Redefining Energy

Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid

Two investment bankers bimonthly explore how tech, finance, markets and regulations are radically redefining the world of energy: Renewable Energy, Electric Cars, Hydrogen, Battery Storage, Digitisation... your co-hosts: from Berlin, Gerard Reid and from London, Laurent Segalen.
Our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redefining-energy/ read less
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111.  The Grand Master of Energy Storage - Dec23
Dec 1 2023
111. The Grand Master of Energy Storage - Dec23
In the past 5 years, we have seen an incredible rise of Energy Storage (ESS) on numerous Grids. Those markets, whether in Europe (10GW) or in the USA (16GW), have been created by the magic formula where entrepreneurship blended with new technology. For Laurent and Gerard, there is not better guest to discuss the phenomenal growth of the ESS than Dr Alex O’Cinneide. Alex is the Founder and CEO of Gore Street Capital, a London based fund which now manages a portfolio of 1.2GW of batteries in GB, Ireland, Germany, Texas and California. Seven years ago, he was working out of a telephone booth with his laptop on his knees. Alex explains the value of a geographical portfolio approach, how tech is evolving, how supply chains are reacting, what is similar and what is different in all those markets. An energy transition story which is also a personal journey of a very talented entrepreneur whose success has been recognised by the Industry as Alex has been recently received the prestigious “Man of the Year” award by Solar Media. Alex describes the investment in batteries (compared to wind or solar) as the most challenging, but also the most important and rewarding. And as we say on the show, it is all about harnessing “space and time” or in a more market angle “Long Flex – Short Vol”-----This podcast is powered by Axpo an international leader in providing sustainable energy solutions for the future.------This podcast is done in partnership with the Energy Storage Summit 2024The Energy Storage Summit (20-21 February, London) is the biggest, busiest, and most innovative networking event for energy storage, uniting stakeholders to exchange knowledge, learn and establish crucial industry connections. Taking place at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith, the Summit has become Europe’s annual must-attend energy storage event for the entire value chain. You don’t want to miss this one – book your ticket using code RE15 for a 15% discount. Following two sold out editions, we expect the same again in 2024. Don't miss your chance to hear directly from innovators spearheading change and make your mark on the rapidly evolving energy storage industry. https://storagesummit.solarenergyevents.com/tickets/ ----More on Alex and Gore Street CapitalAlex O’Cinneide is CEO and Chair of the Investment Committee of Gore Street Capital, which he founded in 2015 as a global platform to facilitate the deployment of renewable energy solutions. His career has included senior roles at KPMG, Quorum European Partners, Kleinwort Benson, Paladin Capital Group and utility-scale renewables developer Masdar Capital, where he served as Head of Investments and General Manager for six years. Alex also holds academic qualifications from Trinity College Dublin, the London Business School and the London School of Economics and Political Science, culminating in a PhD that analysed the effectiveness of renewable energy policy in the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Gore Street Capital was formed in 2015 as a global platform to acquire and manage renewable energy solutions, supporting robust businesses and high-performing assets that contribute towards the transition to a low-carbon economy. In 2018, Gore Street Capital created the UK energy storage investment class by listing Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (LSE: GSF) on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange, and has since played a material role in the growth of GSF from £30m at IPO to a market cap of over £451m as of 30 June 2023. The company comprises a team of almost 45 energy professionals in GB, Ireland and the US working across finance, construction, engineering, legal and more as it continually brings roles in-house to support the fund.A note from GSF Compliance Department:GSF is among the largest energy storage owners, including utilities, when judged on geographic spread – GB, Ireland, Germany, Texas and California.Around 3% of GSF’s Irish revenue is accrued by trading 5 MW from a 50 MW project.Gore Street Capital has 45 employees, plus contractors.GSF does not yet have operational assets in Scotland and future performance is yet to be determined.
110. French Nuclear “Oh la la” - Nov23
Nov 15 2023
110. French Nuclear “Oh la la” - Nov23
Why should the 97% of non-French listeners of the podcast be interested in the fate of the French nuclear fleet?With 60GW and 56 reactors, the French nuclear fleet is critical to the very existence of a European Power market as it represents 10%-15% of the electricity consumed on the continent and much larger share if you only account for zero carbon sources. And its “health” is a key component of Europe’s Security of Supply and Energy price levels. Furthermore, beyond Europe, a well-functioning French nuclear fleet reduces the need for LNG imports. 20 years ago, EDF was the most powerful utility in the world, producing 420TWh of carbon free power and about to be privatised to reach a 200bnEUR valuation. 20 years later, plagued by debt, major outages, financial losses, and poorly timed government interventions, EDF had to re-nationalised. Rather than relitigate the past or engage into sterile discussions about whether nuclear is THE solution, A solution or NOT A solution, we have to live with simple facts: a) for the past 30 years, French nuke has been the backbone of the whole European Energy system b) it almost imploded in 2022 (half of the fleet down at some point) as the worst possible moment: when Russia invaded Ukraine. Going forward, can Europe still rely on the French nuke fleet for Security of Supply? Can nuclear continue to provide cheap power or will it become uncompetitive? How does nuclear cope with an increasingly volatile power markets where the key word is now “Flexibility”? We bring in a Breton sailor, Emeric de Vigan. Emeric is a former trader at EDF Energy where he oversaw the short-term power trading of the entire nuclear fleet. He is now head of Kpler Energy, a leading subscription-based data and analytics platform delivering real-time market intelligence for diverse commodities and their transportation. In summary, Emeric really knows what he is talking about. With Gerard and Laurent, Emeric delivers a dispassionate, clinical, and sometimes technical conversation about the future of the French nuclear fleet.PS: after the recording of this episode, EDF and the French government found an agreement on the price of power for the current nuclear fleet: 70EUR/MWh (vs 42EUR/MWh under ARENH) More here: https://www.ft.com/content/e2fc3abf-4803-4561-8ef2-0c77fd2d07a8----If you want to know more about the current political and economic conundrum about French nuclear, please read this excellent presentation by Yves Marignac, Institut Negawatt https://seafile.institut-negawatt.com/f/a565a5e04bcc4615b301/This podcast is powered by Axpo an international leader in providing sustainable energy solutions for the future.
109. Top Trends in Climate Tech - Nov23
Nov 1 2023
109. Top Trends in Climate Tech - Nov23
We hear a lot about Climate Tech, and the VC investments about to revolutionize and accelerate the Energy Transition. Gerard and Laurent wanted to know more. And there is no better place than Silicon Valley to hear it directly from the source.What are the trends? Where to invest? What strategy?There is no better guest than Dr. Carolin Funk, Partner at Blue Bear Capital, to provide an exceptional vision of the current Climate Tech environment.Blue Bear is a Silicon Valley- based venture capital and early growth equity firm driving the expansion of digital technologies into multibillion-dollar verticals across the energy, infrastructure, and climate industries. Blue Bear's portfolio covers operational AI, IoT, and cybersecurity technologies, all deployed with enterprise customers to drive connectivity and efficiency across the world's most critical industries. We deep dive into Blue Bear’s investments thesis, how they analyse hundreds of opportunities per year to select only 4-6 investments. What quality are they looking for in terms of TAM, teams and what exits are possible. Blue Bear is not your regular VC fund which strategy is sometimes described as “spraying and praying”. Their investments are highly concentrated and the added value to management is second to none. Blue Bear is royalty when it comes to Climate Tech. Having Blue Bear at your cap table gives you an additional aura when you’re an entrepreneur. We thank our most faithfull partner Aquila Capital, one of the most successful infrastructure fund in Europe-----Finally, we have put an intro music (The Persuaders - 1971) Tell us if you like it or not. We love all our listeners.
108. Wind: the necessary Reset - Oct23
Oct 16 2023
108. Wind: the necessary Reset - Oct23
Honestly, we have struggled to find a suitable title for this Episode. We thought of and then abandoned catchier titles such as “Withering Wind”, “Have we reached peak wind?” and even “Wind – WTF”. Finally, we settled for a more optimistic headline.Still, after a great decade, the Wind industry is facing serious head winds. After 2020 and 2021: record years – almost 100GW (incl 10% - 20% offshore), 2022 saw the market shrink down to 77GW. Dominated by China, US, EU, Brazil. Wind is now four times smaller than solar.Struggling OEMs, social licenses, slow grid connections, supply chain inflation, botched auctions, write downs, rising interest rates, local content requirements… the list goes on and on.Wind trends seem to have massively decoupled from the thriving duo Solar + Battery. How deep is the Wind Energy crisis? 1TW has been reached and there are massive plans that don’t seem to correspond to the current health of the supply chain. Have we reached peak wind?We bring on our friend Rosie Barnes, one of the top wind observers in the world, and we try to categorize each issue, analising which are cyclical and which are structural. Can we endlessly grow the size of the Turbines? Not only from a technical point of view, but also from a logistical aspect and a financial perspective. Is there a real Chinese challenge? We tackle all those points in a heated conversation where opinions are hard to reconcile. We agree only on a few things: the race towards bigger sizes must stop. OEMs must regroup and accept to pause any innovation, deliver longer series, and reconstitute their profitability. The wind industry needs to have a hard look at itself so as to re-emerge stronger in the coming years, as it will transform itself from a growth industry to a value industry---An episode done in partnership with Wind Europe. WindEurope is an association promoting the use of wind power in Europe. Based in Brussels it has over 600 members, which are active in over 50 countries.---- This podcast is powered by Axpo an international leader in providing sustainable energy solutions for the future. In the Nordics, Axpo has been a pioneer within Trading and Origination services for the last 20 years.----Links to Rosie on Social Media- Engineering with Rosie: https://www.youtube.com/@EngineeringwithRosie- Uptime podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-uptime-wind-energy-podcast/id1504249857
107. Electrifying islands with Cleantech innovations (Jamaica) - Oct23
Oct 2 2023
107. Electrifying islands with Cleantech innovations (Jamaica) - Oct23
The smaller the grid, the higher the price. Islands have been plagued forever by a higher price of power. This is an inherent consequence of their small scale. Add on the top some natural catastrophes, and you end up with a poor and costly service for consumers.The good news is that there is a new generation of Utility managers which has started to tackle the problem. Of course, results are unperfect, as for one Hawaii there is one Puerto Rico. It is not just about money; it is about changing the culture and the rapid adoption of new technologies.To illustrate what can be done at reasonable budgets, we have invited Steve Berberich, CEO of Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS). After running the California ISO for a decade, he has opted for a new challenge rather than enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Jamaica’s energy system is highly dependent on high cost imported fossil fuels; petroleum imports account for over 80 percent of electricity production. Furthermore, electricity theft is a massive problem. Finally, Jamaica is always at the mercy of a devastating hurricanes.Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) is a privately held integrated electric utility company and the sole distributor of electricity in Jamaica. The Company is engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, and also purchases power from a number of Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The change of attitude is to present this stable island of 3m as a perfect testing ground for all possible technological innovations. JPS invites all innovations to be rolled out in Jamaica, which then can leapfrog some legacy part of the industry. ------This Episode partners with Bruce Douglas’ Global Renewables Alliance Let’s triple renewables in the next ten years.https://globalrenewablesalliance.org/ -----The Episode is sponsored by PV CASE. PV CASE is the ultimate design software for solar PV developers from the earliest stages of planning all the way to the procurement phase. https://pvcase.com/RedefiningEnergy************* Finally, Laurent and Gerard would like to thank all our listeners as we have reached 1,000,000 downloads across all our shows. The main show will likely pass that bar in November. We will celebrate big time.
106. Chasing Methane leaks - Sept23
Sep 15 2023
106. Chasing Methane leaks - Sept23
At Cop26 was launched the Global Methane Pledge to catalyse action to reduce methane. The problem is that no one really knew how much methane leaked nor who emitted what. Even the emitters didn’t have a clear view of the problem.First came satellites, that provided a regional assessment of the problem. But they only solved a fraction of the equation. In order to get more granular and be able to precisely identify methane leaks and attribute them, new technologies had to be applied. Sensors are now carried by planes, drones or are stationary. And their constant monitoring finally allows the methane to be tracked at a micro level. The combination of those different technologies has revolutionised the tracking of methane leaks and help fix them. We have the pleasure of welcoming an old friend of the show, Gregg Rotenberg, a 20-year clean tech veteran and CEO Kairos Aerospace. Kairos is the global leader in mitigating methane emissions. Kairos and alongside others like MIQ, is firmly leading the methane chase.And it’s just the beginning, because, if the US is starting to fix the problem, other countries like Venezuela, Mexico, Turkmenistan, Iraq or Libya couldn’t care less and are totally irresponsible when it comes to methane. Certainly, a good subject of discussion for COP28. ----Useful links;https://kairosaerospace.com/https://www.basinwide.org/ ----The Episode is delivered in partnership with the Energy Institute. www.energyinst.org A supporter of the Methane Guiding Principles and Aiming for Zero initiatives, the Energy Institute and its industry partners are working to make energy lower carbon, safer and more efficient. ------The Episode is sponsored by PV CASE. PV CASE is the ultimate design software for solar PV developers from the earliest stages of planning all the way to the procurement phase. https://pvcase.com/RedefiningEnergy
105. Geothermal: Earth, Wind and Fire - Sept23
Sep 1 2023
105. Geothermal: Earth, Wind and Fire - Sept23
Geothermal has been around for decades and always considered part of the Energy Transition. Unfortunately, its development has been limited to very specific geographical location (US West Coast, Iceland, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia), basically the Ring of Fire. Those historical techniques, called “hydrothermal” have proven quite niche and, in the US, only represented 4GW of capacity or less than 0.32% of the global fleet.We believe the whole sector is on the cusp of an exponential growth, as new drilling techniques are now arriving at maturity. “Advanced geothermal”, based on the Oil & Gas expertise in fracking and horizontal drilling can be installed pretty much everywhere. It aims to provide much-needed 24/7 clean electricity and heat at competitive costs and small footprint. The recent successes of a start up called Fervo Energy have been very publicized.There are also space-age new technologies like plasma and loop. Such a great universe of possibility.Our guest, Cindy Taff is a seasoned geothermal developer who leads a startup called Sage Geosystems. Sage is a Houston-based technology company focused on energy storage and geothermal solutions for a sustainable energy future. Their long-duration energy storage solutions are ready to scale now at a cost that beats pumped hydropower storage and lithium-ion batteries. Prior Sage, Cindy had a 35-year career in the O&G industry, most recently as VP of Shell's global Unconventional Wells operations where she led a team of over 350 Shell staff and 1,200 contractors across five countries.Alongside Wind and Solar, Geothermal was the missing piece to recreate Earth, Wind and Fire, the holy trinity of renewables. But it’s all going to change from now on. ----------The podcast is powered by Axpo. We feel better with Axpo.
104. Is Carbon the new Crypto? Aug23
Aug 16 2023
104. Is Carbon the new Crypto? Aug23
After a decade in obscurity, carbon offsets have resurrected in recent years as more companies are targeting net zero. Volumes and prices have picked up in 2021-22 to create a 2bn USD market that some institutions predict could rise to 50bnUSD by the end of the decade. But the market is non-regulated, very opaque and shrouded in incomprehensible jargon.Sounds familiar? Is carbon the new crypto? Are bad credits a bug or a feature of the system? Why do Companies think that carbon credits could be a solution on their net-zero journey?There are very heated debates around Carbon Credits/Carbon Offsets. They are loathed by very opiniated experts following spectacular failures or blatant frauds. On the other hand, some reasonable people are trying to sort out the mess while establishing, in the absence of any national or international regulations, what could differentiate a “good credit” from a “bad credit”.We bring in one the savviest expert of the voluntary carbon markets, Guy Turner, who will lay out the controversies and explain what a good credit is. Guy Turner, one of the original members of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, owns and runs Trove Research. Trove Research is the most respected and comprehensive source of information on the Carbon Market.With Guy we go from detailed concepts to the big picture and try to avoid the alphabet soup which has plagued the industry. A great conversation to set things in perspective. Useful linksWho do define good credits: www.icvcm.orgHow to REALLY become carbon neutral https://vcmintegrity.org/Guy Turner’s company: https://trove-research.com/The show is powered by AXPO, green electricity provider for decades.
102. Post Energy crisis, the “need for speed” - Live from Brussels / Eurelectric with Leo Birnbaum (CEO E.ON) - Jul23
Jul 15 2023
102. Post Energy crisis, the “need for speed” - Live from Brussels / Eurelectric with Leo Birnbaum (CEO E.ON) - Jul23
Live from Brussels, on the 20th of June 2023, we were invited to interview Leonard Birnbaum. Since he came last on the show (Ep50), the whole Energy Sector has been through hell with Russia invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent near-death experience of 2022. Leonard Birnbaum is the CEO of the giant German Utility E.ON and also president of Eurelectric, the sector association which represents the common interests of the electricity industry at pan-European level.We have a very lively debate about how E.ON survived the energy crisis. What changes he had to be undertaken, how luck played its part, but also the “need for speed”. Other key lessons were the end of tolerance for weaknesses, the acceleration of digitisation and total engagement with their customers. We then moved the conversation to the proposed reform of the Energy Market that regulators are keen to put in place. Is it too little too late or, on the opposite, a solution in search of a problem. In its manifesto, Eurelectric wants to focus in the coming years on three priorities:Security of supplyStronger & more digitised infrastructureFairness of the distribution of risks & benefits between the stakeholdersLeo advocates for flexibility mechanisms rather than capacity mechanisms and support full traceability via 24/7 green certificates. Finally, when you add the electrification of transport, the key word is Flexibility, as the electrification can either be fast or global, but cannot be both at the same time. Compromises will have to be made.A great thanks to Kristian Ruby, Bruce Douglas and Emily O'Leary for making this moment possible.---This podcast is powered by Axpo an international leader in providing sustainable energy solutions for the future. In the Nordics, Axpo has been a pioneer within Trading and Origination services for the last 20 years.
101. Iron + Carbon = Innovations (Clean Power, LDES, Hydrogen, CCUS) - Jul23
Jul 1 2023
101. Iron + Carbon = Innovations (Clean Power, LDES, Hydrogen, CCUS) - Jul23
Steel is essential for the equipment of the Energy Transition (Wind, EVs) but at the same time bears a very significant carbon footprint: 1.8tCO2/t steel. Pushed and/or incentivised by policies in the US and EU, the Steel industry must innovate to reduce its CO2 emissions which today represent 7%-8% of the world’s carbon dioxide.ArcelorMittal (the world biggest steel company outside China) is in the thick of it. It is not just writing reports but investing through its own VC fund called XCarb Innovation Fund. Through XCarb ArcelorMittal invests tens of millions of dollars in three major routes: Clean Electrification, new DRI (Direct Reduction of Iron), and Smart Carbon.So, we are going to talk about all future technologies that will help decarbonise the Steel sector: Advanced Nuclear, Long Duration Storage, Hydrogen, Carbon Capture Utilisation as well as a lot of other innovations in the making. Our guest is the very talented Irina Gorbounova, VP M&A at ArcelorMittal, and head of the XCarb fund. It is key to have an investor with a dual background, both VC and industrial, at the time of VC funding in down 75% yoy.Can we decarbonise Steel, with what technology? At what costs? On which horizons? Irina tackles with scientific precision all those questions. The word “hard to abate” might soon be a thing of the past for the Steel Industry. Maybe, we will just have to say: “takes time and resources to abate… but we’ve got this”.-------- ErratumWhen we discussed Form Energy, we meant to say storage of 100 hours plus which is 10 times cheaper than lithium based one.Thank you for your understanding.-------Thanks to our partner for the Episode: Pexapark And get our new media pack by emailing at info@redefining-energy.com
99. Operating a Grid in transition - Jun23
Jun 1 2023
99. Operating a Grid in transition - Jun23
The electricity network is the bloodline of the economy. It is a very complex system, built over decades, with layers of technologies and it has to be reliable 24/7. We hardly talked about this network of wires and cables a few years back but now, in the context of the energy transition, it plays a critical role in solving the three main challenges: the three D’s – decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation. Operating the grid 365/24/7 is not a simple task, as the primary objective of any electricity network is reliability; any structural change is like trying to change the engines of the plane while it is flying. How can the network evolve to answer the challenges of the energy transition? How fast does it evolves? How can new transmissions be developed? How are the issues identified and what does the future looks like? How do network managers around the world collaborate and share best practises? To answer those questions, we’ve had a fascinating conversation with Fintan Slye, Executive Director of National Grid ESO, the Electricity System Operator for Great Britain’s national electricity network. Fintan has been Executive Director of UK National Grid ESO since 2018. Prior to this he was CEO of the EirGrid Group, the electricity system and market operator in Ireland and Northern Ireland. He has previously worked for McKinsey & Company and ESB Group. This is Episode 99 and we promise you a big surprise for our Episode 100. Don’t forget our sister shows: the weekly fast Redefining Energy Minutes and the deep-dive Redefining Energy Tech with Michael Barnard. Once again, we thank Aquila Capital for their continuous support.
94. Heat Pumps are Hot - Mar23
Mar 15 2023
94. Heat Pumps are Hot - Mar23
3 million heat pumps were installed in Europe in 2022 (up 38% year on year) with some markets going crazy (Poland went up 120%). The movement is not limited to Europe, as US annual sales rose above 4 million units for the first time in 2022 (more than gas boilers).As the deployment of heat pumps has reached an inflection point in 2022, we wanted to dig deep into the decarbonisation of heating. We wanted to talk about new technologies, economics and government interventions which are sometimes good (ban of new oil and gas boilers, subsidies) sometimes bad (electrons are more taxed than molecules). This silent revolution needed a voice, and that’s our friend Jan Rosenow. Jan is the European Director of the Regulatory Assistance Project, a global energy think tank working on clean energy. He is also an Honorary Fellow at Oxford University. Jan Rosenow is a global heat pump expert and has tracked heat pump markets around the world. He works with policy makers all over Europe to craft and implement more effective policies to drive the transition.And of course, we talk about Hydrogen (spoiler alert, not in great terms) References https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3jIRRzF6d0https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-022-01104-8https://www.raponline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RAP_Heat_Pump_Toolkit.pdfCarbonBrief:https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-how-the-energy-crisis-is-boosting-heat-pumps-in-europe/debunking mythshttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/debunking-heat-pump-myths-dr-jan-rosenow?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_viaWe thank our friends and partners Aquila Capital, for supporting the show