Xoserve Decarb Discussions

In this episode of Decarb Discussions, Victoria Mustard, Xoserve's former Decarbonisation Strategy Lead spoke with a wide range of people from across the utilities industry about what can be done to better empower, encourage and support women in the energy and utility industry.Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest speakers:Della Newton, Global Energy Management and Sales at ENGIESophie Dooley, Consultant at Engage ConsultingAyena Gupta, Head of DCC Oversight & Regulatory ReviewMelissa Giordano, Deputy Director of Retail Systems and Processes at OfgemJo Layton, Data Quality Manager at npowerStella Matthews, Head of Business Operations and Portfolio Management at N-Gen Energy SolutionsSteve Brittan, CEO of XoserveJames Verdon, Stakeholder Manager at XoserveThis episode covers:What advice they would offer to their younger selvesWhat they would say to someone joining the utilities industry todayWhat can be done to encourage more women into senior rolesHow greater diversity and inclusion can be encouraged and adoptedXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this episode of Decarb Discussions, join Xoserve’s Victoria Mustard as she talks to Matthew Cole, Head of Fuel Bank Foundation.Matthew’s work brings him into contact with many UK families and individuals struggling with fuel poverty. These are often people who understand very well how important energy efficiency is but can’t fund efficiency measures; people who expect to go without heat and light for part of every month; people regularly forgotten in conversations about the future of heat and energy.Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker: Matthew Cole, Head of Fuel Bank FoundationThis episode covers:How energy efficiency can help us get to net zeroWhy our future energy system must work for everyoneHow data could help us overhaul the energy grant systemHow better communication on energy can make a difference.Want to support Fuel Bank Foundation, or get help yourself? Please visit www.fuelbankfoundation.orgXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

Heat demand and the role of energy storage: what are our options?In this episode of Decarb Discussions, Xoserve’s Victoria Mustard talks to Dr Grant Wilson, Associate Professor at Birmingham Energy Institute, University of Birmingham. Listen as they explore the issues that will impact future energy demand patterns, how the UK’s plans to decarbonise heat will create new challenges for security of supply, and how energy storage can support system flexibility.Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker: Dr Grant Wilson, Associate Professor at Birmingham Energy Institute, University of Birmingham.This episode covers:Why the decarbonisation of heat creates significant challengesWhy battery storage alone cannot provide the flexibility our system needsWhy gas remains important for balancing seasonal energy demandWhy extreme events need to be considered in the UK’s future energy plansWhat Dr Wilson believes needs to happen next for our nation to successfully achieve net zero.Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

Hydrogen blending: Delivering safe, non-disruptive and cost-effective carbon reduction for gas customersIn this episode of DecarbDiscussions, Xoserve’s Victoria Mustard talks to Charles Perez-Storey, Principal Engineer at Progressive Energy about the planning and implementation of the Hydeploy project, how safety was built into every stage and why hydrogen blending could be so crucial to decarbonisation of the energy system.Hear about customer experiences of switching from 100% natural gas to a 20% hydrogen blend and about the implications of blending for industrial and commercial gas customers.Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker:Charles Perez-Storey, Principal Engineer at Progressive EnergyThe episode will cover:How the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is involved in ensuring the safety of the gas blend in our network.Why hydrogen could actually be safer for domestic consumers than natural gas.What’s needed next from policymakers to help the UK regain momentum as a leader in green hydrogen production.Why forward planning is so important and why blending can help to accelerate the creation of a successful hydrogen economy.Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

We’re told from an early age that throwing away food is wasteful. However, we don’t often think about the environmental impact of food waste – particularly in terms of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.In this episode of DecarbDiscussions, Christer Stoyell, Managing Director of Severn Trent Green Power, explains how the gas produced by organic waste can be trapped and put to use thanks to anaerobic digestion.Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker: Christer Stoyell, Managing Director of Severn Trent Green PowerThe episode will cover:The benefits of repurposing organic waste to generate biogas and biomethaneWhy diverting organic waste away from landfills is crucial to meet the UK’s  decarbonisation goalsWhy only a small percentage of our food waste is currently being repurposed for clean energy generationWhat needs to happen to accelerate the adoption of anaerobic digestion as the default method to dispose of food wasteXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker:Thomas Baxter, co-founder of the Hydrogen Science Coalition and Senior Lecturer at the University of AberdeenHydrogen, when coupled with CCUS or produced from electrolysis using renewable sources, could provide a carbon neutral alternative to natural gas.But is this reason enough to select it as the default option to decarbonise our gas grid? According to Thomas Baxter, co-founder of the Hydrogen Science Coalition and Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, the evidence is lacking.This episode will cover:The key discriminators when selecting the best ways to decarbonise our power systemWhether using hydrogen to decarbonise the gas grid could be viable, both from a cost and a safety perspectiveWhy more evidence might be neededWhat other technologies could contribute to reduce our carbon footprint, and why they might not be receiving the attention they deserveXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speaker: Alex Brightman, Hydrogen Home Coordinator at Northern Gas NetworkHave you ever wondered how it would be to live in a house where natural gas has been entirely replaced by hydrogen? In this episode of DecarbDiscussions, Alex Brightman, Hydrogen Home Coordinator at Northern Gas Network, explains the benefits of using hydrogen for residential heating and cooking, and debunks some of the myths surrounding this low-carbon gas. The episode will cover:Answers to the most common questions about heating and cooking with hydrogen – from the taste of foods, to whether hydrogen can be odorised like natural gasThe truth about some of the most common myths surrounding hydrogen How hydrogen compares to natural gas in terms of safety and heating performanceHow different low-carbon solutions (hydrogen, heat pumps and electric heaters) can be used in combination to decarbonise domestic heating in existing and future homesXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

Hosted by Victoria Mustard, Decarbonisation Strategy Lead, XoserveGuest Speakers:James Earl, Director of Gas at the Energy Networks AssociationMegan Bray, Market Development Lead at National GridBethan Winter, System Operations Manager at Wales & West UtilitiesJoel Martin, Biomethane Connections Manager at SGNIn this episode of Decarb Discussions, we discuss the challenges, opportunities and considerations that need to be given around introducing a hydrogen blend into the natural gas network.Hydrogen blending holds real promise and potential to help decarbonise Britain’s gas network. Blending up to 20% hydrogen into the gas grid with existing natural gas could save around 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year - the equivalent of taking 2.5 million cars off the road.But what does blending hydrogen involve? What steps need to be taken to encourage a hydrogen economy? And what impact will hydrogen have on both consumers and industry?In our latest episode, we seek to answer these questions by speaking to four industry leaders about this important issue.In this episode we will cover:What is meant by hydrogen blendingHow hydrogen blending will affect consumer appliancesWhy hydrogen blending hasn’t yet been introduced to the gas networkThe reason it’s so critical industry is engaged on this topicWhere hydrogen blending will begin, and how it can be delivered at scaleHow a blended approach will work in the current energy marketWhat differences consumers can expect to their billsWhy consumers and industry should be supporting hydrogen blendingXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this episode of DecarbDiscussions, Darren Elsom gives us an overview of the future of gas, and how we can accelerate the decarbonisation of the gas grid in the race to achieve net zero by 2050. Although natural gas will still play a crucial role in the next couple of decades, hydrogen is emerging as a promising carbon-neutral alternative. As well as helping decarbonise our gas grid, hydrogen finds other important applications in heavy-duty transport, shipping and aviation. However, despite strong R&D projects that are serving as inspiration to other countries, the UK is lagging behind in the actual deployment of hydrogen.So, how can we unlock the potential of this power gas? In this episode, Darren discusses:The future of natural gas in the path to net zeroThe role of hydrogen in decarbonising the gas gridThe changing role of shippers and suppliers as we strive to decarbonise the gas gridHow our R&D hydrogen projects are inspiring other countriesWhat is needed to move beyond R&D and accelerate hydrogen deploymentXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this new episode of Decarb Discussions, we explore the role of biomethane in decarbonising our gas grid. Traditionally, biogas has been extracted from organic waste and burned to generate electricity. Now, with more electricity coming from renewables, there is the chance to give new purpose to biogas, upgrading it to biomethane that can be injected into the gas grid to heat our buildings in a more sustainable way. Biomethane is more than a great way to repurpose waste: the CO2 generated during its production can also be captured and stored, making the process not only net-zero, but carbon-negative.  In this episode we will cover:Biomethane generation and its role in the net zero transitionThe opportunities for developing the biomethane sector between now and 2050The best applications for biomethane, and why injecting biomethane in the gas grid represents a virtuous example of circular economyWhat support is available for biomethane producersHow the gas industry can support the growth of the biogas sectorWhy it’s crucial to improve the existing planning process to inject biomethane into the gridHow biomethane can co-exist with other ways of decarbonising the grid, such as hydrogen and electrification initiativesXoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this podcast episode, hear Xoserve’s Victoria Mustard in conversation with experts from the UK’s leading gas metering organisations. A must-listen for meter asset owners, providers and managers; hear what industry peers believe the impacts of introducing hydrogen to the UK gas mix will have on asset management strategies.With hydrogen projects progressing Is it time for your organisation to take action and prepare for a low-carbon future? Listen today to hear:what opportunities the move to a hydrogen blend or 100% hydrogen creates for asset owners and managershow asset providers and gas suppliers can work together for a smoother transitionwhat crucial questions meter asset managers need to ask to prepare for hydrogenwhat the move to hydrogen blends and 100% hydrogen will mean for the manufacture, deployment and lifespan of gas meters.what environmental and cost issues need to be considered as old gas meters and stranded assets need to be removed and replaced.Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this podcast episode, hear Xoserve’s Victoria Mustard in conversation with some of the gas industry experts that are collaborating to trial hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas for heating UK homes.Northern Gas Networks and Cadent Gas Limited have worked together on the Hydrogen Village trials and Hydeploy project. With plans for the Uk’s first Hydrogen Town set to be submitted in March 2023, listen today to hear them discuss:what learnings have been taken from the Hydrogen Village programme so far, and how they will be used to move forwards with future hydrogen trialswhy the next stage is significant and how the Hydrogen Town trial will differ from Hydrogen Villagewhy storage and resilience of supply will provide two of the most significant future challengeswhy the development of a hydrogen economy is so important in today’s economic and environmental climatehow shippers, suppliers, asset providers and other industry stakeholders will be involved in future hydrogen trialskey industry milestones to watch out for.This podcast is accessible to everyone, but is most relevant to gas industry professionals. If you’re a resident living in one of the areas where the Hydrogen Village programme is taking place, and would like to find out more about what’s happening and how you might be affected, please visit: https://hydrogenvillage.com/Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this podcast session, we take a look at the role of metering in achieving a net zero gas system and the specific challenges metering organisations will face as we transition to low-carbon and then net zero carbon.In the spirit of collaborating towards a shared goal, hear what metering specialists would like the rest of the gas industry to know about:how metering business models are changing as organisations decarbonise what a gas blend or 100% hydrogen replacement for natural gas will mean for metering and the gas customer experiencewhy smart gas meters are important now and the challenges involved in keeping them smartwhy stranded assets and engineer safety training are crucial issues that require focus from policy makers and the industry as we transition away from natural gas.Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.

In this podcast session, we will take a look at the new hydrogen Guarantee of Origin (GoO) scheme and why National Grid believes it will be so important to developing a successful low-carbon gas economy. With an in depth look at how I&C businesses will be affected and can benefit from the scheme.Hear how the GoO scheme will work and why National Grid is forwarding the initiative.Hear what the introduction of hydrogen GoOs means for customers, producers, and suppliers.Understand how I&C businesses could benefit from GoOs on the journey to net zero.Xoserve Disclaimer: All opinions and statements made by Decarbonisation Discussion Podcasts participants are considered to be reflective of their individual viewpoint at the time of recording and shall not necessarily be considered as either representative of Xoserve’s opinion,or condoned as such by Xoserve or any of Xoserve’s employees. Xoserve shall not directly or indirectly endorse any participants commercial products or services as a result of them being referenced either during or as a result of the Podcast.