Energy Transitions

Ireland has big ambitions for renewable gas, but how is the country progressing towards making it a reality?Earlier this month, Gas Networks Ireland opened a €32 million central grid injection facility at Mitchelstown, a town in the south of Ireland. The facility can inject up to 700GWh of biomethane annually at full capacity.This is a clear example of infrastructure progress, but it is just one of the puzzle pieces that need to fall in place to set up a viable biomethane industry. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Nick Bennett, the acting chief executive of Renewable Gas Forum Ireland, talks about what’s holding back biomethane production, what needs to change to get projects moving and how renewable gas could contribute to Ireland’s energy transition and energy security. In this episode, you will learn more about: Ireland's biomethane targets and the progress made so far; What is standing in the way of more projects reaching final investment decisions; The policy progress made in Ireland in the past decade and what policies still need to come through; Where renewable gas can deliver the greatest value; What domestic biomethane could mean for Ireland's energy security; What we can expect from the Irish renewable gas market in 2027. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

Renewable energy has never been more affordable to produce. However, for developers and investors, the economics of building new renewable capacity are becoming increasingly complex. More specifically, negative electricity prices, grid connection queues and rising financing costs are challenging project profitability, forcing the industry to rethink how it creates value. In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Hallvard Granheim, executive vice-president for Markets at Statkraft, explores this situation in more detail. Granheim discussed the changing economics of renewables and what it takes to make projects commercially viable in an evolving energy market. He also examines the growing role of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in balancing risks and meeting the needs of renewable producers and industrial consumers. Ultimately, Granheim argues that the energy transition has moved beyond adding megawatts. It is about developing the right projects, understanding customer needs and ensuring renewable energy remains both competitive and profitable. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

Europe’s recent heatwaves and droughts put the nuclear power sector under pressure, with some reactors forced to curtail output as river flows fell and cooling water became more constrained. The events raised acute concerns about how extreme weather affects critical energy infrastructure and, more broadly, how well the existing nuclear fleet can withstand a changing climate. To gain insight into how resilient the existing nuclear power fleet is and what needs to be done to future-proof the sector’s development, Pamela Largue speaks with King Lee, head of policy and industry engagement, at World Nuclear Association. Lee highlights what needs to happen to ensure nuclear can deliver on growing ambitions to triple capacity and the measures operators and policymakers can take to build resilience. He also discusses the impact of rising electricity demand and how supply chains, financing, skills, and policy need to respond to ensure sustainable growth. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

As Europe electrifies, demand-side flexibility will play an increasingly important role in balancing the electricity system. But how will flexibility markets develop and how can the different signals reaching consumers be coordinated?To find out, Pamela Largue speaks with Michael Villa, executive director of SmartEn, and Riley Behrens, associate consultant at LCP Delta, in this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast. They elaborate on the findings of a new report from SmartEn and LCP Delta, Reflecting on the Future: Medium-Term Evolutions Impacting the Development of Flexible Demand, which explores three possible pathways for the evolution of demand-side flexibility over the next decade. These pathways, or scenarios, are based on five pillars of the electricity system; namely, regulation, markets, demand, generation and networks. According to Behrens and Villa, the gap between these scenarios is significant, and it’s critical to set the direction to the most optimal scenario now. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World

The global hydrogen sector appears to be moving beyond ambitious plans and into the build phase, with projects progressing from announcements to final investment decisions, construction and operation.That’s according to Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, who spoke with Pamela Largue for this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast. Drawing on the Council’s latest Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report, Jemelkova highlights evidence of a sector increasingly focused on turning ambition into deployment. She takes listeners on a tour of China, Europe and the US, exploring their different approaches to hydrogen development and the critical role of policy in unlocking demand and investment. She also offers a candid look at the challenges facing sectors such as green steel, what project cancellations and consolidation tell us about a maturing market as well as what it will take to build competitive hydrogen ecosystems. Keep up with the conversations shaping the energy transition. Discover more on Enlit World