The Hypercube Energy Podcast

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with David Robertson, Portfolio Director for Offshore Wind at Nadara, about moving floating offshore wind from ambition to delivery, and the role Scotland can play in building a new industrial sector.

David reflects on his journey from oil and gas apprentice to overseeing Nadara’s 4.4 GW floating wind portfolio in Scotland, and how lessons from oil and gas and early offshore wind are shaping today’s projects. He discusses the key pressures of consenting, grid, ports and supply chain capacity, why safety by design is non-negotiable and how digital tools, AI and digital twins can help keep teams safe offshore.

Adam and David cover:

• Moving from oil and gas into floating offshore wind
• The pillars of delivery: consenting, grid, ports and skills
• Supply chain certainty and balancing technology risk
• The role of digital tools, AI and digital twins
• Scotland’s opportunity and pathways into the industry

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Dan Moore, Head of Asset Management at Root-Power, about the changing UK battery storage market and what it takes to build and operate increasingly large and complex portfolios.

With Root-Power developing an 860 MW portfolio of four-hour battery storage projects, Dan explores how the market is evolving and what that means for asset management. He discusses capacity market reform, long-duration storage and new commercial models, as well as why data and AI should form part of asset management from day one.

Adam and Dan cover:

• The evolution of the UK battery storage market
• Managing larger and more complex BESS portfolios
• Capacity market reform and long-duration storage
• The role of data and AI in battery asset management
• The opportunity ahead for UK energy storage

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Clark MacFarlane, former UK Chairman at Siemens Gamesa, about what it will take to build the infrastructure, supply chains and workforce needed for the decades ahead.

After a 43-year career spanning energy, technology, defence and infrastructure, Clark reflects on how dramatically the sector has changed and why the next phase will require even greater ambition. He discusses the evolution of offshore wind, his role in helping shape the Offshore Wind Sector Deal, and why consistent policy is essential if industry is expected to invest, scale and deliver.

The conversation also looks at the UK supply chain, grid expansion, project economics and the importance of playing to national strengths in areas such as engineering, ports, logistics, digital technology and AI. Clark explains why long-term certainty matters more than short-term price pressure, and why building enough electricity infrastructure to meet future demand will depend on creating an industry capable of delivering at sustained scale.

Adam and Clark discuss:

• How the UK energy sector has changed over the past four decades
• The Offshore Wind Sector Deal and the importance of long-term policy
• Building stronger UK supply chains and creating sustainable jobs
• The scale of grid and electricity infrastructure needed over the next 30 years
• The role of innovation, AI and digital tools in project delivery

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Sam Mathew, Director and Industry Lead for Energy & Utilities at Microsoft, about how AI, digital technologies and data are informing the next generation of the energy sector.

Drawing on experience spanning offshore oil and gas, consulting and technology, Sam shares why the energy industry's biggest challenges are no longer technical, but organisational. Success will depend on modernising critical infrastructure, attracting the next generation of talent and embedding intelligent digital systems across the energy sector.

The conversation explores the energy trilemma, AI-driven electricity demand, digital substations, grid modernisation and the importance of embedding intelligence across the energy system. Sam also discusses why the future grid must become more adaptive, why technology should empower people rather than replace them, and how learning from other industries and countries can help accelerate progress.

Adam and Sam discuss:

• Why the energy sector must embrace AI and digital transformation
• The challenge of modernising the electricity grid
• Digital substations and intelligent infrastructure
• Why people and culture matter more than technology
• AI, data centres and the future of energy demand

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Nic Granger OBE, Chair of The Data Lab and former Chief Information and Financial Officer at the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), about how data and digital technologies are reshaping the future of offshore energy.

Nic shares how the NSTA is putting data at the centre of regulation and stewardship, from building the National Data Repository to supporting collaboration across oil and gas, carbon storage and hydrogen. The conversation explores why successful digital transformation starts with business problems rather than technology, how organisations can build stronger data foundations, and why leadership, skills and collaboration are essential to unlocking the value of AI.

Adam and Nic also discuss the Offshore Energy Digital Strategy Group, the role of The Data Lab in developing Scotland’s data and AI ecosystem, and why the next generation of energy organisations will embed data and digital at the heart of business strategy rather than treating them as standalone technology initiatives.

Adam and Nic discuss:

• Why data is central to the future of offshore energy
• Lessons from building the National Data Repository
• What good digital transformation really looks like
• Aligning data and AI with business strategy
• Developing digital skills and collaboration across the energy sector
• The future of data-driven decision-making in energy

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Clare Lavelle, Project Director at Buchan Offshore Wind, about one of the world’s most advanced commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects.

Clare explains why floating offshore wind is essential to unlocking deeper-water sites, expanding global offshore wind capacity and supporting long-term energy security. She also discusses Buchan Offshore Wind’s plans to use concrete floating foundations manufactured in Scotland, helping build local supply chain capability and create long-term industrial value.

The conversation explores what it takes to deliver a first-of-a-kind project at commercial scale, including technology selection, risk management, grid and transmission challenges, community engagement and the role of data and AI in improving project delivery. Clare also shares why Scotland has a major opportunity to lead in floating offshore wind, using its ports, workforce and offshore expertise to build a new global industry.

Adam and Clare cover:

• Why floating offshore wind is critical for deeper-water markets
• Buchan Offshore Wind’s concrete foundation strategy
• Building Scottish supply chain capability and local jobs
• Grid, transmission charging and project delivery challenges
• The role of AI, data and digital tools in offshore wind

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Laura Sandys CBE, Chair of the Ofgem & Innovate UK Networks Innovation Taskforce, about the structural and cultural barriers holding the energy sector back.

Drawing on experience across business, politics and energy policy, Laura shares a candid perspective on why many of the industry’s biggest challenges are not technical, but organisational. The conversation explores issues such as fragmented decision-making, outdated business models, customer engagement and innovation adoption, highlighting why the sector must think differently if it is to deliver the energy transition successfully.

The discussion explores whole-system thinking, digital transformation, energy-as-a-service, grid constraints and the importance of learning from sectors such as logistics, telecoms and financial services. Laura also explains why innovation should be judged by deployment rather than pilots, drawing on examples such as Sero Homes, which is helping create customer-focused, low-carbon energy solutions for social housing.

Adam and Laura cover:

• Why the energy sector needs a stronger culture of customer service
• Learning from logistics, telecoms and other industries
• Why innovation should focus on deployment, not pilots
• The role of data, digitalisation and AI in energy transformation
• Building a more diverse, customer-focused and systems-oriented sector

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Gary Connolly, Head of UK Offshore Wind Development at ESB Energy, about the challenges and opportunities shaping the next generation of offshore wind projects.

Gary shares his journey from agricultural engineering into renewable energy, exploring how offshore wind development has evolved over the past two decades and what it takes to deliver large-scale projects in increasingly complex markets. He also discusses energy security, grid constraints, project finance and the growing role of technology in offshore operations.

Adam and Gary cover:

• Offshore wind development across the UK and Ireland
• Energy security, grid constraints and renewables integration
• The role of industry groups in shaping policy and delivery
• What makes offshore wind projects bankable
• Improving offshore safety through AI, data and remote operations

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Faye Girvan, Marketing Director, and Ciara Inglis, Marketing Manager at Hypercube, speak with Juliette Sanders, Chief Communications Officer at Energy UK, about the role of communications in the energy transition and why public trust has become one of the sector’s biggest challenges.

Juliette shares her journey from engineering into communications, exploring how public perceptions of net zero, the energy crisis and digital media are reshaping the way the sector communicates. She also explains why relatable storytelling, creativity and human-centred communication will be critical to building trust and engagement across the industry.

Faye, Ciara and Juliette cover:

• Why the energy sector needs more relatable communication
• Public trust, misinformation and the net zero narrative
• The communications lessons from the energy crisis
• How AI is changing communications and customer engagement
• Creative storytelling and public engagement through “Killah Jules”

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Mikey Clark, CEO of Relode, about the growing pressure on the UK electricity system and the infrastructure needed to support the next wave of electrification.

Mikey shares his experience across electrical engineering, battery storage and infrastructure development, exploring how rising demand linked to AI data centres, electric freight and industrial electrification is reshaping the grid, and why new approaches to power infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next wave of electrification.

Adam and Mikey cover:

• Why grid connection delays are becoming a major barrier to electrification
• The rise of AI data centres and large-scale power demand
• How private power parks could reshape energy infrastructure
• Why electric freight and charging infrastructure will scale rapidly
• The role of AI, optimisation and flexible energy systems