Aurora Energy Research Podcast

Our Head of Commissioned Projects in Central Europe, Hanns Koenig is joined by Dr. Brigitte Knopf, Secretary General of the Berlin-based climate research institute MCC (Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change). Brigitte is one of Germany’s leading experts on climate change and has been appointed Deputy Chair of the Council of Experts on Climate Change by the German Federal Government. The Council has recently published its first report assessing Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Hanns and Brigitte discuss:•MCC’s leading role in the climate change debate •The Council of Experts on Climate Change’s report findings and lessons learned•The European Green Deal and Germany’s decarbonisation targets•COVID-19 impact and emissions reduction during lockdownSupport the show

In this episode our CEO John Feddersen speaks to Greg Jackson, the Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, one of the UK’s largest energy supplier businesses, and award-winning for its status as a provider of 100% sustainable energy. Octopus Energy Group recently announced the acquisition of its sister company, Octopus Renewables, bringing the retail and the generation side of energy together under one roof. Greg is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the UK with a long career leading multiple software ventures among other businesses, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge. John and Greg discuss:•The importance of policy in the current UK energy supply market•Understanding the customer experience and meeting customer’s needs •Weathering the debris of the Texas storms and cost-pass-through tariffs•The role of prices in power generation and investmentSupport the show

Our Research Director Richard Howard is joined by Dr. Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power Plc to discuss one of the biggest players to emerge in new energy policies: green hydrogen. Graham joined ITM Power 12 years ago, previous to which he worked with National Power, and spent 11 years in the power industry developing energy storage and generation technologies. ITM Power is a leading manufacturer of hydrogen electrolysers. From early engagement on some of the UK’s earliest hydrogen mobility projects, it is currently working with the nationally significant HyDeploy energy trial – a crucial factor contributing towards the UK’s Net Zero targets. Richard and Graham discuss:•Green hydrogen’s role on the road to attaining Net Zero•Typical buyers and business models for electrolysers•Government support requirement for reaching the 40 GW targetSupport the show

This week on Energy Unplugged we have a special episode on modelling energy markets and the broader complexities of modelling for future scenarios. Our Head of Digital Solutions Mateusz Wronski chats with Jonathan Black, our Head of Modelling. Jonathan’s role is to set the vision and strategy for our market models and their developments. Besides managing our international team of modellers he has extensive experience in modelling for a breadth of physical systems, with a background as a Research Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory and a PhD in Applied Mathematics. Mateusz and Jonathan discuss:•Credibility of modelling outside academia•Our motivation for building our own models•Modelling role in decarbonisation of the energy sectorSupport the show

Our Nordics Lead Alexander Esser speaks with Lisa McDermott - Executive Director Renewable Project Financing at ABN AMRO Bank. Lisa started her career as a lawyer at Clifford Chance, specialising in tax, M&A and fund structuring. Since 2004 she has held a number of senior origination, structuring and management roles within various structured finance disciplines. ABN AMRO is one of the earliest project financiers for offshore wind and one of the most active debt providers for renewables and sustainable business in Europe. Alex and Lisa discuss:•ABN AMRO’s role in financing the energy transition•Changing environment for project finance of renewables•Financeability of electrolysers for green hydrogen productionSupport the show

Our Managing Director in Australia - Hugo Batten is delighted to be joined by Professor Tim Nelson - Executive General Manager, Energy Markets at Infigen. Tim is an Associate Professor at Griffith University and writes prolifically on Australia’s energy transition. Recently purchased by Iberdrola, Infigen is an Australian wind, gas and battery player, and also a retailer. Hugo and Tim discuss:•Gentailers and strategic options available to them•Carbon pricing vs industrial policy•Nodal pricing•Perceptions of risk in the NEM•Biden election and other global event impacts on Australia’s energy politicsSupport the show

Our CEO John Feddersen is joined by Jonathan Maxwell, CEO and founder of Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL). Jonathan has over 25 years’ experience in international finance, infrastructure and private equity. Since its 2007 establishment, SDCL has launched energy efficiency project investment funds in the UK, Ireland, Singapore and New York. John and Jonathan discuss:•Jonathan’s motivation for starting a sustainable investment business•The importance of energy security and resilience•ESG investment and achieving high ESG performanceSupport the show

In this episode, our CEO John Feddersen speaks with Harry Boyd-Carpenter – Director, Head of Energy EMEA at EBRD; and Peter Baum – Project Leader in our Berlin office. Harry leads the landing and investment team at EBRD where he focuses on deploying capital investments in regions where investment is more challenging (including eastern Europe and northern Africa). Peter focuses on our activities in eastern and south-eastern Europe, and he has previously been an Analyst for Energy Efficiency and Climate Change at EBRD. Main topics include:•EBRD’s role in driving the energy transition •Politics and investments decisions•Energy transition in eastern Europe and northern African power marketsSupport the show

This podcast episode is a special one celebrating International Women’s Day on 8th March and discussing hydrogen. We're featuring two female leaders in the energy industry as our Head of Iberia, Ana Barillas is joined by Ana Quelhas, recently appointed as Managing Director for Hydrogen at EDP Group. Prior to the new role, Ana Quelhas was the Head of Corporate Energy Planning at EDP and previous to that she worked at the Directorate General for Research within the European Commission and for the California Independent System Operator. Main topics include:•Investment decisions vs. uncertainties coming from public policies•Iberian market as a hub for green hydrogen•Interplay between green hydrogen and batteriesSupport the show

In this Energy Unplugged episode, Aurora’s Head of Commissioned Projects for Western Europe, Felix Chow-Kambitsch is joined by Mark Futyan, Anesco’s Chief Executive Officer. Anesco is an energy services company specialising in solar PV, storage and energy efficiency, and playing a key role in the transition to Net Zero. With an impressive career within the energy industry, Mark joined Anesco in February 2020 from Centrica, where he most recently held the position of Distributed Power Systems Director. Felix and Mark discuss:•Anesco’s role in the energy transition and potential areas of growth•UK’s commitment to Net Zero and how we can get there•Investment opportunities and potential of hydrogenSupport the show

In this episode, Aurora’s Managing Director in Australia, Hugo Batten, speaks with Tony Wood, the Head of the Energy Program at Grattan Institute and one of Australia’s most prolific energy writers and thinkers. Tony has had a lengthy career in energy - working for organisations such as Origin Energy, The Clinton Foundation and Incitec Pivot. He also writes in the Australian Financial Review and other Australian publications on energy. Hugo and Tony discuss:•Australian approach to climate policy and the history of the climate wars in Australia•The role of gas in the energy transition•Proposals to reform the Australian transmission systemSupport the show

In this episode, our Nordics Lead Alexander Esser is joined by Andreas Regnell, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Development at Vattenfall. Andreas has been with Vattenfall for more than 10 years and previously Managing Partner of Nordic Region at BCG, and Analyst and Account Manager at Citibank. He holds a degree in Economics.Alexander and Andreas discuss:•The role of state-owned energy companies on the path to Net Zero •Backcasting vs forecasting of the energy market •Green hydrogen for steel productionSupport the show

In this episode, our US Country Lead Oliver Kerr is joined by LevelTen Energy’s Chief Operating Officer - Jason Tundermann and Vice President for Europe - Flemming Sørensen, as they take a deeper look at PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements). LevelTen is the world’s largest renewable energy procurement platform. Jason has a successful career history in senior level business development roles within the energy sector for over ten years. Flemming has a strong investments background, and over 20 years’ experience in project development, energy sourcing and portfolio management for energy firms including Ørsted and Energi Danmark.Main topics include: •The role of PPAs within the broader energy transition •Market design for Net Zero and investment in renewables•Key trends in PPA markets across EuropeSupport the show

This week on Energy Unplugged, our US Country Lead Oliver Kerr is joined by Jay Zoellner, CEO of Kiwi Power, a leading global energy technology company. Jay has held a number of leadership roles in the power sector – both in public and private energy companies, and is now focusing his efforts on growing Kiwi Power’s business internationally.Oliver and Jay discuss: •Kiwi Power’s mission and Jay’s role •The company’s expansion to the US, and key differences between US and UK markets•The role of flexible energy and investment opportunitiesSupport the show

In this episode, Aurora's CEO John Feddersen speaks with Stefan-Jörg Göbel - Senior Vice President Wind & Solar Continental at Statkraft. Stefan-Jörg is responsible for developing a pan-European renewables portfolio, spanning solar and wind for one of Europe’s leading utilities. Previously, he ran one of Europe’s largest power trading and origination teams and he started his electricity sector career in Enron’s European team. John and Stefan-Jörg discuss: •The role of route-to-market providers and PPAs•Renewables investment in Europe and trends in Government support•The role of hydrogen in power marketsSupport the show

In this episode, Aurora’s Managing Director in Australia, Hugo Batten speaks with Ian Learmonth, the CEO of Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). With vast experience in the energy sector across the globe, Ian has spent time at Macquarie Group, NatWest and Social Ventures Australia, prior to joining the CEFC in 2017. Some of the main topics include: •CEFC, technologies of focus and storage investment cases•Role of gas and storage in Australia’s energy transition•The evolution of policy and regulation in the Australian marketSupport the show

In this new episode, Aurora’s Research Director Richard Howard is joined by Duncan Clark, Head of UK Region for Ørsted. Coming from a previous commercial role at The Crown Estate, Duncan joined Ørsted in 2012 as Programme Director for offshore wind, being responsible for delivering massive projects such as Westermost Rough and Hornsea 1 throughout the project execution phase, taking the new role of Head of Region UK in 2019. Richard and Duncan discuss: •Duncan’s professional journey and his plans as Head of UK for Ørsted•Offshore wind in the UK and the Government target of 40GW by 2030•Emerging technologies: floating wind and potential for hydrogenSupport the show

In this latest 2020 episode, Aurora's CEO John Feddersen is joined by Will Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Drax Group – the UK’s largest renewable power generator. Will joined Drax as CFO in 2015 and was appointed CEO in January 2018, now playing one of the key roles in the decarbonisation of the British electricity system. John and Will discuss:* Will’s role and the most important trait of a publicly listed CEO* Biomass sustainability and its role in decarbonisation* BECCS, and if we can get to Net Zero without negative emissions technologiesSupport the show

In this episode, Aurora’s Managing Director in Germany Manuel Köhler speaks with Marie-Luise Pörtner, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. Wind. BayWa is one of the largest renewables developers in Europe, with projects all around the world. Marie-Luise has previously held a number of other senior roles within the energy sector including Managing Director of the wind developer Juwi and Energy Sector Manager at the Fraunhofer Society. Manuel and Marie-Luise discuss:* BayWa’s upcoming white paper and its impact on the energy sector* Technological innovation – focusing on new technologies with disruptive potential* The latest revision of Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG)Support the show

This week, Aurora’s CEO John Feddersen speaks with Dan Monzani, Director of Energy Security, Networks & Markets at BEIS, about the UK Government’s long-awaited Energy White Paper: Powering our Net Zero Future, published this week. The Energy White Paper follows Boris Johnson’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and establishes a strategy to achieve Net Zero across the wider energy system. John and Dan discuss:* Market design and carbon pricing: why a trading scheme rather than a tax?* Governance: what problems can the independent system operator (ISO) solve?* R&D and technology innovation: what are the potential roles for CCUS and hydrogen? and also:* Should we worry about buying a new internal combustion engine (ICE) car now?Support the show