy security, resilience and decarbonisation. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Marion Labatut, European Affairs Director at EDF, about the strategic choices Europe must make to remain resilient while accelerating its net zero ambitions. Labatut believes one of Europe’s strongest strategic advantages lies in expanding the use of electricity across transport, buildings, and industry. To support this, she calls for Europe to “stay the regulatory course” and to ensure greater regional coordination to reduce overall system costs and improve grid efficiency.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Dr. Dagmar Thien, Manager of Conventional Island Nuclear Power Plant Equipment at Siemens Energy, about the company’s long-standing role in nuclear energy and how it is supporting the current nuclear renaissance. In this episode you will learn more about: The drivers behind renewed interest in nuclear power; The growing role of nuclear in the global power mix and how this impacts Siemens Energy; How modularisation could reshape the economics of both large nuclear plants and SMRs; How regulatory alignment and component standardisation could reduce cost, time, and licensing burdens; Why upgrading existing nuclear plants will be important to expanding nuclear generation capacity; How Siemens Energy is supporting plant restarts and upgrades that significantly increase output, referencing the examples of Palisades, Byron and Braidwood; Siemens Energy’s views on fusion as a future technology; Siemens Energy’s role as a technology-neutral, long-term nuclear partner. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens Energy.

Fusion energy is moving from science fiction to commercial reality, driven by focused government strategies, increasing private investment, and a range of technological breakthroughs. To identify the leaders in the race to harness this limitless source of clean power, Pamela Largue speaks with Andrew Holland, Chief Executive Officer of the Fusion Industry Association. Holland highlights the technologies showing the greatest promise, from tokamaks and stellarators to inertial confinement and laser fusion. He explores the developments making fusion commercially viable and outlines what must happen next to ensure scalable supply chains, fit-for-purpose regulation, and public acceptance. As the world grapples with an energy security crisis, Holland also emphasises fusion’s potential role in reducing countries’ energy dependence on one another — a key step toward separating energy from geopolitics.

Across Europe, increasing electrification and the rapid growth of distributed energy resources have pushed regulation and grid operations toward higher levels of visibility, coordination, and data exchange. In Italy, a regulatory journey that began in 2018 has led to a framework that treats observability as a foundational capability for secure and resilient system operation. To learn more about this journey and how observability and controllability are reshaping grid operations, Pamela Largue speaks to Flavia Serri, Grid Solutions Engineer and Gianluca Sapienza, Head of Grid Engineering Services at Gridspertise. Serri and Sapienza provide a system-level perspective on how regulatory vision can translate into real-world implementation at scale. This episode of the Energy Transitions podcast is brought to you in partnership with Gridspertise.

Floating offshore wind may still be on the path to full commercialisation, but its strategic importance for Europe’s energy security is already undeniable. This emerging technology will be a critical tool to unlocking vast renewable resources in deeper waters, a tool that France, and especially the Occitanie region, is looking to harness through a series of technologically-advanced pilot projects. However, technology alone won’t determine success. Building a resilient local value chain, one that delivers economic benefits, creates jobs, and fosters innovation, is equally critical. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Marie-Laure Barois, Co-Founder and Spokesperson of Wind’Occ, and Senior Advisor in Marine Renewable Energies and the Blue Economy. Together, they explore what it takes to turn early-stage momentum into long-term industrial strength, from nurturing talent and advancing innovation to ensuring inclusivity and maintaining Europe’s competitive edge in a rapidly evolving global market.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Lobna El Gammal and David Cashman of EY talk about how utilities can maximise preparedness for major events, the role digital technologies can play, and why there is no time to waste in doing so. In this episode you will learn more about: What resilience means and why utilities must prepare now; Where the greatest resilience risks are within the system; What constitutes a major event and how utilities need to prepare for these; Case studies demonstrating where utilities got it right or didn’t; The role of digitalisation in maximising preparedness; How utilities get started on building resilience effectively and strategically; How and why to ensure people are as prepared as the systems.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Azmi Yusof of TNB explains the how the utility as the 'custodian' of the Malaysian grid is digitalising its services. In this episode, you'll learn more about: TNB as the custodian of the Malaysian grid; How TGBS's ongoing transition ensures the company is future-proof in a disruptive energy landscape; The utility's focus on digital integration to boost the efficiency of shared services; Challenges around digital integration; How TNB is managing all the data generated; How TNB is managing the people factor; The ASEAN landscape and the plans for the ASEAN Power Grid.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Ann Mettler, Co-Founder of Catalyse Europe, calls for localisation, diversification and decentralisation in the face of global energy shocks. In this episode you will learn more about: The short- and long-term energy and industrial threats to Europe amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East; Key structural weaknesses in Europe’s energy supply chain; Whether lessons were truly learned and implemented after the Ukraine war; The role of innovation and clean technologies in strengthening Europe’s competitive advantage; The importance of defence spending in driving new technological development; How Europe can protect its innovation assets and maintain a competitive edge over other countries pursuing similar goals.

In the Energy Transitions podcast, Patrizio Donati, Co-Founder and Director at Terrawatt, explores the restraints hampering Italy's renewables market. In this episode you will learn more about: Why Italy’s renewable market is driven by strong fundamentals but constrained by regulatory inefficiencies; How permitting delays and bureaucratic complexity impact project timelines and investor confidence; The trade-off between higher power prices, stronger returns and increased development risk; Why grid infrastructure remains a key bottleneck for scaling renewables; How the battery storage market is evolving as a core enabler of system balance; Why renewables deployment is now primarily a regulatory, not technical, challenge.

In this Energy Transitions Podcast episode, experts from both countries swop renewable energy success stories and reveal they also face similar significant challenges. Sarah Merrick and Daniel Serrano both work for consultancy Ricardo – Merrick in the UK and Serrano in Spain. In this podcast episode, you will hear: What needs to happen to make energy storage thrive; How the UK has the right mechanisms to develop fledging technologies; Why Spain has been so successful at deploying solar PV and network planning; What the “dream scenario” is for a flexible energy system; A reality check for national and EU energy targets; How to reform the electricity market while not deterring investment; Lessons learned from the Iberia blackout;

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Yusuf Latief speaks with Michael Villa, Executive Director at SmartEn, and Jochem van Hove, Managing Director for Energy and Resources EMEA at Microsoft, about how data platforms, AI and digital tools can help coordinate these resources in real time. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: Why flexibility is becoming critical in a decentralised energy system; The role of AI and data in managing distributed energy resources; How EVs, buildings, industries and data centres can provide flexibility; The importance of real-time data and digital platforms; Cyber-security considerations in digitalised energy systems; Policy and market frameworks needed to unlock demand-side flexibility.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Sandro Baldi, Commercial Director at NUWARD SMR, EDF, about why SMRs are a viable technology in terms of meeting rising data centre demand and decarbonising industries where direct electrification is challenging. In this episode you will learn more about: The importance of SMRs in the future energy landscape of Europe; The role of SMRs in providing energy security, reducing emissions and meeting increasing demand; Key barriers to deployment; Policy and economic enablers for SMR projects; Whether Europe’s supply chain is sufficiently robust to support advancement; When we can expect projects to reach commercial operations; The projects NUWARD SMR is working on and plans for the future.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Michael Hierholzer and Armin Fürderer of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, highlight the technical, operational and human aspects of this pioneering BESS project. In this episode you will learn more about: The pace of energy transition in the Baltic region, as well as current energy mix and market dynamics; The BRELL disconnect and the impact it had on Latvia’s grid; The opportunities that made Latvia’s first grid-scale BESS project possible and the challenges associated with the project; How the system has been performing thus far; How to mitigate cybersecurity risks for critical infrastructure like BESS; Key learnings from the project that could be employed in projects throughout the region; What’s next for Rolls-Royce Power systems in this region and in terms of BESS. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Christiane Mann, Chair of the T&D Europe working group on grid digitalisation and Vice President, Head of Industry Affairs at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, helps unpack what true grid digitalisation really means. In this episode you will learn more about: What grid digitalisation actually means in technical and operational terms; How advanced digital functionalities help operators manage renewables, decentralised energy resources and rising electrification in transport and heating; Why flexibility and “flexumers” are central to the future system; The growing importance of data governance, harmonisation and digital skills in Europe’s energy transition; The impact of “capex bias” and how current regulatory models can disadvantage software and digital investments; How grid digitalisation represents a system-wide change management challenge

In this episode of the Energy Transition podcast, two members from the EU DSO Entity, Oliver Franz of E.ON and Alco de Lange of Stedin, discuss and compare the power grid crunches that have been unravelling in the Netherlands and Germany. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: The three key issues where the resilience of the grid needs to be strengthened: cybersecurity, physical resilience, and climate change; How battery storage and data centres in Germany were the “two new kids on the block”, requiring new approaches to consumption management; What led to the power congestion crunch in the Netherlands and how the country is re-approaching connection queues; The role of digitalisation and data in making effective grid investment decisions; A comparison of new congestion management methods between the Netherlands and Germany; The role of flexibility in solving grid issues? Or will we see a future with a resilient grid that can cope with all stresses?

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, former CEO of Volkswagen and current Board Chair of The Mobility House, Herbert Diess, explains why people can't underestimate the role of cars in the energy transition. In this episode you will learn more about: Why decentralised solutions hold so much promise when it comes to solving energy transition challenges; Investing in solutions that are practical and make good business sense; Why Herbert Diess believes it's time to go all in on e-mobility; How to overcome the barriers to e-mobility, including antiquated mindsets; The Mobility House and some of the exciting projects the team is working on; Why innovation and agile start ups will drive sustainable energy transformation.

To unpack how CBAM works and explore whether its design is truly fit for purpose, Pamela Largue spoke with Jostein Røynesdal, Vice President and Head of EU Affairs at Hydro, and Hélène Lavray, Government Affairs Leader Europe for Climate & Energy at Dow. Both highlighted the complexity of the mechanism and warned of potentially serious trade implications. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: Shortcomings of the current CBAM system and what can be done to fix it; What will change this year with the implementation of CBAM, what it means for importers and the resource shuffling that could arise; The potential impacts of applying CBAM on electricity; How CBAM could impact emissions allowances within the EU ETS and impact European producers; The potential pitfalls of administering and reporting; The impact of CBAM on developing nations and diplomatic relations; Potential impacts on global trade. Jostein Røynesdal and Hélène Lavray will be speaking at European Industrial Energy Days in a panel discussion entitled, Carbon Costs and Competitiveness: What EU ETS and CBAM means for Industrial Energy Users. Register to meet them in person and join the conversation.

In this Energy Transitions podcast episode, Nils Beenen of Uniper explains the critical role of well-designed, long-term gas PPAs in Europe’s path to decarbonisation. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: Uniper’s current position in the market and strategic focus; Why Europe needs price-secured long-term contracts; The difference between Asia and Europe in terms of securing long-term gas contracts and what Asia is getting right; The regulatory or market changes that would lower the risk of gas procurement; How higher gas prices have impacted Europe in terms of competitiveness and energy security; How long-term PPAs facilitate Uniper’s decarbonisation agenda; The benefits and risks of prioritising and implementing long-term PPAs; The risks related to energy transition and decarbonisation, electrification and renewables (upstream and downstream); How to mitigate these risks. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Uniper.

To find out more about how gas is playing an instrumental role in Europe’s decarbonisation journey, Pamela Largue spoke to Fabrice Vigneron, Chief Technical Officer at GRDF, and Chair of the Distribution Committee of the International Gas Union (IGU). In this episode, you will learn more about: How the role of gas DSOs is changing as fossil fuels are phased out around the world; Whether gas will remain as an important source of flexibility or whether it fulfill its role as a transition fuel; How DSOs need to modernise and repurpose networks and the planning and investment required to do so efficiently; The role of greener gases in residential and industrial use cases; The main challenges when it comes to distributing green gas; Efficiency measures that are being implemented such as AI, digitalisation; Why cooperation between DSOs is critical for a successful energy transition. This episode is brought to you in partnership with GRDF, France's leading natural gas distribution operator.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Sébastien Ruiz, CEO of EDF International Networks, to gain unique insights into how his team is dealing with the challenges of an increasingly digital world, and why data is indispensable in meeting these challenges. In this episode, you will learn more about: The challenges French DSOs are experiencing and how they are coping with these challenges; The types of innovation having the biggest impact on the distribution landscape; EDF's smart metering programmes and the importance of the data collected from these programmes; How data is used to improve maintenance programmes; Overcoming challenges in digital transformation from a technical and people perspective.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, recorded at Enlit Europe in Bilbao, Milena Roveda, CEO at Gauss Fusion tells Kelvin Ross why her ambition to build the first of several commercial fusion plants by 2040 is grounded in realism and methodically-planned process. In this episode, you will learn more about: Why fusion is becoming increasingly attractive to investors; What the ‘known unknowns’ are for the technology; How collaboration is underpinning the success of fusion? Why Europe’s fusion race “will be won not by the size of a single fund-raise, but by the depth of industrial know-how”; And why she is driven by hope: “we’re not talking about taking out jobs and reducing costs: we’re working to make the future brighter.”

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Javier Vaquerizo of ContourGlobal, talks about how their rebrand is positioning them favourably in a complex IPP landscape. In this episode, you will learn more about: 1. What it's like to function in the current IPP landscape; 2. The opportunities and challenges facing IPPs;3. The details of ContourGlobal's rebrand;4. The market conditions that led to the change and why the pivot was needed;5. Lessons learned along the way;6. Why the journey was as much about people as the business strategy.

The Bełchatów coal power plant in Poland is the largest lignite-fired power station in Europe and one of the biggest single sources of carbon emissions on the continent. For decades, it has powered Polish industry, heated homes, and supported thousands of jobs. But it has also embodied the difficult trade-offs at the heart of the energy transition. To unpack the details of the Bełchatów energy transition, Pamela Largue is joined by Monika Manowska, Investment Advisor at Energy Investment Management.

Resilience is the buzzword on everyone’s lips following blackouts this year across Europe. The question everyone wants an answer to is: how do we prevent such catastrophes from happening again? Host Kelvin Ross is joined by someone who believes she has that answer. Pilar Rodríguez López is Head of Energy and Utilities for Europe at Ericsson and was heavily involved in the new white paper 'A Tipping Point for Europe’s Energy System: Why Resilience Must Power the Next Era of Energy', which was launched at Enlit Europe 2025. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Ericsson.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Jeremy Hetzel of Kraken explores how distribution networks are transforming into digital ecosystems and what DSOs must do to stay ahead. In this episode, you will learn more about: 1.The strategic shift distribution companies must make to move from managing assets to optimising systems;2.How Distribution System Operators can maintain reliability and security while enabling broad market participation;3.Where the most significant areas of technology debt exist within distribution today and the impact thereof on grid resilience;4.How DSOs evaluate the performance of digital and optimisation tools in real time;5.The strategic priorities DSOs need to remain relevant in the future;6.Kraken’s most distinctive advantage in a market still dominated by legacy systems. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Kraken - an Operating System for utilities, powered by Utility-Grade AI.

In this podcast episode, Paolo Colella of Gentrack unpacks why utilities need strategies that allow agility, innovation and control over transformation. With prosumers rising, legacy systems under significant strain, and new market models emerging at pace, the utilities sector is undergoing its biggest transformation in decades. According to Paolo Colella, Chief Revenue Officer for EMEA at Gentrack, utilities that embrace new services, new revenue streams, and new customer expectations without being tied to a single technology path will maintain a competitive edge. Colella also suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to utility transformation. However, there are some non-negotiables, such as the imperative to maintain control of the transformation journey. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Gentrack.

Europe’s metals sector, more specifically the non-ferrous metals sector, is under immense pressure to decarbonise while remaining globally competitive. One of the key challenges, according to Adina Georgescu, Energy & Climate Change Director Eurometaux, is high electricity prices, which is pushing the sector beyond what it’s capable of. According to Georgescu: “We just need to be pragmatic in Europe and accept that you need to take some good strong decisions when it comes to achieving globally competitive prices.” She is also calling on policymakers to support the creation of a sustainable metals value chain towards achieving greater strategic autonomy.

In the latest episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Ben Pritchard, CEO of AVK, and Malin Östman, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development at Wärtsilä Energy, about how this can be achieved and the role that data centre microgrids can play as a scalable, practical solution to power constraints and grid instability. Pritchard and Östman elaborate on AVK and Wärtsilä’s new research paper, Data centre dispatchable capacity: a major opportunity for Europe’s energy transition, which models different energy scenarios for powering data centres, and provides insights into the optimal configuration of renewables, batteries, and dispatchable engines. This podcast is brought to you in partnership with AVK.

This November, the Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation is launching the free-of-charge Solar Step programme, which aims to provide displaced and vulnerable women in Ukraine with the skills to become project managers in solar power construction. Interest in the programme has been overwhelming, says Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation CEO and founder Yuliana Onishchuk, and guest of the Energy Transitions podcast. And for good reasons. Onishchuk explains that Ukraine’s energy sector remains heavily male-dominated, and the war has further depleted the workforce. This means Solar Step has the potential to be transformative for the sector and life-changing for the women participating. Yuliana Onishchuk will be sharing her insights at Enlit Europe in Bilbao, 18-20 November. Register to join her and be a part of the conversation.

In order to achieve energy transition and climate goals, incremental change is no longer sufficient to ensure energy markets, grids, policies and financing mechanisms are fit for purpose. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Lesley O’Connor, founder of Trifecta Energy, and daughter of renewable energy pioneer Eddie O’Connor, unpacks the radical shifts in grids, innovation and investment needed to transform Europe's energy system. O’Connor highlights the need for systems thinking, stakeholder alignment, and digital tools to accelerate change and explains why the Supergrid concept is key to unlocking clean, secure and affordable power. To continue the conversation, catch Leslie O'Connor at Enlit Europe in Bilbao.

Spain has a strong automotive sector, a strong manufacturing tradition, and is no stranger to announcements of EV battery gigafactories. So how well-placed is the country in Europe’s battery value chain and what can we expect from its EV-to-power-grid market? These are some of the key discussion points in this fourth and final episode of the special edition Energy Transitions podcast series, with Francisco Carranza, Partner at Futuraiser. Do you want to join the conversation about mobility? Visit the Mobility Zone at Enlit Europe.

In the third episode of a special four-part miniseries of the Energy Transitions Podcast exploring Spain’s journey to greener mobility, host Yusuf Latief speaks with Jacobo Domínguez-Blanco, CEO of Vecttor, a Spanish company specialising in passenger transportation through vehicles with drivers (VTC). Domínguez-Blanco outlines how these pressures are forcing a rethink in how fleets are managed, charged, and integrated into urban energy systems. He also draws on the company’s partnership with Iberdrola, where energy saving certificates (ESCs) are used to monetise fleet electrification, to discuss the opportunities e-mobility is opening up for business in Spain. Do you want to join the conversation about mobility? Visit the Mobility Zone at Enlit Europe.

In the second episode of a special four-part miniseries of the Energy Transitions Podcast exploring Spain’s journey to greener mobility, host Yusuf Latief speaks with Jorge Muñoz Riesco, Head of Smart Mobility for Iberdrola. Riesco helps unpack what’s needed to ensure that EV charging and the power system evolve in sync, considering elements such as charging technologies, grid investment and forward-looking regulation. Do you want to join the conversation about mobility? Visit the Mobility Zone at Enlit Europe.

In the first episode of a special four-part miniseries of the Energy Transitions Podcast zooming in on Spain’s journey to greener mobility, host Yusuf Latief speaks with Pierpaolo Cazzola and Matteo Craglia, two leading transport and energy policy experts from the University of California, Davis’s European Transport and Energy Research Centre. Together, they unpack why, despite offering significant subsidies since 2009, EV adoption in Spain still lags behind countries like Portugal. Ultimately, Pierpaolo and Craglia explain, Spain is making progress in the sector—but more is needed to fully unlock its potential. Do you want to join the conversation about mobility? Visit the Mobility Zone at Enlit Europe. Register now to attend Enlit Europe, taking place from 18–20 November in Bilbao.

Pamela Largue speaks with José Luis Adanero López, Head of Planning, Regulation & Investment Office at Iberdrola and Simona Rossetti, Senior VP of sales Europe for Grid Technologies at Siemens Energy. López and Rossetti explore the causes and aftermath of the Spanish blackout, as well as the critical roles of grid inertia, regulatory stability, and strategic investment to build a resilient energy grid in Europe. In this episode you will learn more about: How the energy transition is causing a heightened need for resilience strategies, Lessons learned from the Spanish blackout and how to transform those lessons into actions, The impact of eliminating fossil fuels and the loss of rotating mass, The hidden challenges of introducing renewables into the system, Regulatory strategies to improve grid resilience, How to direct investment to ensure a more proactive rather than reactive approach to grid resilience, The role of digitalisation in grid stability.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Dr Kirsty Hewitson, Director at UK's Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo), to explore the groundbreaking use of embodied intelligence in nuclear decommissioning. According to Hewitson, whether drones or quadrupeds, data and decision making on the fly is empowering site operators and transforming the sector. In this episode you will learn more about: What RAICo is working on currently and the role these solutions can play in the UK's nuclear industry, How AI and robots are revolutionising the nuclear sector in the UK and around the world, The challenges of nuclear decommissioning, The role of embodied intelligence in derisking nuclear decommissioning, How to train quadrupeds and people that operate them, How to address existing skills and equity gaps, as well as ensure the next generation of talent is equipped for the future working environment, Real world applications for technologies being developed at RAICo, Whether robots will totally replace human beings in this sector.

So how can developers mitigate this risk factor, and what strategies are most effective in the current US energy landscape, which can be both polarised and politicised? Pamela Largue speaks to John Lacey, Senior Vice President and Director of Public Affairs at US-based communications firm Mower Agency, about why it's critical to build trust with communities and customers. Ultimately, according to Lacey, trust and human connection are core ingredients to ensuring energy infrastructure projects can be built at the speed and scale required, while ensuring people remain at the heart of the energy transition. In this episode, you will learn more about: The current state of US energy policy and the impact of recent changes on developers; Whether there is any political consensus on infrastructure development; What community opposition to power projects looks like and why it happens; Understanding the NIMBY mindset and mitigating it through earning trust; The importance of tailoring communication strategies to communities and technology types; Prioritising relevance over green messaging; The link between building trust and protecting the bottom line.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Christophe Williams, CEO of Naked Energy, to find out how their innovative solution of evacuated tubes produces both electricity and heat, converting up to 80% of the sun’s energy into usable power and hot water. It's an important step forward in helping to decarbonise heat, the “warm elephant in the room” of climate action, says Williams. In this episode you will learn more about: Why the company chose to be called Naked Energy; What it means to redefine a mature technology like solar power; How Naked Energy is employing novel design techniques to achieve greater solar thermal efficiencies; How the British Library is using solar thermal technology to decarbonise and keep precious knowledge safe; The use cases for solar thermal technology in decarbonising the commercial and industrial sector; Christophe’s journey from the creative industries into clean tech.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue has a candid conversation with Monica Collings, newly appointed Chair of POWERful Women and recent recipient of an OBE, about the pressing need for greater gender diversity in the UK energy sector. Collings highlights the encouraging and disappointing results of POWERful Women's 2025 State of the Nation Report, and explains why deep structural change is needed to get the UK power sector's diversity strategy back on track. In this episode you will learn more about: How POWERful Women is tracking on its mission to achieve 40% of energy sector leadership and middle management roles to be held by women by 2030; The standout results from POWERful Women's State of the Nation report; How a lack of diversity is impacting the UK's energy sector; How to attract and retain talented women with a supportive workplace culture; Whether DEI needs to be reframed to achieve more; Why diversity in leadership is good for business and critical for the energy transition.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Per Löfberg, Senior Project Manager at charging solutions scale-up Elonroad, to find out more about how charging innovation is helping to drive electrification. In this episode you will learn more about: The challenges facing e-mobility in Europe and limitations posed by the grid infrastructure and battery dependency; How Elonroad's innovation is using conductive electric roads to enable on-the-go charging; The differences between indictive and conductive charging; Why road electrification holds great promise for port decarbonisation in particular; Why the US, Sweden, France and Singapore are exploring e-mobility innovation like electric roads; The popular use cases being explored for deployment of these systems; Addressing regulatory and investment gaps hindering development of e-mobility innovation; What's next for Elonroad on its innovation journey.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with John Ahlberg, Founder of nuclear scale-up Kärnfull, about the polarised opinions concerning Swedish nuclear energy and whether this divide still exists. Ahlberg also highlights the game changing technologies and business models that are building confidence in the sector. In this episode you will learn more about: Why nuclear energy is a controversial topic in Sweden; Why the government is warming up to nuclear energy; What technology options are most likely going to materialise in the country; New business models that could influence the future development of the sector; The challenges and pressure points in the region's electrification journey and the role of nuclear in mitigating these.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Linda Wennberg, Agile Unit Leader Sustainable Energy at ABB's Smart Power Division, about how to foster innovation through effective partnerships. In this episode you will learn more about: The challenges and opportunities around innovation in energy; Why acceleration and scalability are important to make the most of the opportunities to innovate; Why companies that can quickly scale their innovations gain a competitive edge; How to innovate in a sector where product lifecycles are decades long; How the need for speed is changing the way engineers work on energy transition solutions; The partnerships that ABB Smart Power has invested in to accelerate innovation; The main technology/innovation trends that will have the biggest impact on the energy transition. This episode is brought to you in partnership with ABB’s Sustainable Energy Unit Listen to all episodes here: https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/ Connect with our host, Pamela Largue, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-largue-95897245/

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Alex Robertson, newly appointed CEO of ENERGYNEST, about why he believes power-to-heat technology is more than just hot hair and holds genuine promise for Europe's pathway to industrial decarbonisation. He also explains why the switch from gas to electrification is less daunting and more intuitive than we might think. In this episode you will learn more about: Why power-to-heat is an effective way to decarbonise the energy system, providing flexibility and heat when and where needed; How the industrial mindset is shifting from being gas consumers to actively participating in the electricity market; The applications where power-to-heat is having the biggest impact; The infrastructure requirements to implement a power-to-heat solution and the cost implications involved; Challenges to overcome in terms of implementing these solutions; such as intermittent renewables, heat storage requirements and the need to reach high temperatures for some industrial processes; The importance of these solutions for industrial competitiveness in Europe; The maturity of these solutions and potential for innovation and efficiency improvements; Why power to heat is a good compliment for renewable energy.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue spoke with two experts on the front lines of recruitment, Alison Lowry, founder of STEM Select and Tom Essex, founder of KIGYO, to find out how to tackle the workforce challenges from the ground up. In this episode you will learn more about: How to move from planning to action when it comes to solving workforce challenges; Why transferable skills are still underutilised and how to change that; How to ensure we attract more women and other underrepresented groups; The role of governments in fostering more effective recruitment; What educational institutions need to do to address skills gaps and headcount challenges; The need for more attractive vocational training programmes to boost the net-zero workforce; Why reskilling programmes are critical to ensuring a sustainable energy transition; Why collaboration between stakeholders might be the greatest asset in solving this challenge.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue finds out more about how to tap into EVs as a source of flexibility by speaking with Gabrielle Clark, Energy and Climate Policy Officer at Eurelectric and Andrew Horstead, Global Power & Utilities Lead Analyst at EY. In this episode you will learn more about: How EVs in Europe could unlock 114TWh of battery capacity for grid flexibility; The current EV uptake in Europe and how customers and prosumers perceive the value of EVs; Barriers to unlocking flexibility with EVs, such as double taxation, lack of smart meters and insufficient charging infrastructure; How to maximise the value proposition of EVs for all stakeholders and why there's a positive outlook for total cost of ownership; How to raise awareness and incentivise drivers to become active players in the electricity market; The importance of aligning market-specific policy and technical action across Europe; Why standardisation in V2G compatibility and data exchange are critical.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Faustine Delasalle, Executive Director Industrial Transition Accelerator and CEO of Mission Possible Partnership, to highlight the pros and cons of Europe's Clean Industrial Deal and to understand whether the policies it contains will address the fragility of European industry. In this episode you will learn more about: The current fragile state of Europe's industries in light of the energy crisis and the need for rapid decarbonisation; The main pillars of the Clean Industrial Deal, designed to reshore and revitalise industrial activities; Potential policy pitfalls and gaps still to be addressed; The importance of reducing energy costs for energy-intensive industries; Why Europe might not be best placed to produce large amounts of clean energy and will need to look abroad to the likes of India, North Africa and the Middle East; The importance of creating markets for made-in-Europe clean commodities; Why industrial decarbonisation doesn't necessarily equal greater competitiveness for European industry; Why there is optimism about reaching a point where clean industry will be the new normal for Europe.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Kenneth Irvin, Partner and Co-Chair of the Energy Practice Team at Sidley, to unpack the policy changes that have had the biggest impact domestically and abroad. Irvin considers the knock-on effect of declaring an energy emergency and explains why he believes there is still hope for renewable energy in the US. In this episode you will learn more about: The stand-out policies and executive orders passed in the first month of Trump's presidency; The potential impact of Trump's America-first policy reforms; The future outlook for US renewables energy markets; The sentiment of US and European investors; The importance of patient capital and a long term outlook to investing in the US; How the US's renewed focus on fossil fuels could impact the energy transition in the US and in Europe; Trump's critical mineral mission in Ukraine. This episode was recorded on 26 February 2025, prior to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with President Donald Trump at the Whitehouse, which took place on 28 February 2025.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Sozon Kokkinaras, VP of Sales for Eastern Europe at Trilliant, to learn more about the kinds of digital tools being deployed in the smart energy transition, the contexts in which they work and why AI can prove beneficial to utilities' bottom lines. In this episode you will learn more about: What a smart energy transition means in terms of infrastructure deployment; How to manage becoming smarter and simultaneously more vulnerable; The increasingly important role of cybersecurity for a smart, more decentralised grid; How to manage the vast amount of data generated from smart devices; Whether AI is making the energy sector smarter or merely producing more data; How AI can aid the (smart) energy transition in terms of revenue protection and directing investments; Case studies demonstrating the positive impact of smart technology.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue spoke to Christoph Gardlo, COO and co-founder of ESFORIN, about how industrial customers are looking to flexibility marketing to maximise their assets in a way that provides grid stability and an economic advantage. In this episode you will learn more about: The importance of industrial flexibility in the context of Europe's decarbonisation, Gamechanging moments in the last ten years impacting the availability of industrial flexibilities, Outlook for intraday markets considering different asset classes and Europe's greener generation profile, The changing mindset and bias of industrial asset owners, How industrials are integrating new energy strategies to maximise available assets and flexibility, Overcoming the local inefficiencies created by flexibility, The complexities of real-time trading and the influence of digitalisation and automation. This episode is brought to you in partnership with ESFORIN. Join ESFORIN, 12-13 March at European Industrial Energy Days in Amsterdam, to learn more about how they are marketing controllable flexibilities profitably for businesses and the environment.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podast, Pamela Largue speaks to Ralf Korntner, Head of NextGen Grid Management at Siemens AG, and Aila Kleemann, Head of Sales & Business Development for IoT at Siemens AG, about how to accelerate grid modernisation in a way that maximises digital tools and gets the most out of current grid assets. In this episode you will learn more about: How to manage the jump from legacy to modern technology; Making the most of the current grid infrastructure to boost resilience; The importance of digitalisation and the power of data to get more out of the grid; The importance of partnerships and effective change management strategies as a means to achieve grid modernisation goals; How Siemens is partnering with Alliander to accelerate flexible grid management in the Netherlands; The mission behind Siemens' Xcelerator programme and how it's making a positive and tangible impact. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens AG.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue sat down with Dr Frederik Doyé, Senior Vice President for Hub Europe at Siemens Energy, and Luca Marchisio, Head of System Strategy at Terna, to understand why and how Europe needs to urgently invest in grid development to achieve greater grid resilience and energy security. In this episode you will learn more about: The critical role of the grid in Europe's energy transition; How Europe is tracking on expanding the grid and establishing the backbone needed for net zero; How modernising the grid can increase resilience; Why a more interconnected grid can help lower energy prices; The importance of investment security in ensuring investment; The most important and urgent actions needed to deliver net zero. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens Energy

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue talks to Jeff Benoit, Vice President - Clean Energy Solutions at PSM, about the challenges US plant operators face and the strategies being employed to mitigate the risks associated with increasing renewables and the potential impact of hydrogen. In this episode you will learn more about: The role of gas in the US' future energy mix; Key challenges plant operators face to ensure gas assets are ready for a decarbonised future; How asset management strategies need to be adjusted to meet sustainability standards Understanding the important role of retrofits; The influence of hydrogen and the impact on the gas sector; Whether carbon capture and storage is an option for US plant operators; How AI and automation are impacting the energy landscape.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Peter Bronski, founder and CEO of Inflection Point Agency about the existing lack of trust, the damaging impact of misinformation in a digital age and why building trust with stakeholders will be key to achieving our decarbonisation goals. In this episode you will learn more about: Why trust is such an important part of the energy conversation; Where the biggest trust gaps are and what is causing them; The main sources of misinformation; How to engage with people to get buy in on renewable energy projects; The impact of distrust on the energy transition; How to address the lack of trust with energy stakeholders.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Enlit's Jonathan Spencer Jones talks to Andrew Waller, Sales Director EMEA at Analog Devices, about the technologies and innovations that are facilitating greater efficiency and visibility, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with an expanding grid edge. In this episode you will learn more about: The top three challenges in energy; What Analog Devices believes the single most important technological innovation will be to ensure a successful transition; How the industry is responding to challenges such as interoperability and cybersecurity; How the industry is gearing up to meet the needs for massive grid infrastructure expansion; New edge innovations are on the horizon; What the future of the energy ecosystem looks like for Analog Devices. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Analog Devices.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Adrian Guggisberg, President of Distribution Solutions at ABB, at Enlit Europe about the disruptive dynamics facing utilities and why incentivising change will be critical to deploying successful digitalisation strategies. In this episode you will learn more about: Why the utility sector is traditionally conservative and resistant to change and how to change this legacy perspective; What needs to change to bring the traditional utility into the new age; What are the strategic considerations to be accounted for as the grid changes; Why cybersecurity is one of the most critical concerns when it comes to grid digitalisation; Why partnerships and collaboration are the way forward; The impact of digitalisation on lifecycle management; Why it's important to avoid relying on regulatory prompts to initiate change; Why digitalisation is attracting talent to the industry; What ABB's Shaping Europe's Energy Future: Key Transition Priorities survey results show about the priorities of decision makers.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Enlit content specialist Jonathan Spencer Jones speaks to Arnaud Cantin, Digital Power SVP at Schneider Electric and Luca Cavalletto, Asset Manager at A2A about how virtualisation is playing a game-changing role in how distribution utilities are overcoming major challenges. In this episode you will learn more about: How utilities can maximise the use of existing infrastructure by incorporating greater intelligence atthe substation level; The role of virtual substations in shaping the future of energy resiliency and distributed energy resources; Why a combination of intelligence at both central and substation levels is crucial for effective substation protection and automation; The key challenges that a distribution utility like A2A encounters at the secondary substationlevel, and the challenges anticipated in the future; The functionality of the T300 H and how it compares to the HU250 in terms of equivalent functionalities. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Schneider Electric.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Enlit editor-in-chief Kelvin Ross unpacks the topic in more detail with Adriana Villalobos Mendez, Global Human Resources Business Partner at Siemens Energy. Villalobos Mendez talks about the value of people power and how to unlock it in a way that benefits the individual, team and business. In this episode you will learn more about: What people power means and how to harness it as a critical business tool; How to unlock people's power and potential by creating a safe environment; How to create a space that promotes innovation; Why allowing people to fail is an important recipe for success; What are the important things to get right for a successful cultural transformation; How to manage fear associated with AI in a transparent and open way; Why being a people person is so important in the age of digitalisation; How to Siemens Energy is making itself attractive to future recruits. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens Energy

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Kelvin Ross, editor-in-chief for Enlit, spoke with Yuliana Onishchuk in front of a live audience at Enlit Europe in Milan. Onishchuk provided insight into the projects they are focusing on and the challenges they face in this volatile situation and shared her passion for making a positive difference to those impacted by the war. In this episode you will learn more about: How Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation is tracking to meet the 100 schools and 50 hospitals project target; The impact of blackouts on the equipment and the importance of local procurement for projects; How project partners are supporting the initiative; The conditions in schools and bomb shelters making this initiative critical; How Onishchuk and her team are working to educate people in Ukraine about the importance of renewables and are impacting the mindset of young Ukrainians concerning sustainability.

Pamela Largue speaks with Jo Egan, Chief Customer Officer at AGL in Australia, about how one of Australia's biggest energy companies is transforming its people and processes for the future. In this episode you will learn more about: The disruptive changes having the biggest impact on utilities, The impact of the twin technology and business transition, The lessons AGL has learned along their journey of transformation, What next-gen consumers are looking for and how utilities can support them to play their part in the new energy system, Why utilities need data and analytics to meet the needs of the consumer, The fundamental importance of effective change management strategies.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast in partnership with Voltalis, Pamela Largue talks to Sebastien Condom, Senior Vice-President, Head of International Business at Voltalis, about why demand response is such a critical part of meeting our flexibility and decarbonisation goals. In this episode you will learn more about: Why demand response will play an integral part in our future energy system; Key hurdles to and enablers of scaling demand response; The influence of market design, trade restrictions, policy frameworks and aggregator participation; The importance of the wholesale market in providing line of sight on revenues; The importance of effective data collection and management; Why demand response needs to be people-centred; Understanding how demand response is done at Voltalis and why the technology and business model are unique; Identify case studies that show tangible benefits of effective demand strategies; The importance of partnerships and collaboration to ensure successful demand response strategy rollout.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue talks to Josh Shimali, Head of Onshore Underwriting at renewables insurance firm GCube, about the growing complexities of the insurance landscape. Shimali also highlights the key trends emerging from the past decade of renewables construction claims, highlighted in GCube's latest report. In this episode, you will learn more about: Key findings of the report, Arrested Development: Managing complex claims in the boom-and-bust world of renewables construction, Understanding the ‘boom and bust’ cycles and the pressure they place on developers, contractors and the supply chain, Top causes of onshore and offshore losses, How to minimise developer risk, Strategies to boost project success amidst extreme weather, contractor error and tech failure, How to ensure sustainable insurance models, and Lessons from past projects that are crucial for future success.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Kim Getgen, CEO and Founder of InnovationForce, about how to navigate this unknown landscape in a strategic way that creates value for utilities. Getgen also unpacks the necessary elements for an innovation ecosystem that will ultimately modernise technology, business processes and the future of work. Listen to this episode to learn more about: How utilities can navigate bureaucracy and mitigate innovation risk Avoiding the trap of continuous improvement How to maximise available budgets Establishing innovation mindsets and creative agility and overcoming status quo thinking Achieving strategic alignment with the utility leadership Understanding why the lack of collaboration between the US and Europe is a failed opportunity Kim Getgen will be moderating a panel at Enlit Europe in Milan, from 22-24 October. Join the session, Unblocking Europe's Innovation Pipeline, to learn more about how to ensure Europe's innovation ecosystem functions properly.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Carol Johnston, VP of Energy, Utilities and Resources at enterprise software company IFS. Johnston unpacks how AI is revolutionising the way utilities operate, the risks associated with delaying digitalisation and how AI will ultimately optimise the relationship between mortals and machines. Listen to this episode to learn more about: How technology maturity is facilitating AI's increasing role in the utility business Why we need AI for a successful and swift energy transition How AI is proving to be a game changer in managing the grid and distributed energy resources How to manage the impact AI's energy demand is placing on the grid Where is AI causing the most disruption and providing the most benefit Key use cases of AI in utility operations How to maximise a digitalisation strategy How to prepare the workforce to ensure AI is optimised The safeguards needed to mitigate risks of deploying AI

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue gains candid perspectives on the UK's CCUS market from Lorenzo Sani, power and utilities analyst at independent financial think tank Carbon Tracker. Sani shares findings from Carbon Tracker's latest reports which show the technology has shown little evidence of cost improvements and scalability. In this episode you will learn more about: Why the UK's CCUS ambitions are not realistic and need to be reconsidered; The importance of policy to set realistic targets and why the UK's new Labour government needs to go back to the drawing board; Where CCUS will have the greatest impact in reaching decarbonisation targets; The challenges presented by upstream emissions for blue hydrogen and gas-CCS; How to ensure the carbon market is fit for purpose.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue spoke to Jon Salazar, Founder and CEO at Gazelle Wind Power, about why he believes floating wind is the natural next step for offshore wind. In this episode you will learn more about: Why floating offshore wind is the next big thing What needs to happen to reduce LCOE of floating wind and Gazelle's innovation roadmap to make that happen How the technology needs to be standardised to create economies of scale The importance of addressing permitting challenges and supply chain constraints What makes Gazelle Power unique and what projects are they involved in How Gazelle Wind Power moved from a concept to a commercially viable technology, as well as how it got its name.

Radosław (Radek) Gnutek, Director of Hydrogen Projects Development at Polenergia, sheds light on the company's strategic focuses, one of which is green hydrogen. Gnutek highlighted two projects that are making an impact on areas once renowned for coal mining activities. In these regions, energy transition is most visible, with green energy projects having the potential to change the landscape, economy, and culture. Listen to this episode to learn more about: Why green hydrogen holds promise for Poland's energy transition Specifics about projects H2 Silesia and Nowa Sarzyna CHP Plant The impact of clean energy projects on Silesia, an industrial hub in Poland The state of Poland's existing hydrogen economy The challenges of building a green hydrogen economy Technologies making the most impact in the country's decarbonisation journey How Poland's educated workforce can be used as an asset This edition of the podcast is part of Enlit on the Road Poland

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Joanna Pandera, founder and President of Forum Energii, provides an update on Poland's transition in light of recent leadership changes and the influence of European policy. In this episode, you will learn more about: The impact of the energy crisis and government change The current Polish attitude towards green policy An update on the country's coal phase-out Technologies holding promise such as hydrogen and CCS The impact of polarisation on the energy landscape Opportunities and threats to Poland's energy transition Findings from Forum Energii's latest report: Energy Transition in Poland: 2024 Edition This episode was recorded during Enlit On The Road Poland. You can find more information here.

In this Energy Transitions podcast episode, Brussels Editor and Host of the EU Energy Projects Podcast, Areti Ntaradimou, talks to Markus Rauramo, the CEO and President of Finnish energy giant Fortum and the Vice-President of Eurelectric, about Europe's road to net zero, policy robustness and the importance of technological neutrality to achieve the ambitious decarbonisation targets. On a windy day at the Eurelectric Power Summit in Athens, they discussed: How ambitious EU energy policy provides incentives to energy companies; Why cyber security is increasingly important for the security of supply; How Fortum is planning for increased renewable energy integration onto the network and what role storage would play; What technologies are needed to ensure uninterrupted power to heavy industries; The different nuclear energy technologies that could assist in achieving decarbonisation goals; What the energy sector can learn from the Nordics.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Ann Burton, head of global BECCS deployment at Drax, about BECCS and what makes it a viable and sustainable decarbonisation solution. Burton talks about how Drax is progressing with the new energy system's project deployment, as well as the challenges, wins and lessons learned thus far. In this episode, you will gain insight into: Why bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is a viable solution despite its bad reputation How BECCS can be sustainable Challenges associated with projects and how to overcome them An update on the 600MW North Yorkshire plant and Drax's expansion plans into US markets The skills needed to make these projects successful Why education and awareness are critical to ensure the growth of the sector How BECCS is developing a robust carbon credits market

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue spoke to Inna Braverman, the CEO and co-founder of Eco Wave Power. Braverman details the development of her company and their technology, the challenges and triumphs encountered on the path to commercialisation, and her personal journey from a girl that no one would listen to, to a well-respected industry pioneer. In this episode, learn about: The state of wave energy in Europe and across the globe The technology that works and doesn't work, and why Why onshore and near shore are less risky than offshore Lessons learned from pioneering wave energy projects Why an updated regulatory framework is critical to the success of projects

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

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.

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.