The role of nuclear power in Europe’s energy mix remains controversial. However, many would argue that nuclear power offers a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels and a cheaper energy source per kilowatt hour. Also, exciting new technology advances are causing a rethink of what nuclear power could look like in the the future.

The question is this, does nuclear need a rebrand? Will the industry’s reputation negatively impact its future and how can we use the lessons learned from the past to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue is joined by Yves Desbazeille, director general of NuclearEurope, to explore whether it’s possible to give nuclear power an image makeover.

To listen to other episodes: https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/

The built environment is one of the main sources of carbon emissions but it also provides one of the most opportune spaces for clean tech project development.

 Behind the meter, energy efficiency and demand response projects, in particular, could make a significant contribution towards lowering the carbon footprint of buildings and the infrastructure that connects them. However, barriers to project development and finance must be overcome in order to spur progress towards net zero and empower all players, especially small and medium sized enterprises.

 In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Yusuf Latief spoke to Jessica Stromback, CEO of Joule Assets and Co-Founder of the Sustainable Energy Finance Association (SEFA), regarding the practical steps to figuring out financing and bringing net-zero projects to life.

To listen to other episodes: https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/

The Voluntary Carbon Market is designed to encourage emissions reductions and support sustainable development. Although a nascent market, it is gaining traction amongst corporations and governments alike as pressure mounts to reach decarbonisation goals.

However, some argue that the VCM lacks standardisation, regulation and credibility, allows organisations to continue emitting greenhouse gasses rather than reducing emissions, and facilitates double counting.

To cut through the complexities of the VCM and understand how to tap into the benefits this market has to offer, Pamela Largue spoke to Luke Leslie, CEO at carbon project financier Carbon Neutral Royalty.  

In the face of rising energy prices and economic challenges, companies are increasingly aware of the importance of maximising their assets, by recovering and regenerating assets where possible.

It’s a deliberate and strategic shift from a linear to a circular economy that makes the most of our planet's resources, and and makes good economic sense for businesses.

To map the obvious and the more obscure benefits of a circular asset management strategy, Pamela Largue speaks to Paolo Perani, Sustainability Manager for ABB’s Electrification Distribution Solutions and Stuart Thompson, President, Electrification Service Division at ABB.

In March this year, the European Commission released the Critical Raw Materials Act to ensure a sustainable, domestic supply of materials to support the green and digital transitions.

But are these measures enough to keep Europe competitive and progressing adequately towards net zero? And more specifically, what would a copper shortage mean for the continent’s decarbonisation journey?  

To explore the consequences of the copper crunch and unpack strategies to strengthen the supply chain, Pamela Largue speaks to Layla Sawyer - Secretary General - currENT Europe.

As the world transitions to net zero, it has never been more important to embrace sustainable business models, no matter how disruptive they may be.

As the world faces a time of economic strain with high inflation and volatile markets, sustainability could fall further down the priority list, putting decarbonisation targets at risk.

To highlight the importance of circularity, as well as why sustainable business models are critical to maintaining a competitive edge and ensuring a robust supply chain, Pamela Largue speaks to Ionut Farcas, Senior Vice President, Europe & International Hub, Power Products Division at  .

“It's completely nonsense to throw away something that is good...doing harm to our earth just to have new things. Circularity, it's one of the things that jointly as an ecosystem we need to accelerate." - Ionut Farcas

The role of Türkiye in Europe's energy markets has grown significantly and Turkish energy companies are stepping up their strategic game to ensure they are well placed to maximise opportunities. One such company is the Turkish renewable energy developer Enerjisa Üretim, which recently started a new subsidiary and unified all commercial activities in Türkiye, Europe and worldwide under a single brand; Enerjisa Commodities.

My colleague Patrick Bauduin speaks with Ahmet Özbeyin, Head of Growth and Planning of Enerjisa Commodities, about the changing market dynamics in the South Eastern European region and how Enerjisa is preparing for the region’s future energy landscape.

It has been a tumultuous time in Europe’s power sector, with a variety of internal and external shocks impacting energy markets and net zero progress.

Pamela Largue has a candid conversation with Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, about whether we are on track to meet the 1.5 degree goal, the impact of the war in Ukraine and the importance of protecting our grids from physical, military, and cyber threats.

Ruby unpacks the new threat landscape and the radical resilience needed to mitigate these threats and talks about how to unlock a significant uptick in investments needed to speed up the pace of change in the sector. 

“If it was just about integrating renewables and connecting a lot of heat pumps, that was the challenge a few years ago. Now on top of that we have a military threat dimension, a very present threat of sabotage that we need to integrate into this.”

“Security of supply is the new prerequisite for delivering on net zero – system reliability becomes a critical climate objective”

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