Energy Unplugged by Aurora

EP.71 Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee

This week on Energy Unplugged we have a special episode which comes right after the UK Government published its Net Zero Strategy in response to the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for the Sixth Carbon Budget and during COP26 taking place in Glasgow.Our Managing Director for UK and Ireland - Dan Monzani is joined by Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) in a conversation about Net Zero and prospects for COP26. Lord Deben has over 50 years’ experience in public life, consistently as a deep influential voice on climate change and the environment. He was the UK’s longest-serving Secretary of State for the Environment (1993 to 1997) and he has held several other high-level ministerial posts, including Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1989 to 1993). Since 2012 he is the Chair of CCC, an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008 with the main purpose to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets. Dan and Lord Deben discuss:•The UK’s Net Zero Strategy - in which sectors the Government's plans are most complete and where are there the biggest holes•The investment costs of Net Zero and who pays for it•COP26 and the key ingredients in a successful climate diplomacySupport the show

EP.70 Rupert Maloney, Head of Hydrogen at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation

In this episode, our Managing Director in Australia, Hugo Batten is joined by Rupert Maloney, Head of Hydrogen at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Weijie Mak, Principal in Aurora’s office in Australia. Before joining CEFC, Rupert was General Manager of Strategy & Corporate Development at Ampol, an Australian fuels player, as well as a banker at Macquarie and a lawyer at Baker & McKenzie. The discussion is focused on hydrogen and the opportunities for developing a hydrogen industry in Australia. The main topics include:•Key takeaways of CEFC’s recent Australian hydrogen market study•Hydrogen as an export opportunity for Australia and prioritization of domestic opportunities •How the Europeans are designing their markets around hydrogen •The low electrolyzer CAPEX and the cost of capital reductionsSupport the show

EP.69 Alberto De Paoli, CFO of Enel

In this episode, we continue the discussion on the role of world’s largest utilities in decarbonising society. Our CEO John Feddersen is talking to Alberto De Paoli, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Enel. Alberto was appointed CFO in November 2014 and joined the Enel Group in 2008 as CFO for Enel Green Power, the Group's renewable power generation subsidiary, a position he held until 2012. Between 2012 – 2014 he was the Head of Group Strategy. Alberto is also Co-chair of the UN Global Compact CFO Taskforce for the sustainable development goals. John and Alberto discuss:•Enel’s role in the energy transition and ensuring sustainability at the centre of the company’s business model•The driving force behind Enel’s internationalization •ESG investment movement and what has enabled it to grow the way it hasSupport the show

EP.68 Peter Cramton, Professor of Economics at the University of Cologne

In this episode, our CEO John Feddersen is joined by Peter Cramton, Professor of Economics at the University of Cologne to discuss the future of power markets. Peter is one of the world’s foremost experts on electricity systems economics, he’s been a leading thinker in market design across energy, telecommunications and health procurements in the US, Europe and beyond. Since 1983, he has conducted research on auctions and market design, with a focus on the design of complex markets to best achieve goals. Between 2015-2021, he was an independent director of the board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).John and Peter discuss:•Whether privatisation of parts of the power markets worked globally in the sense that enhanced human welfare •The meaning and targets for decarbonisation in Europe vs the US•Security of supply and the impact of the recent events in ERCOT on capacity markets and energy only marketsSupport the show

EP.67 Toni Volpe, CEO of Falck Renewables

Our Market Lead for Italy - Matteo Coriglioni speaks to Toni Volpe, CEO of Falck Renewables. Toni has been the CEO of Falck Renewables since 2016 and he started working in the energy industry at the Enel Group in 2004, where he covered several roles such as CEO of Enel Green Power North America in 2005 and Country Manager and CEO of Enel Romania in 2014. Falck Renewables is one of the biggest “pure players” in the European renewable energy sector, the Group has an installed capacity of 1.3 GW in UK, Italy, Spain, France, the Nordics and the United States, a project pipeline of more than 4.5 GW and manages around 4 GW of plants around the world (in more than 40 countries) on behalf of third parties; mostly wind onshore and solar.Matteo and Toni discuss:•The future of the energy transition and Falck Renewables’ strategy in terms of expanding to new markets and technologies•The role of policy in decarbonisation and renewables development•The impact of the Next Generation EU fund in accelerating the energy transition in EuropeSupport the show

EP.66 Andrew Doyle, Executive Director MUFG

Our Research Director Richard Howard speaks to Andrew Doyle, Executive Director MUFG. Andrew joined MUFG in March 2011 following the acquisition of a US$5bn project finance portfolio from RBS. He has over 15 years of project finance experience covering large thermal power and renewables projects across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. This is one of a series of episodes featuring energy transition leaders who will be speaking at our Spring Forum 2021. The Forum takes place in London on Wednesday 29th September. For more information go to auroraer.com/events/spring-forum/.Richard and Andrew discuss:•Hydrogen and business models that are emerging and how and when they will become bankable•By when will green hydrogen be cheap enough to compete with grey and blue hydrogen•The most attractive markets in Europe for hydrogen•Whether the UK Hydrogen strategy is ambitious enoughSupport the show

EP.65 Christoph Torwegge, International Energy & Utilities Sector Leader Osborne Clarke

Our Head of Commissioned Projects in Central Europe, Hanns Koenig speaks to Christoph Torwegge - International Energy & Utilities Sector Leader at Osborne Clarke. Christoph leads a cross-border team advising clients across the energy sector on renewables, energy storage and energy innovation. He specialises in M&A and commercial law and supports funders, investors and developer clients in developing, investing in and financing projects in the renewables (solar, onshore wind and hydro) and other infrastructure sectors. This is one of a series of episodes featuring energy transition leaders who will be speaking at our Spring Forum 2021. The Forum takes place in London on Wednesday 29th September. For more information go to auroraer.com/events/spring-forum/.Hanns and Christoph discuss:•The role of lawyers in the energy transition•Renewables transactions and changes in the legal frameworks governing renewables•Areas for reform and where the law needs to change to reflect commercial realities on the groundSupport the show

EP.64 Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE

We have a very special episode for you this week on Energy Unplugged. Our CEO John Feddersen is talking to Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE AG about the role of the world’s largest utilities in decarbonising society.This is one of a series of episodes featuring energy transition leaders who will be speaking at our Spring Forum 2021. The Forum takes place in London on Wednesday 29th September. For more information go to https://auroraer.com/events/spring-forum/. John and Markus discuss:•RWE’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2040 and the impact of such a commitment •The ramp-up of the hydrogen economy and how do we synchronize the investments cycles •EU’s climate ambition and what do we need to do to achieve the targets, where do we get the space for renewables and how can we accelerate planning and permitting processesSupport the show

EP.63 Anna Skarbek, CEO of ClimateWorks Australia

Our Managing Director in Australia - Hugo Batten is joined by Anna Skarbek, the CEO of ClimateWorks Australia, a not-for-profit decarbonisation think tank. Anna has been the CEO of ClimateWorks Australia for almost 12 years now and she has had a number of Board roles in Australia, from CEFC to Impact Investment Group to the Carbon Market Institute. She has been hugely influential in Australia’s decarbonisation debates, and has certainly carried the torch when things were darkest in Australia’s long journey towards Net Zero.Hugo and Anna discuss:•The recently released IPCC report and its impact in Australia•Decarbonisation debates in Australia over the last decade and the current status•Solar & solar thermal storage technologies as dominant drivers of decarbonising the power systemSupport the show

EP.62 Bruce Riley – Managing Director, Infrastructure and Project Finance at NatWest

In this episode, our CEO John Feddersen is joined by Bruce Riley – Managing Director for Infrastructure and Project Finance at NatWest. The focus of the show is the evolving role of project and infrastructure finance in the energy transition. Bruce leads one of Europe’ largest and most influential energy infrastructure and project finance teams and he’s a veteran in Europe’s project finance industry, having spent his career entirely with Royal Bank of Scotland – NatWest. John and Bruce discuss:•How has project finance as a field changed over the past two and a half decades•The relevance of renewables low carbon finance for NatWest loan book & long term climate commitments •Financing coal assets and how decisions are made within the bank to not lend against a particular area on ESG groundsSupport the show