Plugged In: the energy news podcast

Europe may have weathered the worst of the storms of the covid pandemic and the energy crisis, but the continent’s gas market remains fragile. In this episode, we talk to the CEO of gas transit operator Snam and one of Italy’s most respected energy experts about the role gas will play for the country as it looks to wean itself off Russian gas. Italy looks set to become more dependent on the vagaries of global markets as it commits to an LNG future. And what is the outlook for gas demand among Italy’s industry?   Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel Guests: Stefano Venier, CEO of Snam, Massimo Nicolazzi, University of Turin.

The pan-EU balancing mechanism Picasso has caused price turbulence after its introduction in some markets, notably Italy. The country has since exited the platform and other countries have delayed implementation to the mandatory system. Listen to a discussion on the problems experienced by Italy and proposals put forward to change the platform and to increase data transparency.Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel Guests: Simon Remppis, Engineer at TransnetBW; Alina Trabattoni, Italy Correspondent, Montel News. 

Lion Hirth, a Professor of Energy Policy at the Hertie School in Berlin and Director at Neon Energy, shares insights on the evolving energy markets. He discusses the EU's proposals for forward markets and the benefits of virtual hubs to enhance liquidity. The conversation highlights the Nordic model's limitations and the potential of splitting the German power zone to attract green investment. Additionally, Hirth delves into the shifts in hedging strategies among utilities amidst increasing market volatility and examines the implications of long-term transmission rights.

Norway installed the least amount of renewables in the Nordic region last year. Ahead of the country’s first ever offshore wind auction, we talk to former energy minister Åslaug Haga about the outlook for new green energy in terms of meeting growing demand. Listen to a discussion on the ways in which country should speed up capacity build and why it is important to avoid the “ketchup effect”.Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, MontelGuest: Åslaug Haga, Director, Renewables Norway.

European power purchase agreements are expected to have a strong year, potentially reaching 20 GW with Germany possibly surpassing Spain in PPA growth. The podcast explores economic challenges impacting PPAs, the evolution of corporate PPAs across various sectors, factors affecting PPA signings in the solar industry, the role of battery storage in PPAs, and navigating market dynamics in renewable energy.

Over the past decade, Germany has experienced serious energy shocks – many of which were of its own making. For instance, the over-reliance on Russian gas and exiting coal and nuclear power at the same time. However, it has also provided solutions on a remarkable scale. Listen to a discussion  - recorded live at the E-World trade fair in Germany - on how the country dealt with its energy crisis, and the positive progress made since 2022. But how can it speed up investments into the grid as well as into renewables?Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, MontelGuests: Tobias Federico, Managing Director, Energy Brainpool, a Montel Group company;Hanns Koenig, Managing Director, Central Europe, Aurora Energy Research; Henning Gloystein, Director for Energy, Climate and Resources, Eurasia Group

European Guarantee of Origin prices have slumped to near 15-month lows amid oversupply and faltering auctions. Listen to a discussion on the measures policy makers need to adopt to boost both transparency and liquidity in this opaque market. Will prices ever reach the highs of 2022 again?Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, MontelGuest: Daniel Arnesson, Manager, Renewable Power Analysis

The prospect of Trump returning to the White House could shake up the global gas market already on edge from rising tensions in the Middle East. Listen to a discussion about how Trump could reverse President Biden’s pause to LNG projects. Also, the pod highlights why Chinese and German gas demand is returning close to pre-pandemic levels and what this means for imports to Europe as it continues to shun Russian supply.Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, MontelGuest: Nadia Martin Wiggen, Director, Svelland Capital. 

Are oil and gas markets too complacent about the current geopolitical risks in the Middle East, which accounts for around one third of global seaborne oil trade? Saul Kavonic, senior research analyst at MST Financial thinks so. In this week's pod, he explains how an escalation of tensions beyond the Hamas-Irael war could see the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and propel oil and LNG prices to USD 200/bbl and USD 100/MMbtu respectively – dwarfing the peaks during the 2022 energy crisis.Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel Guest: Saul Kavonic, Senior Research Analyst, MST Financial. 

For the first time in 17 years, Germany became a net electricity importer in 2023, largely due to expensive fossil fuels which meant power from its neighbours was cheaper than that domestically generated. Carbon emissions in the country also plummeted but is the drop permanent as the country looks to transform its power system? Listen to a discussion on the choices facing Germany and the pros and cons of splitting its single power market zone.Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, MontelGuest: Fabian Huneke, Project Lead Energy Transition, Agora Energiewend