Montel Weekly

We follow up Friday’s preview with a discussion of the results of Sunday’s elections in Germany and the role the Green party could play in shaping the country’s energy policy. Will the fiscally prudent FDP be able to strike a deal with the Greens over financing a green shift, and could a new government be in place by Christmas?Guest: Tobias Federico, Managing Director, Energy Brainpool

A few days before Germany goes to the polls, several government scenarios are still in play. Will the country see a traffic light, a Jamaica or a red-red-green coalition? And what could that mean for the country’s energy policy? Listen to a discussion on potential outcomes. Could there be a situation where Nord Stream 2 was stopped, along with a speedier coal exit and further green growth?Guest: Henning Gloystein, Director, Global Energy & Natural Resources, Eurasia Group

This week’s pod turns to Turkey. While the country’s phenomenal economic growth has slowed in recent years, it still has grand ambitions to lessen its dependence on imported fossil fuels by expanding renewables. Listen to a discussion on the challenges and opportunities ahead for Turkey’s energy sector.Guest: Nazli Naseh, Editor, Montel-Foreks

Norway’s election on Sunday and Monday could herald a change in the country’s climate policy, as current polls indicate growing support for calls to end oil and gas exploration. Listen to a discussion on the implications for Norway’s oil and gas sector, as well as what the Nordic country’s green transition could mean for others looking to wean themselves off fossil fuels.Guest: Stig Schjolset, Head of Policy, Zero

Despite calls for calm by the European Commission, carbon prices are continuing to break records, largely due to a soaring gas market and expectations of more stringent environmental legislation.Listen to a discussion outlining the reasons behind the extreme volatility, the key fundamentals and the outlook for the coming months. Guests:  • Ingvild Sorhus, Lead EU Carbon Analyst, Refinitiv • Bernadett Papp, Analyst, Vertis Environmental Finance

Nordic wholesale electricity prices have soared in recent months on a combination of low hydropower stocks, grid congestion, forecasts of dry weather and the start-up of the NSL cable linking Norway to the UK.Listen to a discussion on the reasons for the price surge, the outlook for the months ahead and the implications for the region’s heavy industry.Guests: Sigbjorn Seland, Chief Analyst, Storm GeoOle Lofsnaes, Nordic Energy Director, Alcoa

This week’s pod discusses the outlook for Europe’s gas market for the coming months, as the risk of higher prices is a concern amid doubts over supply, both from pipelines and LNG, robust demand and very low storage levels ahead of the winter.An additional factor could be Nord Stream 2, with prices plunging this week after operator Gazprom announced plans to start supplying Germany through the contested pipeline this year.Guest:James Waddell, Head of European Gas, Energy Aspects

This week’s pod discusses soaring energy prices, asking what is behind the bull run, how long it could last and what are the implications for energy intensive industries? As prices surge there is an increased risk of political intervention and perhaps even a call for Germany to return to nuclear power.Guest: Olav Vilnes, Editor Nordics, Montel,Nathan Witkop, Correspondent Germany, Montel

Back after a short summer break, this week’s pod takes a close look at the EU’s green finance taxonomy and how its criteria on sustainable investments will impact the energy sector.Listen to a discussion on whether nuclear and gas should be included and why some did not want to include hydropower as part of the criteria. Guest: Nathan Fabian, Chair of the European Platform on Sustainable Finance and Chief Responsible Investment Officer at the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.

How will traders respond to the European Commission’s legislative package of renewable energy and EU ETS reforms due later this month?Listen to a discussion with the CEO of the European Federation of Energy Traders on the so-called “Fit for 55” proposals and a plea for policy coherence and consistency. The podcast will then take a short summer break, returning on 6 August.Guest: Mark Copley, CEO, European Federation of Energy Traders (Efet)

This week our dedicated team of environmental markets reporters discuss the price drivers for GOs, challenges in the PPA and green hydrogen sectors as well as cross-border issues impacting the expansion of renewable energy across Europe. Guests: Rachael Burnett, Environmental Markets Reporter, MontelTasmin Chowdhary, Correspondent Germany, MontelEnza Tedesco, Environmental Markets Reporter, Montel

With the costs of producing power from solar falling rapidly, the frontier for PV has moved and now includes the “champion” Denmark, as well as other parts of northern Europe.Listen to a discussion on the outlook for power purchase agreements (PPAs), the markets that are hot and the ones that are lagging behind in the race for net zero carbon.Guest: Andrea Grotzke, Global Director of Energy Solutions, BayWa r.e.

Italy plans to exit coal-fired power generation by 2025, but what can replace the fossil fuel? Listen to a discussion on the outlook for green hydrogen as well natural gas in a country that is often beset by red tape and lengthy permitting processes. Guest: Matteo Mazzoni, Head of Market Strategy, Snam

The European Commission is preparing new energy and climate legislation – possibly running into thousands of pages – which it will propose in July.Listen to a discussion on the new rules for the carbon market, the CO2 border tax as well as for renewables and energy efficiency.  What kind of changes will lobbyists manage to impose on the final laws over the coming months?Guest: Siobhan Hall, Brussels Correspondent, Montel.

Nordic wholesale electricity prices have soared compared to last year amid cold weather and exports to Germany, despite high hydropower stocks.Listen to a discussion on the huge internal price differences in the region's 12 price zones, and the reasons for the spread with Germany in forward prices. Is carbon the key driver, and why are Norwegian hydropower producers saving water for use later in the year?Guest:Eylert Ellefsen, Senior Analyst, EQTor Reier Lilleholt, Head of Analysis, VolueSigbjorn Seland, Chief Analyst, Storm Geo 

As economies jolt back from pandemic-led destruction, there are growing concerns about inflation. An influx of speculative activity in the EU carbon market – which has whipsawed CO2 prices to record highs above EUR 56/t and then below 50/t in a matter of days – suggests investors may be using the ETS as a hedge against inflation.Listen in to this week’s debate. Guests: Ingvild Sorhus, Lead EU Carbon Analyst, RefinitivTrevor Sikorski, Head of Natural Gas, Oil and Carbon Research, Energy AspectsBjarne Schieldrop, Chief Analyst Commodities, SEB

The EU’s countdown to net-zero emissions by 2050 will demand significant changes to many industrial sectors and will herald a host of new policy frameworks and tools to spur low-carbon technology across the bloc of 27 nations.Tune in this week to hear about the EU executive’s industrial strategy as well as the ideological divide that pits dirigiste countries against those who favour a market-based approach.Guest: Giorgio Corbetta, Senior Associate Energy Practice, Global Counsel.

What a difference a year makes. In 2020 gas prices plunged to record lows, but this year they have rebounded dramatically, surging to multi-year highs on cooler weather, supply concerns and low storage. Listen to a discussion on whether Gazprom’s recent use of Ukrainian spare transit capacity was driven by geopolitics or economics, as well as other market developments, outages at LNG facilities and the short-term outlook.Host: Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief Europe, MontelGuests: Wayne Bryan, Director, European Gas Research, Refinitiv.Iryna Sereda, Gas Analyst at Refinitiv.

Europe's CO2 market continues to break new records, almost daily. Ahead of a flurry of new legislative proposals from Brussels starting in June, key MEP Jytte Guteland highlights what lies ahead for ETS reform and why MEPs seek to end free allocation to industry as part of the carbon border tax proposals.Listen to a behind the scenes look at EU negotiations, which can often be marathons where only chocolate gets you to the end. Host: Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief Europe, MontelGuest: Jytte Guteland, MEP for the Social Democrats

Connecting 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050 will require a fresh configuration of bidding zones, and multilateral cooperation between countries, TSOs and utilities. Onshore, politics often trumps economics or physics, but will this be the case offshore? Listen to a discussion on bidding zones, green hydrogen and a look back at key decisions made in Brussels in recent years. Host: Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief Europe, MontelGuest: Bente Hagem, former Director Statnett, ex Chair of Entsoe board