In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Sandro Baldi, Commercial Director at NUWARD SMR, EDF, about why SMRs are a viable technology in terms of meeting rising data centre demand and decarbonising industries where direct electrification is challenging.

In this episode you will learn more about:

• The importance of SMRs in the future energy landscape of Europe;
• The role of SMRs in providing energy security, reducing emissions and meeting increasing demand;
• Key barriers to deployment;
• Policy and economic enablers for SMR projects;
• Whether Europe’s supply chain is sufficiently robust to support advancement;
• When we can expect projects to reach commercial operations;
• The projects NUWARD SMR is working on and plans for the future.

In this Energy Transitions podcast, Michael Hierholzer and Armin Fürderer of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, highlight the technical, operational and human aspects of this pioneering BESS project.

In this episode you will learn more about:

• The pace of energy transition in the Baltic region, as well as current energy mix and market dynamics;
• The BRELL disconnect and the impact it had on Latvia’s grid;
• The opportunities that made Latvia’s first grid-scale BESS project possible and the challenges associated with the project;
• How the system has been performing thus far;
• How to mitigate cybersecurity risks for critical infrastructure like BESS;
• Key learnings from the project that could be employed in projects throughout the region;
• What’s next for Rolls-Royce Power systems in this region and in terms of BESS.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Christiane Mann, Chair of the T&D Europe working group on grid digitalisation and Vice President, Head of Industry Affairs at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, helps unpack what true grid digitalisation really means.

In this episode you will learn more about:

• What grid digitalisation actually means in technical and operational terms;
• How advanced digital functionalities help operators manage renewables, decentralised energy resources and rising electrification in transport and heating;
• Why flexibility and “flexumers” are central to the future system;
• The growing importance of data governance, harmonisation and digital skills in Europe’s energy transition;
• The impact of “capex bias” and how current regulatory models can disadvantage software and digital investments;
• How grid digitalisation represents a system-wide change management challenge