Welcome to ‘Energy Unplugged by Aurora’, a mix of in-depth conversations with key international industry leaders, policymakers, and academics, sharing their uni...
EP.236 Sir Alex Chisholm & Kirsty Gogan on the Role of Nuclear Power
This week on Energy Unplugged, we're thrilled to welcome Sir Alex Chisholm, UK Chair of EDF and a Board Director at BT Group plc, along with Kirsty Gogan, Founding Director & Co-CEO of Terra Praxis and Managing Partner at LucidCatalyst. They'll be joining Dan Monzani, our Managing Director for the UK, Ireland, and India, for an insightful discussion on the role of nuclear power.
Prior to EDF Energy and BT Group, Sir Alex worked at the top level of the UK Government, including 4 years in charge of the business and energy department. Kirsty’s experience counts 15 years as a senior advisor to Government on climate and energy policy, including 10 Downing St and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The main topics up for discussion include the following:
The role of nuclear in supporting data centre demand
How to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors, and the role of innovation in standardising their manufacturing
The major barriers to successful new nuclear development, including funding, supply chains, skills base, and public support to this technology
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EP.235 Wendy Lam, CEO, Capsol Technologies
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Wendy Lam, CEO of Capsol Technologies. She joined our Head of Nordics & Baltics, Alexander Esser, to discuss the future of industrial decarbonisation.
Wendy is an experienced technology leader with more than 20 years’ experience at major international industrial companies and has a proven track record of driving growth, developing strategic partnerships, and commercializing new technologies worldwide. Now, she leads Capsol Technologies, a carbon capture technology provider. They license their technology to Stockholm’s Värtaverket, which will be Europe’s first large-scale bio-energy carbon capture and storage, BECCS, plant when operational.
Main topics include the following:
The role of carbon capture in meeting climate goals
The implications of the Clean Industrial Deal for industry and investment
Real-world projects, including Europe’s first large-scale negative emissions plant
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EP.234 Lucy Yu & Jon Norman on the Role of Flexibility to Enable a Clean Power Grid
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re excited to welcome Lucy Yu, CEO of the Centre for Net Zero, and Jon Norman, President of Hydrostor. They’ll join Marc Hedin, our Head of Research for Western Europe & India, to discuss how flexibility plays a crucial role in enabling a clean power grid.
The Centre for Net Zero is an independent research unit within Octopus Energy, focused on providing data-driven insights into the future of demand flexibility. Hydrostor, based in Toronto, specializes in the development and operation of Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage technology, offering energy storage solutions ranging from 8 hours to multiple days.
Main topics include the following:
Challenges in achieving a net-zero energy system
The importance of flexibility in a clean power system
Potential risks of lacking sufficient flexibility in the system
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EP.233 Carolina Nester on Curtailment and its Impact
This week on Energy Unplugged, we're excited to welcome Carolina Nester, Head of Operations for Iberia at Sonnedix. She joins Christina Rentell, our Research Lead for France & Iberia, to discuss the challenges of curtailment and its impact.
With over 17 years of experience in the photovoltaic (PV) sector, Carolina has a broad background spanning solar module manufacturing, installation permitting, design, construction management, and the supervision and control of solar assets, as well as PV consulting. Since joining Sonnedix in 2017, she has been responsible for optimizing and overseeing the performance of a solar asset portfolio generating €400M in revenue.
Main topics include the following:
Negative prices and their impact on regulated assets
Evolution of grid curtailment in Iberia
Automatic Power Reduction System (SRAP) as a mitigant of curtailment
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EP.232 Aurora Experts on our European Renewables Market Overview Report, CEE
In this episode of Energy Unplugged, our Head of Southeast Europe, Evangelos Gazis, is joined by Rebecca McManus, our Renewables Lead for European Power Markets, to disclose the main insights for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) from our European Renewables Market Overview Report.
Over the past decade, Europe's solar and wind energy capacity has increased to over 528 GW, driven by rising power demand, supportive policies, higher commodity prices, and supply chain improvements. CEE is on the cusp of a wave of investment in renewables and batteries, with Aurora forecasting 90GW of investments across the region between 2025 and 2030.
Main topics include the following:
The outlook for renewables across CEE, and how this varies between markets
The emerging challenges, such as curtailment and negative prices, and impacts on renewable projects
The available opportunities for renewables to help facilitate project financing
Aurora is expanding into the Western Balkans! Soon we will be launching our products in the region to help investors, developers, and policymakers gain the key insights they need to make well-informed, decisions in this rapidly developing market.
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Welcome to ‘Energy Unplugged by Aurora’, a mix of in-depth conversations with key international industry leaders, policymakers, and academics, sharing their unique perspectives on the global energy transition.
Hosted by various Aurora experts, we explore the hottest topics and trends across the energy landscape. From renewables, battery storage, and grid integration, to hydrogen, commodity markets, and technology innovation, our high-profile guests weigh in with their valuable insights.
Stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in the energy industry, with a new episode released every week!
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