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  • 178. Delivering the Wind Reset - May25

    178. Delivering the Wind Reset - May25
    2025/05/05
    Laurent and Gerard sit down for an in-depth (and at times fiery) conversation with Ben Backwell, Chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), to unpack the current state of the wind industry. Ben joins from Brazil, where preparations for COP30 are already underway.

    As GWEC has just released its flagship Global Wind Report 2025—a must-read for anyone serious about the energy transition—they reflect on wind power’s progress. While the sector has continued to grow, it's been outpaced by solar and storage, grappling with supply chain bottlenecks, technical hurdles, and an all-out culture war driven by fossil fuel interests and political headwinds.

    The discussion covers the recent struggles of the U.S. offshore wind sector (recorded just before the devastating cancellation of Equinor’s Empire Wind project, a move we, unfortunately, saw coming).

    We also dive into China’s meteoric rise, now dominating two-thirds of the global wind market with players like Goldwind, Envision, Windey, and Mingyang—now surpassing Western stalwarts such as Vestas, Siemens Energy, and GE Vernova.

    Despite the noise and negativity—what Laurent refers to as “the enemies of freedom”—there’s reason to stay hopeful. Wind remains a cornerstone of clean, secure, and locally sourced energy in many regions.

    Check out the full Global Wind Report 2025 from GWEC here: https://www.gwec.net/reports/globalwindreport
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    26 分
  • 177. The Transatlantic Power Cable: from concept to reality - Apr25

    177. The Transatlantic Power Cable: from concept to reality - Apr25
    2025/04/28
    There's been a great deal of excitement and curiosity surrounding the idea of a Transatlantic Interconnector. So, as co-founders, Laurent Segalen, Gerard Reid and Simon Ludlam have decided to release a special episode to bring our listeners up to speed on where things currently stand.

    While we can’t dive into our discussions with governments and system operators—those are protected by NDAs—rest assured, those conversations are very much underway, as you might expect. To put this episode together, we have brought in a range of perspectives:
    • First, you'll hear an excerpt from a conversation with John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid, on the Aurora Unplugged podcast last October, where he discusses the potential of ultra-long interconnectors.
    • Next, we feature an interview with Laurent on the Jolts podcast from this February.
    • That’s followed by a deep dive into the technical aspects with Cornelis Plet, Global Head of HVDC at DNV.
    • We then explore the legal landscape with Silke Goldberg, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and one of the world’s foremost legal experts in this area.
    • And finally, we wrap up with a conversation between the three co-founders, where Simon Ludlam lays out the key steps ahead in the coming months and Gerard engages with investors.
    We hope this gives you a clearer picture of what has been accomplished so far—and what lies ahead on this ambitious journey.

    A lot of information, reports and data are available on www.nato-l.org
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    36 分
  • 176. Renewables are dominating the Electrification of an Energy-hungry world (with Ember) - Apr 25

    176. Renewables are dominating the Electrification of an Energy-hungry world (with Ember) - Apr 25
    2025/04/14
    As we start receiving data for the year 2024 in terms of Energy Production and Consumption, it is time to have a forensic analysis of the global Energy Complex in 2024.

    Last month we had the always comprehensive IEA Global Energy Review, and now to go deep into Electrification, we just received the Ember's sixth Global Electricity Review. We brought in two of its three authors: Dr Katye Altieri and Nicolas Fulghum to discuss the main finding. We’re sorry Euan Graham, the third author, could not join.

    Here are the key findings:
    • Electricity growth is twice as fast as Energy Growth
    • The world electricity consumption grew by the size of Japan (last decade it was annually the size of Brazil)
    • 80% of that additional demand is met by renewables
    • Demand drive is led by Cooling, Heating, Transportation and Datacenters
    • World surpasses 40% clean power as renewables (incl. hydro and nuclear) see record rise
    • Solar is the main driver of renewables growth, with generation doubling in three years
    And more findings in this comprehensive episode.

    Thank you, Ember Energy.
    Link to the report: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-electricity-review-2025/

    --------------
    Other reports mentioned during the show:
    IEA Report: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2025
    IRENA Report: https://www.irena.org/Publications/2025/Mar/Renewable-capacity-statistics-2025
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    31 分
  • 175. Capitalizing on the Infrastructure giants’ Blind Spots - Apr25

    175. Capitalizing on the Infrastructure giants’ Blind Spots - Apr25
    2025/04/07
    Capitalizing on the Infrastructure giants’ Blind Spots: How can a specialised PE fund thrive under the new US Administration?

    The Energy Transition encompasses more than just power and AI. We have chosen to explore the niche yet crucial areas of waste gas, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and emissions capture.

    At the heart of this journey is Cresta, a $2 billion specialist fund positioned at the intersection of Private Equity and Infrastructure. Chris Rozzell, the fund's Managing Partner, shares insights on how a fund focused on industrial sectors can thrive in underappreciated sub-sectors like mid-stream infrastructure—areas often overlooked by larger, more traditional funds.

    By adopting a strategy akin to a scavenger's approach, Cresta has capitalized on these opportunities. Chris also discusses the impact of the new US administration on his investment thesis and why choosing the Zag when everyone else is choosing the Zig has proven to be highly profitable.

    While the Energy Transition is multifaceted, it is also fraught with blind spots. Cresta stands as a prime example of how industrial expertise can drive meaningful decarbonization efforts.

    The discussion in this podcast is for informational purposes and should not be relied on as investment advice or an offer to sell or a solicitation for an offer to buy any securities. Any opinions expressed are those of the speaker and are subject to change. Listeners should not make investment decisions based solely on the information in this podcast.
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    30 分
  • 174. Live from Cambridge – Laurent and Gerard with Pr. David Cebon on Electrifying trucks

    174. Live from Cambridge – Laurent and Gerard with Pr. David Cebon on Electrifying trucks
    2025/03/31
    Early March, Gerard and Laurent were invited by the Cambridge University Energy Technology Society (CUETS) for a live session of Redefining Energy.

    In front of hundreds of attentive students, they had a comprehensive debate with Pr. David Cebon about the Electrification of Trucks. What are the issues (technical, economic) and what are the proposed solutions from Electric roads to batteries?

    We enjoyed sharing with an enthusiastic crowd at St John's College, Cambridge and give a special thanks to Max Krefting for the flawless organisation.

    A memorable evening for all participants.
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    31 分
  • 173. The politization of Critical Materials - Mar25

    173. The politization of Critical Materials - Mar25
    2025/03/24
    The XXIst century economy will be powered by 'critical minerals' such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths. China has spent the past 20 years building a dominant position across the supply chain for these metals.

    The rest of the world is finally waking up to the economic and geopolitical challenges that this presents and is actively trying to secure the supplies of critical minerals by creating non-Chinese supply chains.

    Gerard and Laurent sat down with Richard Tite, Chief Investment Officer of TechMet, a critical minerals investment company that is partially owned by the U.S. Government through a series of equity investments by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). TechMet’s portfolio currently includes 10 projects across North America, South America, Africa, and Europe, that produce, process, and recycle critical minerals.

    How does it work? What are the costs? Can China be countered? Does it succeed?

    Are Critical Minerals truly critical? They are certainly polarizing.
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    33 分
  • 172. The new age of Energy Security, Flexibility, and Resilience (with Eurelectric)

    172. The new age of Energy Security, Flexibility, and Resilience (with Eurelectric)
    2025/03/17
    Laurent welcomes Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, to discuss Energy Security, Resilience and Flexibility though the impact of E-Mobility.

    Energy Security has become a critical issue, especially with the recent sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea by Russian and Chinese vessels, extreme weather events knocking out a third of the Irish Grid, and Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

    Kristian shares the story of his harrowing visit to a power plant in Ukraine, where DTEK engineers are bravely working through air raids every day to keep the lights on. The conversation expands to cover all aspects of Energy Security as we enter the Age of Electricity, exploring both cyber and physical measures that can be taken to protect energy systems.

    The discussion also touches on the latest advancements in E-Mobility, including how Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology can provide additional security and offer consumers a chance to earn more revenue.

    Eurelectric represents a strong, forward-thinking industry that exemplifies resilience and solidarity in the face of challenges.

    Join us at Power Summit Brussels 3 and 4 June to discuss those topics and many others
    Home - Eurelectric Power Summit 2025
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    25 分
  • 171. PPAs and Tolling: lessons for the future - Mar25

    171. PPAs and Tolling: lessons for the future - Mar25
    2025/03/03
    It has become a tradition to welcome Luca Pedretti, Co-Founder of Pexapark, to the show to discuss the evolving PPA market, especially now that Pexapark has released its annual State of the Market report.
    Laurent and Gerard are joined by Luca to highlight the key insights from this year’s findings:
    • Corporate PPA demand remains stable, but with new entrants
    • More deals, but smaller sizes: The number of transactions increased by 16% (+37 deals), even as total volumes declined.
    • Innovative deal structures on the rise: Hybrid models, such as solar-wind PPAs, multi-buyer/portfolio arrangements, and cross-border agreements, are gaining traction, offering enhanced flexibility and risk-sharing.
    • The continuous rise of 24/7 energy with the need to track and trade GoOs

    We also delve into the topic of negative prices, capture prices, and their implications. The conversation extends to Pexapark’s predictions for 2025.

    Additionally, we explore the growing role of batteries, new tolling agreements, and their impact, along with how batteries are increasingly incorporated into PPAs.

    Finally, we turn our attention to the US market, discussing Pexapark’s first acquisition of a US company, Renewafi, marking a significant step in Pexapark’s american expansion.

    Link to Report: https://pexapark.com/pexapark-renewables-market-outlook-2025/
    Link to Renewafi: https://www.renewafi.com/
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    26 分