Energy Unplugged by Aurora

EP.81 Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport

This week on Energy Unplugged, we discuss about how to decarbonize transport with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, in an episode hosted by our Research Director, Richard Howard. Trudy was appointed in the current role on 17 September 2021 and she was elected Conservative MP for Copeland in 2017. Her career outside politics includes working for Sellafield nuclear site and in renewable energy and sustainable community projects.Richard and Trudy discuss:•How does a Net Zero system need to look like and what are the key enabling technologies•What does government need to do to accelerate this shift •How do we ensure that the costs and fiscal impacts of this transition are manageableNext week we will welcome Sam Arie, Research Analyst at UBS. Stay tuned!Support the show

EP.80 Tony Cocker, Senior Independent Director of SSE plc

In this episode, our CEO John Feddersen is joined by Tony Cocker, Senior Independent Director of SSE plc. Tony is also Chair of Infinis Energy Management Ltd, a distributed power generator. Between 1996-2017 he worked for E.ON SE and Powergen in a number of roles, including Chair and CEO of E.ON UK and Chair and CEO of E.ON Energy Trading SE.John and Tony discuss:•The change in the role of a director in the renewables space•The future of the British retail power market•Reforms needed to most ease the transition to Net Zero•SSE as a major sponsor of COP26Next week on Energy Unplugged we will welcome Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport. Stay tuned!Support the show

EP.79 Farhad Billimoria, Energy Systems Researcher, Energy & Power Group, University of Oxford

In this episode, our Managing Director in Australia Hugo Batten speaks to Farhad Billimoria, Energy Systems Researcher, Energy & Power Group at the University of Oxford and Rowan von Spreckelsen, Principal in our Sydney office. Farhard is currently completing his PhD on energy markets in Oxford and he has worked for Australia’s system operator AEMO, Mercer, CalPERS and AMP Capital Investors. The focus of the discussion is around the Australian energy market and incentive structures to bring on new renewables and firming capacity. Main topics include:•The major challenges and opportunities for renewables and storage investment in Australia•Market design reforms and incentive structures shifting through renewables•The New South Wales Government contracts structures, key components and implications for market participantsNext week on Energy Unplugged we will welcome Tony Cocker, Senior Independent Director of SSE plc. Stay tuned!Support the show

EP.78 Julia Watsford, CEO at Enfinium & Chris Jonas, Director at Tolvik Consulting

This week on Energy Unplugged we have a Christmas special episode in which we focus on waste management and energy from waste in particular. Our Research Director, Richard Howard is joined by two waste experts: Julia Watsford, CEO at Enfinium, the largest pure-play waste-to-energy operator in the UK and Chris Jonas, Director at Tolvik Consulting, one of the expert advisors on waste markets in the UK and Europe. Main topics include:•COVID impact on the waste-to-energy sector•The role of waste management in the Net Zero transition •Views on a potential incineration tax •Negative emissions and the potential of energy from waste to incorporate CCSSupport the show

EP.77 Boris Schucht, CEO of Urenco

In this episode, our Head of Commissioned Projects for Western Europe, Felix Chow-Kambitsch is talking to Boris Schucht, Chief Executive Officer of Urenco, an international supplier of uranium enrichment services.Boris joined Urenco in May 2019 from 50Hertz, the North-East German Transmission System Operator, where he has held the position of Chief Executive Officer since 2010. Previously he held a number of senior executive positions within the energy sector across Germany and Europe, including WEMAG AG and the Vattenfall Group.Felix and Boris discuss:•The role of nuclear in the energy transition and nuclear innovation•Key takeaways from COP26 and what is needed to ensure the targets are met•Pairing hydrogen and nuclear to decarbonize hard to abate sectorsNext week on Energy Unplugged we will welcome Julia Watsford, CEO at Enfinium & Chris Jonas, Director at Tolvik Consulting. Stay tuned!Support the show

EP.76 Christoph Strasser, Co-CEO of Pacifico Renewables Yield

Our Commercial Manager Lisa Langer is joined by Christoph Strasser, Co-CEO of Pacifico Renewables Yield, a renewable energy producer with a quickly growing portfolio of roughly 170 MW. Christoph joined Pacifico Renewables Yield as Co-CEO in October 2019 and prior to that he spent few years in J.P. Morgan‘s Corporate & Investment Bank. Christoph has a B.Sc. in Business Administration from University of Mannheim and M.Sc. in Management from University of Mannheim and ESSEC Business School. Lisa and Christoph discuss:•Pacifico’s market expansion to The UK, Netherlands and Australia•Moving to less established markets and taking on merchant exposure in Pacifico’s projects•Power prices affecting renewables investment •The next big challenge for the energy transitionSupport the show

EP.75 Shaun Kingsbury CBE, CIO of Just Climate

Thekla von Bülow, Principal for Commissioned Projects in our Berlin office is joined by Shaun Kingsbury, Chief Investment Officer of Just Climate. Shaun started his career working for Shell and in 2012 he has set up the world’s first low carbon investment bank – Green Investment Bank, which was later acquired by Macquarie Group. Currently Shaun is Chairman of Renewable Power Capital, Co-founder and Board member of Climate Transition Capital, Chairman of CNG Fuels and Chief Investment Officer of Just Climate, a new business launched in the beginning of November. The focus of the conversation is on sustainable finance and climate impact investment helping to accelerate climate action. Thekla and Shaun discuss:•Subsidy schemes for renewables vs. merchant / PPAs •The role of the private sector in investing into clean energy technologies •The ESG investment movement •Corporate PPAs as a tool for decarbonisationSupport the show

EP.74 Christian Thiel, CEO of EnergyNest

In this episode, our Head of Commissioned Projects in Central Europe, Hanns Koenig is joined by Christian Thiel, CEO of EnergyNest, a high temperature energy storage company. Christian started his career at BMW and prior to joining EnergyNest in 2014 he worked as Investment Banker at UBS and as Consultant at McKinsey and he was the Vice President for Business Development and Marketing at Senvion. Christian has a PhD in Economics and Marketing focussing on designing sales structures in foreign markets. The focus of the discussion is around the importance of addressing industrial heat for reaching Net Zero. Main topics include:•EnergyNest’s technology and its role in the energy transition•The challenge of addressing the emissions coming from the heat sector•The current and future gas and carbon prices •Hydrogen vs electrificationSupport the show

EP.73 Cordi O’Hara, President of National Grid Ventures at National Grid

With National Grid just announcing that the group expects profits to hit top end of range on soaring energy prices as a result of interconnectors, the focus of today's show is on interconnectors’ role in delivering NetZero and the North Sea Link project as the world’s longest subsea interconnector linking the UK and Norway. In this episode, our Managing Director for UK and Ireland - Dan Monzani is delighted to be joined by Cordi O’Hara, President of National Grid Ventures at National Grid. Cordi has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy industry, managing key relationships with government officials, regulators and customers. She began her career trading power and gas for Centrica and between 2014 and 2017 she was Director of the UK System Operator. Prior to joining National Grid Ventures, Cordi was Chief Operating Officer for the US Gas Business for National Grid. Dan and Cordi also discuss:•The UK’s 40GW offshore wind target by 2030 and the technical barriers to get there•COP26 and the opportunities for wider global cooperation on grids •The most attractive business environment for investing in hydrogen at the momentSupport the show

EP.72 Georg Aasen, Vice President at Nasdaq Commodities

In this episode we’re talking about power exchanges as a vital part of traded power markets. Our CEO John Feddersen is joined by Georg Aasen, Vice President at Nasdaq Commodities, which runs one of Europe’s largest power exchanges. Prior to this role, Georg was Head of Marketplace at Nord Pool and built up deep experience in the economics of power exchanges. John and Georg discuss:•The key characteristics of a successful power trader•Social contribution of markets and what would the European power market look like in the absence of power exchanges•The evolution of renewables offtake and PPAs •The future of non-power contracts and hydrogenSupport the show