Redefining Energy

In this twin-episode, Gerard and Laurent explore the multifaceted aspects of the Digitization of the Grid. We suggest our listeners to consider the two Episodes as a whole, as we conclude the conversation at the end of Episode 27.
We have had the privilege to welcome two great guests, Marcel Steinbach (E26) and Baard Eilertsen (E27). Their totally different vision and approaches - the Insider and the Disruptor - provide nevertheless a clear path towards full Digitization, one of the 3 D’s of the Energy Transition alongside Decentralisation and Decarbonisation.

Episode 26 examine digitization through the lens of Power trading: Marcel Steinbach is Head of Energy Market Design and Regulatory Strategy at BDEW, the German Energy Association. BDEW is instrumental in shaping and structuring Energy markets, at the German and European levels. After 20 years of gradual but relentless improvements, the German power market has become one of the most liquid in the world while being totally decentralized. Marcel dives into the interactions and iterations of advanced digitization and energy trading, successfully facing the challenge of integrating up to 70% of renewables in the German grid.

In this episode, Laurent and Gerard analyse the latest innovations in the hydropower sector, the still largest source of renewable energy in the world (but growing at a much slower pace than Wind and Solar). We have a great conversation with Gia Schneider, CEO of Natel Energy, a California-based small-hydro start up. Natel has just raised 11mUSD from Breakthrough Ventures (an Innovation fund supported by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mike Bloomberg…) as well as Schneider Electric. Natel’s innovative hydro turbine has a very low LCOE combined with great environmental performances. We discuss the challenges Gia Schneider had to overcome and share a vision for a decarbonized grid where small hydro can deliver clean dispatchable and baseload power.
Thanks to James Branner, Top hydro Engineer at GE, for sharing information on the sector’s latest developments.
Finally, we would like to thank Katherine Hamilton from the Energy Gang podcast, for her kind words on Redefining Energy.

In this Episode, Gerard has a fascinating conversation with Alex Voigt, the legendary Cleantech innovator. Over the past two decades, Alex Voigt, hailed as one of the Founding Fathers of the solar industry, has embodied Germany's Energiewende. Alex has created two solar companies, Solon and Grips, a battery storage company Younicos (acquired in 2017 by Aggreko), and now develops Lumenion, a breakthrough in thermal storage about to revolutionize and decarbonize the district heating sector.
A dense, witty and savvy dialogue covering all topics: Solar, Li-Ion batteries , Hydrogen, resistance to innovation, carbon pricing, disruption in district heating through thermal storage … and a meeting with Elon Musk in 2008 on the road to Pasadena.


Reference:
https://lumenion.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-voigt-65392045/

Episode 23 of the podcast goes inside a Renewable Energy banker’s mind.
Without banks, there would be no energy transition. Debt has provided more finance than Equity in the development of wind and solar. Being Bankable means for a project: access to credit, lower equity requirement and faster scaling up of new clean infrastructure.

With Lisa McDermott, Executive Director Project Financing at Dutch Bank ABN AMRO, we review the four risks that need to be mitigated towards bankability: Technology risk, Credit Risk, Execution Risk and Market Risk. Then we explore the various promising technologies and assess their path to bankability: Floating Solar, Floating Offshore Wind, Blue and Green Hydrogen.

One of our best interview ever!

In this Episode, Laurent and Gerard talk about COVID-19 and the considerable impacts both positive and negative that it will have on the world of Energy. The episode is called the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
- the (not so, but still relatively compared to the rest) Good being the world of clean energy and the wider world of power, which is likely to come out of this crisis relatively unscathed.
- the (very, but temporarily) Bad: Transportation; road, automotive and air are in an historic freefall as people stop travelling, but we foresee bailouts and ultimately, recoveries.
- the (apocalyptically) Ugly: Oil, obliterated by the collision of once in a century demand destruction and an also historic production glut flamed by the implosion of the OPEC+ cartel.

The co-hosts admit that nobody knows when the various Energy markets will bottom. We won’t speculate whether and when we will go back to the ‘norm’ or is the current crisis a glimpse at the future of Energy … Every listener’s guess is as good as ours.

The Episode nevertheless ends on a upbeat tone: friends and fellows of the Energy Transition, third time’s a charm: We’ve been through crisis in the early 2000’s with Enron+9/11, and we recovered; then in 2008/9 and the GFC, and we recovered. We will recover from this one as well. Because, we’re in it not just for the money, but also for a higher purpose, and that’s why we will always, always transcend the fossil fuel industry.

Book Reference: The Prize, Daniel Yergin
Our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redefining-energy/

In this Episode, Laurent and Gerard debate around the exponential development of Energy Storage, “the Holy Grail”. The development of stationary storage is key to unlocking a deeper penetration of more renewables. By 2030, BNEF estimates that the market could reach 1TWh, or a x200 in the ‘20s decade.
But finding a right business model remains tricky, especially with antiquated regulatory frameworks. We interview Dr. Marek Kubik, market director at Fluence, a JV AES/Siemens. Marek unveils the keys to successful developments of stationary storage, the technology progresses and the way the market is heading. We also dive deep into the various options regarding the integration of Electric Vehicles into the Power Grid. Groundbreaking!

In this Addendum of Episode 20 (recorded after the 30% Oil Crash) Laurent and Gerard reassess their views on the future of Oil, in light of the current turmoil. We have just witnessed a one-in-a-decade shock. While we hope for a short-term pain, we foresee changes at work in the background. When we get out of this crisis, things might be different.

In this Episode (recorded before the COVID 19 crisis, please listen to Episode 20a - Addendum to this Episode) we welcome Callum Macpherson - Head of Commodities at Investec - to discuss Oil, and more specifically how Oil can or cannot be displaced from its various uses: Automobile, Heavy Duty, Shipping, Aviation...
IS the world really running out of Oil? Or is it only running out of “Cheap Oil”? But the real question shouldn’t be rather: are we facing “Peak Demand”?
Oil is a humongous market, it has sailed though crises during its history and has always managed to reinvent itself. But is this time different? The reality is extremely complex as a lot of conflicting forces (such as carbon, price of alternatives, geopolitics, tax revenues, security of supply...) are here at play.
We might end-up with surprising outcomes!
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Gerard and Laurent invite Paul Martin to review the various development routes for Hydrogen, the forever “fuel of tomorrow”. Behind the smoke and mirrors of the current H2 PR blitz, are powerful incumbent industries looking for new markets.
Unfortunately the laws of thermodynamics are not playing in favor of Hydrogen.
The debate explores how Hydrogen is produced, and what are its best uses.
Can "Green" Hydrogen ever compete with "Blue" Hydrogen?
Is there any possible scaling of Electrolysers to reduce their price?
As for its uses, Hydrogen for Ammonia, for Transportation and others are much trumpeted options. But can Hydrogen be cheaply moved?
And what should government do? Subsidise or Tax?
During an in-depth episode, we debunk myths and start providing sensible answers from an environmental and economic stand point.

In this episode, Gerard and Laurent analyse the incredible development of Offshore Wind in the past decade and debate the future of this industry.
We have the privilege to interview Stephen Bull, Senior Vice President Offshore Wind at Equinor, one of the world’s leading expert on the subject. From a pipe dream 10 years ago, Offshore Wind has come a long way, representing one the fastest growing clean energy segment in the EU.
The technical performances of those new Titans of the sea are dazzling; machines are now the size of the Eiffel Tower and deliver carbon-free baseload at a third of the cost of new nuclear.
And the 2020’s will see developments in more geographies like USA and Asia as well as the conquest of a new frontier: floating offshore.