Redefining Energy - TECH

In this episode, Gerard Reid, Laurent Segalen and Michael Barnard dug into the technologies and narratives that keep surfacing in discussions about the energy transition, but which continue to underdeliver when you scrutinize the economics and engineering realities. Carbon capture and direct air capture remain heavily subsidy-driven, often costing more to operate than the value of the CO₂ they seq...

In the second episode of Redefining Energy Tech , Lyle Trytten (aka the Nickel Nerd) joins host Michael Barnard to explore the controversial world of seabed mining. The discussion focuses on The Metals Company (TMC), Impossible Metals, and their efforts in the Clarion Clipperton Zone. A significant milestone was recently announced: for the first time, a pre-feasibility study claimed 50 million ton...

In this episode of Redefining Energy Tech Michael Barnard sat down with Lyle Trytten, who many in the industry know as the nickel nerd. He has spent decades working in mining and mineral processing and has become a trusted voice for organizations like Natural Resources Canada and the International Energy Agency. Our conversation turned to the techno-economic realities of seabed mining, a topic mad...

In this second part of the podcast, Michael Barnard pursues his conversation Paul Martin and Emiel van Druten with explores emerging insights into the Netherlands' energy transition, addressing core assumptions around efficiency, hydrogen usage, and electrification. Building efficiency upgrades yield disappointing returns, with gas consumption often rebounding within 2-4 years post-renovation, lim...

Michael Barnard hosts Paul Martin and Emiel van Druten in an insightful podcast episode exploring the Netherlands’ evolving energy transition scenarios, specifically focusing on strategic planning for 2030 and 2050. Emil van Druten, leading the scenario development at Tennet, collaborates closely with Dutch network operators, leveraging his engineering background to advance pragmatic electrificati...

In this episode (2/2), Michael Barnard concludes his conversation with Tristan Smith, a leading voice in maritime decarbonization and professor at the UCL Energy Institute, to unpack the tangled web of choices, regulations, and constraints facing the shipping industry as it attempts to cut emissions. From dual-fuel ships and synthetic fuels to compliance markets and long-term infrastructure invest...

In Episode 53 of Redefining Energy TECH , Host Michael Barnard speaks with Tristan Smith, a prominent expert in maritime decarbonization and professor at the University College London Energy Institute. Tristan shares his insights, beginning with an overview of maritime shipping, which accounts for approximately 1 gigaton of CO₂ equivalent annually, making it responsible for about 2-3% of global em...

In this episode of Redefining Energy Tech , host Michael Barnard concludes his conversation (See Ep51 for part 1/2) with Dr. Joseph Romm about the uncomfortable truths behind hydrogen's persistent hype. Romm—physicist, climate policy expert, and author of The Hype About Hydrogen —lays out a detailed indictment of hydrogen’s role in the energy transition and the vested interests keeping it afloat....

In this episode of Redefining Energy Tech , host Michael Barnard sat down with Dr. Joseph Romm—physicist, energy policy veteran, and author of The Hype About Hydrogen —to pull back the curtain on hydrogen’s persistent mystique. Romm isn’t new to the debate. Back in the early 2000s, he was among the first to publicly challenge the logic of hydrogen as a viable energy carrier. Now, twenty years late...

Simon Todd is back with Michael Barnard for part 2/2, and this time he’s drilling deeper—both literally and figuratively. In this second round, the Managing Director of Causeway Energies walks us through the hard tech and hard truths of geothermal energy, especially as it applies to the UK and Ireland. What emerges is a grounded, brutally realistic look at where geothermal works, where it doesn’t,...

In this eye-opening episode (part 1/2), Host Michael Barnard invites Simon Todd , Managing Director of Causeway Energies and a man whose geological expertise spans from the chalk beds of Northern Ireland to the drilling decks of BP. Simon joins the podcast to drag geothermal energy out of its misunderstood niche and into the spotlight it deserves. Simon, who spent 25 years at BP before pivoting ha...

In this second part of the conversation, Mark O'Malley returns to discuss with co-host Michael Barnard grid reliability and the evolving challenges of integrating renewable energy. The conversation examines successful examples from Germany, Denmark, and Ireland, highlighting Ireland's unique position as a synchronous island. Texas also emerges as a case study, demonstrating how increased wind and...

The transformation of global power systems is accelerating as wind and solar become dominant energy sources. In the latest episode of Redefining Energy Tech , Mark O'Malley, Leverhulme Professor of Power Systems at Imperial College London, offers a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of this transition in an in-depth conversation with host Michael Barnard. O'Malley brings decades of ex...

In Episode 46 of *Redefining Energy - Tech*, host Michael Barnard concludes his talk with David Fishman. David examines China's dynamic energy landscape, emphasizing the rapid development of wind, solar, and energy storage technologies. The episode begins with a comprehensive analysis of wind energy, highlighting significant growth in onshore wind despite grid curtailment challenges in western reg...

In Episode 45 of the *Redefining Energy TECH* series, host Michael Barnard invites David Fishman, a senior manager at Lantau Group. David delves into the intricacies of China's energy landscape, highlighting the country's efforts to balance growth and decarbonization. Despite coal's continued dominance, constituting 55-60% of the energy mix, Fishman discusses measures aimed at limiting its growth....

In this second part, Gavin Mudd, director of the Critical Minerals Intelligence Center at the British Geological Survey, shares insights into the pivotal role of minerals in the energy transition. While Australia boasts abundant resources, Mudd highlights significant gaps in expertise and labor to extract these materials efficiently. He underscores the urgency of restructuring the iron ore sector...

In the latest episode of *Redefining Energy Tech*, host Michael Barnard is joined by Gavin Mudd, director of the Critical Minerals Intelligence Center at the British Geological Survey, for an insightful discussion on critical minerals, their supply risks, and the environmental challenges posed by mining practices. Mudd, an environmental engineer with extensive expertise in assessing the ecological...

Michael Barnard concludes his conversation with John Fitzgerald, CEO of Supernode. They explore the game-changing potential of superconducting transmission technology. Superconductors, capable of carrying electricity with zero resistance at extremely low temperatures, are already used in applications like MRI machines and are now poised to revolutionize urban power distribution. Fitzgerald highlig...

Michael Barnard invites John Fitzgerald, the CEO of Supernode. John delves into the transformative potential of energy transmission technologies and the critical role of interconnectors in shaping the future of renewable energy. Drawing from his extensive background in engineering and utility management, Fitzgerald recounts his journey in the energy sector, which includes developing power stations...

In this second part of the episode, Michael Raynor and Michael Barnard offer an in-depth analysis of the comparison between hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric buses, focusing on key findings and discrepancies in a recent CUTRIC study.  Barnard critically examines issues related to replacement cycles, carbon pricing, refuelling facilities and individual bus complexity. He highlights the study’...

In this episode, host Michael Barnard engages in an enlightening conversation with Michael Raynor, co-author of The Innovator’s Solution and an expert in carbon reduction strategies. Raynor shares his personal journey into sustainability, the evolution of his focus on decarbonization, and his current work developing innovative solutions for addressing corporate carbon challenges. A key topic in th...

In Episode 38 of Redefining Energy - Tech, Rob Jackson addresses the growing challenge of methane emissions, which are over 90 times more potent than CO2 in the short term. He reveals that two-thirds of methane emissions come from human activities such as fossil fuels, agriculture, and landfills, with livestock, especially cows, being the largest agricultural source. Methane's rapid increase is a...

Rob Jackson, Chair of the Global Carbon Project and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute, dives into a critical discussion on methane emissions and their impact on climate change. In this episode of Redefining Energy - Tech, he outlines methane’s potency, noting that it is 80-90 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat during the first few decades after its release. Methane's role in climate...

In Episode 36 of the "Redefining Energy" series, host Michael Barnard engages Michele Wucker in a nuanced discussion about the complex nature of risk, focusing on the distinction between risk profiles and risk fingerprints. These fingerprints, shaped by an individual's inherent traits, experiences, and environmental influences, are crucial in understanding how people and organizations perceive and...

In Episode 35 of "Redefining Energy - Tech," host Michael Barnard engages with Michele Wucker, the author of *The Gray Rhino* and *You Are What You Risk*, in a thought-provoking discussion on risk perception and management. Wucker introduces the concept of the "gray rhino," which symbolizes obvious yet often overlooked risks , in contrast to the "black swan," which represents unforeseeable and imp...