Energy Transitions

Enlit Europe

Welcome to the Energy Transitions Podcast, brought to you by Enlit. In this bi-weekly podcast, your host Pamela Largue has engaging conversations with energy sector professionals at the forefront of the energy transition in Europe and beyond. Visit https://www.enlit.world/podcasts/energy-transitions/ for more information about the series and guests.

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20 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Tuesday · 30 min
Financing a bankable and just energy transition
As governments, utilities and investors navigate geopolitical uncertainty and increasing pressure to decarbonise and electrify, one question continues to dominate the energy transition: where will the money come from?Sadly, many across the world continue to suffer energy poverty and billions of dollars remain on the sidelines despite enormous demand for energy infrastructure. In the latest episode of the Enlit Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Woochong Um, CEO of the Global E
July 28 · 28 min
The policies powering Europe's renewables integration
As the European Commission advances key legislative proposals, such as Electrification Action Plan and the EU ETS review, the focus is shifting from setting renewable energy targets to delivering them. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Vasiliki Klonari, Director of Energy System Integration at WindEurope, about why this is the most consequential legislative cycle for Europe's energy future. She highlights the critical importance of coherent policies to
July 21 · 28 min
Why competitive industry needs cheap power and smart policy
Europe has already lost around half of its primary aluminium production in recent years, driven by soaring energy costs and intense international competition and yet the ambition to decarbonise industry has never been greater. To unpack the realities facing European industry, as well as the policies that are advancing or preventing deindustrialisation, Pamela Largue speaks with Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. Voss explores why competitively priced electricity is fundamental to
July 14 · 28 min
Optimising energy storage assets for a more flexible grid
As battery energy storage systems become an increasingly critical part of the energy transition, the conversation is shifting from simply deploying more assets to ensuring they are used as intelligently as possible.In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Henri Taskinen, CEO and co-founder of Capalo AI, about the sophisticated optimisation and trading strategies that are unlocking the full value of battery storage. He focuses in on how AI, forecasting and adva
July 7 · 28 min
Why energy storage is a strategic priority for Europe
In this Energy Transitions Podcast, Jacopo Tosoni says that energy storage has now become critical infrastructure to deliver energy security. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: The drivers behind the unprecedented pace of Europe's energy storage market growth; The markets leading deployment and what countries like the UK, Italy and Germany are doing differently; How storage is becoming essential alongside solar and wind as renewable penetration increa
June 30 · 23 min
Overcoming growing pains in the UK's hydrogen sector
According to Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, delivering hydrogen projects can be likened to a game of Whac-A-Mole and in this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, she explains why. Hydrogen projects are easy to announce, but difficult to deliver, with early enthusiasm often giving way to the practical work of securing permits, financing, and securing infrastructure and regulatory approvals. Every hurdle exposes the next one, she explains. A project may overcome financing, only to face p
June 23 · 28 min
Tackling US grid congestion to meet the demand surge
The United States is experiencing an unprecedented wave of electricity demand growth. While electrification and electric vehicles continue to contribute significantly, the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centres has introduced a new level of complexity. Facilities consuming hundreds of megawatts, or even gigawatts, of power are being developed on timelines far shorter than utilities have traditionally planned for. This creates a mismatch between supply, demand and network capacity that manifes
June 16 · 23 min
Renewables reality check in the age of energy security
As governments grapple with volatile fossil fuel prices, supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty, is the renewable energy agenda being overshadowed by the growing focus on energy security? In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, about why he believes today's energy security concerns are actually accelerating, not slowing, the shift to renewable energy. He points to growing momentum across Europe an
June 2 · 28 min
Leveraging the Innovation Fund Heat Auction to decarbonise heat
Industrial heat accounts for roughly two-thirds of energy use in manufacturing, yet it remains one of the least discussed challenges in the energy transition. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Daniel Galis, Europe Director at the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, about the European Innovation Fund's €1 billion Heat Auction and its role in accelerating industrial heat decarbonisation. Daniel explains how competitive auction mechanisms are being used to s
May 25 · 23 min
Are European energy policies resilient by design?
Geopolitical instability, persistent fossil fuel dependence, and the need to maintain industrial competitiveness are forcing European policymakers and energy leaders to confront increasingly urgent questions about whether policies support or hinder energy security, resilience and decarbonisation. In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Marion Labatut, European Affairs Director at EDF, about the strategic choices Europe must make to remain resilient while acce
May 19 · 21 min
Nuclear in transition: Insights from Siemens Energy
In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Dr. Dagmar Thien, Manager of Conventional Island Nuclear Power Plant Equipment at Siemens Energy, about the company’s long-standing role in nuclear energy and how it is supporting the current nuclear renaissance. In this episode you will learn more about: The drivers behind renewed interest in nuclear power; The growing role of nuclear in the global power mix and how this impacts Siemens Energy; How modularisation coul
May 12 · 30 min
Who is leading the global fusion energy race?
Fusion energy is moving from science fiction to commercial reality, driven by focused government strategies, increasing private investment, and a range of technological breakthroughs. To identify the leaders in the race to harness this limitless source of clean power, Pamela Largue speaks with Andrew Holland, Chief Executive Officer of the Fusion Industry Association. Holland highlights the technologies showing the greatest promise, from tokamaks and stellarators to inertial confinement and lase
May 5 · 32 min
Scaling observability and controllability for smarter distribution grids
Across Europe, increasing electrification and the rapid growth of distributed energy resources have pushed regulation and grid operations toward higher levels of visibility, coordination, and data exchange. In Italy, a regulatory journey that began in 2018 has led to a framework that treats observability as a foundational capability for secure and resilient system operation. To learn more about this journey and how observability and controllability are reshaping grid operations, Pamela Largue sp
April 21 · 18 min
Strategies to power up floating offshore wind in France
Floating offshore wind may still be on the path to full commercialisation, but its strategic importance for Europe’s energy security is already undeniable. This emerging technology will be a critical tool to unlocking vast renewable resources in deeper waters, a tool that France, and especially the Occitanie region, is looking to harness through a series of technologically-advanced pilot projects. However, technology alone won’t determine success. Building a resilient local value chain, one that
April 14 · 22 min
How to enhance utility resilience through digital transformation
In this Energy Transitions podcast, Lobna El Gammal and David Cashman of EY talk about how utilities can maximise preparedness for major events, the role digital technologies can play, and why there is no time to waste in doing so. In this episode you will learn more about: What resilience means and why utilities must prepare now; Where the greatest resilience risks are within the system; What constitutes a major event and how utilities need to prepare for these; Case studies demonstrating whe
April 7 · 14 min
How shared services power the energy transition
In this Energy Transitions podcast, Azmi Yusof of TNB explains the how the utility as the 'custodian' of the Malaysian grid is digitalising its services. In this episode, you'll learn more about: TNB as the custodian of the Malaysian grid; How TGBS's ongoing transition ensures the company is future-proof in a disruptive energy landscape; The utility's focus on digital integration to boost the efficiency of shared services; Challenges around digital integration; How TNB is managing all the data
March 31 · 31 min
Strengthening European resilience to combat energy shocks
In this Energy Transitions podcast, Ann Mettler, Co-Founder of Catalyse Europe, calls for localisation, diversification and decentralisation in the face of global energy shocks. In this episode you will learn more about: The short- and long-term energy and industrial threats to Europe amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East; Key structural weaknesses in Europe’s energy supply chain; Whether lessons were truly learned and implemented after the Ukraine war; The role of innovation and clean
March 24 · 22 min
What is holding back the renewables sector in Italy?
In the Energy Transitions podcast, Patrizio Donati, Co-Founder and Director at Terrawatt, explores the restraints hampering Italy's renewables market. In this episode you will learn more about: Why Italy’s renewable market is driven by strong fundamentals but constrained by regulatory inefficiencies; How permitting delays and bureaucratic complexity impact project timelines and investor confidence; The trade-off between higher power prices, stronger returns and increased development risk; Why g
March 17 · 17 min
What energy lessons can the UK and Spain learn from each other?
In this Energy Transitions Podcast episode, experts from both countries swop renewable energy success stories and reveal they also face similar significant challenges. Sarah Merrick and Daniel Serrano both work for consultancy Ricardo – Merrick in the UK and Serrano in Spain. In this podcast episode, you will hear: What needs to happen to make energy storage thrive; How the UK has the right mechanisms to develop fledging technologies; Why Spain has been so successful at deploying solar PV and n
March 10 · 21 min
How AI and data are transforming the way we manage the grid
In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Yusuf Latief speaks with Michael Villa, Executive Director at SmartEn, and Jochem van Hove, Managing Director for Energy and Resources EMEA at Microsoft, about how data platforms, AI and digital tools can help coordinate these resources in real time. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about: Why flexibility is becoming critical in a decentralised energy system; The role of AI and data in managing distributed