Switched On – Details, episodes & analysis

Carbon capture is on a roller coaster these days. Projects in the sector attracted more than $11 billion in 2023, almost double the investment figure from the year before, only to see growth stall in the first half of 2024. Fortunately, carbon removal technology reaches beyond the traditional ‘CCS’ model of carbon capture and storage (or ‘CCUS’ when a utilization component is involved). Coming from a small base, direct air capture, or DAC, is gaining momentum, and new technologies such as direct ocean removal are proving to be hubs of innovation.

On today’s show, Brenna Casey, a member of BloombergNEF’s Sustainable Materials team, joins Dana to discuss new directions in carbon sequestration, how tax credits and other policies are shaping CCS projects around the globe, and what whales have to do with capturing carbon. The episode draws on BNEF research including CCUS Market Outlook 1H 2024: Trough of Disillusionment and Direct Air Capture’s Technology Battle to Heat Up in 2030s.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Tech Radar: Direct Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal - https://www.bnef.com/insights/34401

CCUS Market Outlook 1H 2024: Trough of Disillusionment - https://www.bnef.com/insights/34161

Direct Air Capture’s Technology Battle to Heat Up in 2030s - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33877

Direct Air Capture Technologies: Primer - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33877

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A wave of new liquefied natural gas projects are due to be commissioned by the end of the decade. Yet a sharp increase in supply runs the risk of creating a glut, and with the rise of this transportable commodity, what impacts one market could have a ripple effect around the world.

Today’s show addresses the interplay between global and regional gas markets, with co-hosts Dana Perkins and Tom Rowlands-Rees joined by Fauziah Marzuki, Global Head of Gas Markets at BNEF. Together, they discuss the role of the US and China in how LNG moves around the globe, how shifting policies and net-zero goals are impacting the outlook for natural gas, and the ‘shadow fleet’ that recently departed sanctioned LNG terminals in Russia. The show draws upon BNEF research including Global LNG Market Outlook 2030: Focus on Supply Risks and Global LNG Supply Outlook 2030: Second US Wave Incoming.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Global LNG Market Outlook 2030: Focus on Supply Risks - https://www.bnef.com/insights/34357/view

Global LNG Supply Outlook 2030: Second US Wave Incoming - https://www.bnef.com/insights/34307/view

LNG Trade Weekly - https://www.bnef.com/insights/34651

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The global nuclear industry has been plagued with retirements for over a decade. However, after delegates at the COP28 summit last year voiced aspirations to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, the industry could be poised for growth. The usual regulatory, environmental and economic hurdles remain, but small modular reactors have the potential to ameliorate several of these obstacles if they can get off the ground. Meanwhile, exuberance for nuclear energy has been dampened by fluctuations in the price of enriched uranium.

On today’s show, Dana is joined by BloombergNEF’s lead nuclear analyst, Chris Gadomski. He shares insights from the recent report Nuclear Market Outlook 1H 2024: Big Dreams Despite Hurdles, and provides perspective on the feasibility of a comeback story for the nuclear industry.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Nuclear Market Outlook 1H 2024: Big Dreams Despite Hurdles - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33819

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent volatility and high prices in natural gas commodities markets have created a knock-on effect for utilities and consumers. This week, Switched On speaks with BloombergNEF's global head of LNG analysis, Fauziah Marzuki, about the once regional but now global natural gas market. She discusses the future of natural gas including when and under what conditions natural gas prices and trade flows might stabilize.

This episode is based on a report titled Four Ways to Think About the Future of Natural Gas. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June of this year, the California Public Utilities Commission put out a decision requiring an additional 11,500MW of clean energy capacity to be procured by entities supplying the California grid by 2026. But also stipulated 1,000MW of this has to come from zero-emitting, renewable resources that have at least an 80% capacity factor, or, geothermal. In part 1 of this series we talked about the new technologies enabling geothermal development. In part 2, we'll talk about the business case -- how this regulation has set off a wave of activity in the sector, from incumbent geothermal developers, and those planning to utilize new geothermal generation technologies. Today on the show, we’ve got Paul Thomsen, Vice President of Business Development at Ormat Technologies. He’ll tell us about what’s going on in California and how Ormat and others are responding to this demand.

BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geothermal is a small industry, with just about 14 gigawatts of capacity online globally. But where it matters, it matters a lot. In pockets around the world, geothermal can be not just the cleanest form of power, but also the cheapest. Still, geothermal development is hard -- drilling wells involves similar risks to oil and gas projects, but offers returns more in line with utilities. That risk profile has stunted the growth of geothermal. There are several companies working hard on technologies to de-risk geothermal development and squeeze additional value out of the hot water coming out of the wells. In some cases, they are throwing out the concept of conventional geothermal and starting afresh. Today, Switched On speaks with Hidda Thorsteinsson, managing director for research and innovation at Reykjavik Energy.

BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late October, Rio Tinto announced plans to capture and bury CO2 from its ISAL aluminum smelter outside Reykjavik in the basalt right under its feet. The initiative is part of a $7.5bn effort to reduce firm-wide operational emissions by 50% by 2030. Today, Switched On speaks with Kari Helgason, head of research and innovation at Carbfix, the company that will take Rio's CO2 and inject it underground where it will turn to rock within two years. In our conversation, which takes place on location in Iceland at the site of Carbfix's first CO2 injection project, he tells us how the technology works, and how Carbfix's solution could scale to make a meaningful dent in global emissions.

BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched on this week is hosted by Mark Taylor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of countries and companies aim to hit net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, or thereabouts. But even after COP26, most have not laid out clear pathways to getting there, and are putting themselves in the position of starting too late to meet the mid-century deadline. This decade is critical to get things going. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF head of energy transition, Luiza Demoro, about the Pathfinders Initiative. Launched on October 18, Pathfinders is a resource from Bloomberg for policymakers to see what has worked around the world and get actionable ideas for policies to meet their net-zero targets.

You can find out more about the Pathfinders Initiative at bloomberg.com/netzeropathfinders.

Switched on this week is hosted by Mark Taylor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. When it comes to reducing methane emissions, monitoring technology, economics, and policy all have an important role to play. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF analysts Antoine Vagneur-Jones, who covers EMEA Energy Transitions, and Nakul Nair, who covers U.S. Gas & LNG. They tell us about methane emissions and what can be done.

This episode is based on a report titled Global Demethanization Poised to Give U.S. LNG an Edge. You can also find Bloomberg’s coverage of COP26 and the Global Methane Pledge on the Bloomberg COP26 blog.

Switched on this week is hosted by Dana Perkins.

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The pressure is on the U.S. to get its climate house in order before it seeks to lead negotiations in Glasgow. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF head of Americas, Ethan Zindler, and BNEF head of global policy, Victoria Cuming. They will walk us through the politics in the U.S. and what to watch out for in Glasgow, whether or not Biden shows up to the conference as a leader, or just an attendee.

This episode is based BNEF's ongoing coverage of U.S. and global policy, and special coverage of COP26. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor and Dana Perkins.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.