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November 2025 • Volume 18 • No 8 • Published monthly • ISSN 1757-7365

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY TIMES is published by Man in Black Media • www.mibmedia.com • Editor-in-Chief: Junior Isles • For all enquiries email: enquiries@teitimes.com

Making green

investment deliver

AI’s role in global

decarbonisation

Investors are putting more money

into clean energy but how is it

changing lives on the ground?

Page 13

The rapid rise of articial intelligence and

data centres raises a mix of concerns and

opportunities. A central issue is their role in

the energy transition. Page 14

News In Brief

Policy reversals will only

have marginal impact on

energy transition

The global shift towards cleaner

energy remains robust even though

the pace of the energy transition in

the US has slowed sharply due to

recent policy reversals, according

to industry reports.

Page 2

US federal government

seizes oversight of

renewables projects

An order by the US Department of

the Interior that increases federal

oversight of solar and wind proj-

ects, and associated transmission

lines, has put new developments

across the US in doubt.

Page 4

Indonesia ramps up waste-

to-energy in sustainability

drive

Indonesia is planning a total of 33

waste-to-energy projects as the

country looks to improve its sus-

tainability and green credentials.

Page 6

Europe struggles to expand

electrication

European electricity demand only

grew by 1 per cent in 2024, remain-

ing 7 per cent lower than 2021 lev-

els. But the EU agrees that incen-

tivising electrication will be key

to reaching its 32 per cent target by

2030.

Page 7

Strong growth for CCS but

long-term concerns remain

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

has advanced strongly in 2025, de-

spite global headwinds.

Page 8

Offshore wind woes

continue to bite

Danish multinational energy com-

pany Ørsted will slash its work-

force by about a quarter following

several setbacks, as political

changes and higher interest rates hit

the offshore wind industry.

Page 9

Technology Focus

A carbon capture demonstration

project at Worksop in the UK offers

food for thought.

Page 15

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The EU is looking to focus on local US clean energy collaborations as US anti-green rhetoric

bubbles over and the US federal government calls for the bloc to water down its clean energy

legislation. Junior Isles

Global banking climate alliance folds but clean energy funds still ow

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY

TIMES

Final Word

There’s no need to get

so gassed up over gas,

says Junior Isles.

Page 16

The EU has said it will work with local

US authorities and businesses on clean

energy and climate initiatives instead

of focusing on the federal government,

after US President Donald Trump be-

rated climate change and the green

agenda at a UN summit.

In a draft policy paper on climate

diplomacy efforts seen by the Finan-

cial Times, the European Commission

said it would “co-operate with the US

in the clean energy transition and on

clean technologies”, notably with

“sub-national entities, business and

think-tanks”.

Several delegations from American

states have visited Brussels in recent

months to discuss initiatives, such as

carbon pricing, as Democratic legis-

latures try to continue with efforts to

tackle climate change despite the

policies of the Republican Trump ad-

ministration.

The EU has one of the most ambi-

tious climate agendas in the world but

is facing an increasing backlash from

businesses and right-wing politicians

who argue the bloc has gone too far,

too fast and the level of green regula-

tion is stiing growth.

The main objectives of the docu-

ment were to set out how the EU

would “help countries with the clean

transition” but also how it would re-

duce its dependency on countries such

as China for natural resources, the of-

cial said.

According to the FT, the draft paper

sets out ways the bloc would use its

diplomatic clout to advance the global

clean energy transition, including by

helping countries establish their own

carbon markets and using its develop-

ment aid arm to invest in “large ag-

ship projects” such as renewable en-

ergy plants in developing nations.

It also says it would use its develop-

ment aid programme to help countries

cope with the effects of its carbon bor-

der tax, which polluting industries

outside the bloc would have to start

paying from next year – a move that

several major trading partners includ-

ing the US, India and China have

Continued on Page 2

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance

(NZBA) has folded just four years af-

ter its launch, after its members en-

countered political pressure.

The group lost its highest prole

members from the US and European

nancial sectors, as well as apan and

Canada, over the past year as banks

with exposure to the US came under

pressure from threats of litigation al-

leging collusion.

The biggest US lenders, including

PMorgan Chase, Citigroup, ank of

America, Morgan Stanley and Wells

Fargo, left the alliance before the

Trump inauguration. They were fol-

lowed this year by major European

lenders, including HSBC and

Barclays.

Remaining member banks had vot-

ed in April to scrap a pledge to support

the alignment of the global economy

with a target in line with a UN accord

to limit global warming to 1.5°C

above pre-industrial levels, instead

aiming for a less ambitious target.

The NZBA’s guidance can still be

used by banks, and many have said

they would continue to assess climate

risks on an individual basis.

Speaking to the FT, eanne Martin

Co-director of Corporate Engage-

ment at the responsible investment

non-prot organisation ShareAction,

said: “It’s bitterly disappointing to

see the biggest banks in the world

vote to step away from accountability

around their commitments to prevent

the worst effects of global heating.

“Senior bankers need to be far more

courageous in this decisive moment

– for all our futures”.

Martin argued, however, that public

support for climate action remained

high and investors were conscious of

the risks climate change posed to the

economy.

Despite the setback, clean energy

funding and investment continues to

ow.

Last month rookeld Asset Man-

agement raised $20 billion for one of

the largest private funds dedicated to

investing in energy transition assets,

benetting from interest from inves-

tors in powering the articial intelli-

gence boom.

The group said the fund was closed

after commitments from existing and

new investors, including $2 billion

from Alterra, launched by the United

Arab Emirates two years ago, and

$1.5 billion from Norges Bank Invest-

ment Management. According to the

FT, rookeld’s holding company,

Toronto-based rookeld Corpora-

tion, would contribute about a quarter

of the fund.

Meanwhile, in late September the

European Investment Bank (EIB)

said it is pressing ahead with phase

two of its Climate Bank Roadmap,

staying the course as anchor nancier

of the green industrial revolution, en-

ergy security and shared prosperity.

The second phase sets out the EIB

Group’s priorities through to the end

of this decade, while radically simpli-

fying its procedures to accelerate

green investment.

Since the launch of the Climate

Bank Roadmap in 2020, the EIB

Group has supported over €560 bil-

lion in green investment – around 90

per cent within the European Union

(EU) – and is well on track to meet its

headline goal of supporting at least

€1 trillion in green investment this

decade. With the second phase of the

roadmap, the EI roup reafrms its

commitment to allocate over half of

its annual nancing to climate action

and environmental sustainability.

Looking ahead, the EIB Group will

be stepping up efforts to strengthen

Europe’s competitiveness by support-

ing cleantech, reinforcing supply

chains, helping businesses cut energy

costs, and improving energy security,

with specialised products such as tai-

lored nancing for power purchase

agreements. The EIB Group has

planned a record €11 billion in new

nancing for energy grids this year

alone, having already mobilised 40

per cent of Europe’s total investment

in this sector in 2024. It has ambitions

to raise the gure even higher this

year.

A new €17 billion initiative will help

350 000 European small and medium-

sized enterprises (SMEs) invest in

energy savings, while counter-guar-

antees for wind and grid manufactur-

ers will secure sustainable supply. The

TechEU programme, Europe’s largest

innovation nancing initiative, aims

to mobilise €250 billion by 2027, with

support for cleantech innovators

among its key priorities.

EU shuns US

federal government

on clean energy

collaboration

Photo courtesy of Time os Israel

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY TIMES - NOVEMBER 2025

Junior Isles

The global shift towards cleaner en-

ergy remains robust even though the

pace of the energy transition in the US

has slowed sharply due to recent poli-

cy reversals. According to the ninth

edition of DNV’s ‘Energy Transition

Outlook’, the US slowdown will have

only a marginal effect on worldwide

progress, as momentum continues to

build elsewhere – most notably in

China.

In the US, policy reversals and re-

newed support for fossil fuels are ex-

pected to delay emission reductions by

about ve years, with annual carbon

dioxide emissions projected to be 500

to 1000 million tonnes higher than pre-

viously forecast.

DNV forecasts a slightly slower tran-

sition with the energy mix to be split

51:49 per cent between fossil and non-

fossil fuels in 2050. Likewise, 2050

global carbon dioxide emissions are

now forecast to be 4 per cent higher

compared to last year’s Outlook.

“It is more important than ever to

evaluate the energy transition from a

global perspective. The global energy

transition is not stalling – it is evolving,

with momentum shifting to regions

that are doubling down on clean tech-

nologies,” said Remi Eriksen, Group

President and CEO of DNV. “Security

has become the dominant driver of

energy policy, and as our forecast

shows, this is in sum accelerating the

shift to renewables.”

DN’s outlook nds that the net ef-

fect of energy security is decreasing

emissions. Global emissions are fore-

cast to be 1-2 per cent lower per year

due to the implementation of energy

security policy. Nuclear power, for

example, will account for 9 per cent of

electricity supply in 2060. Without

energy security policies, nuclear pow-

er would have been one third lower. In

Europe, emissions are forecast to be 9

per cent lower in 2050 due to energy

security as it pivots away from im-

ported fossil fuels.

A separate report from McKinsey &

Company also noted a slowdown in the

pace of the global energy transition. its

tenth annual ‘Global Energy Perspec-

tive’ said the world may be moving

towards a slower energy transition

across all scenarios, as governments

and policymakers increasingly empha-

size energy affordability and security

amid geopolitical uncertainty.

The report notes that while clean, rm

power sources and renewable storage

technologies are likely to expand, fos-

sil fuels are projected to retain a large

share of the energy mix beyond 2050.

They could make up approximately 41

per cent to 55 per cent of global energy

consumption by 2050 depending on the

scenario, it said.

The Global Energy Perspective aims

to highlight the gap between the

world’s current trajectory and what

would be needed to avoid the worst

effects of climate change as dened by

the Paris Agreement. It describes three

plausible scenarios for how a transition

to a system of lower carbon energy

could play out: Slow Evolution, Con-

tinued Momentum, and Sustainable

Transformation.

Commenting on the ndings, Diego

Hernandez Diaz, Partner at McKin-

sey, said: “Ten years on from the in-

augural Global Energy Perspective,

our view of the energy transition has

matured. The transition is no less ur-

gent, but the pathways to closing the

gap to Paris Agreement targets are

now more complex.

“The current and evolving affordabil-

ity challenge means that some alterna-

tive energy sources may not be com-

petitive with traditional fuels in the

near term, but a local or regional path-

way made up of a mix of emerging

technologies and “triple win” tech-

nologies – those that provide afford-

able, low-carbon, and secure energy

simultaneously – may allow for an

economically pragmatic transition.”

criticised.

In late September, President Don-

ald Trump criticised world leaders

at the United Nations General As-

sembly for pursuing actions to

confront rising emissions.

“I’ve been right about everything

and I’m telling you that if you don’t

get away from the green energy

scam, your country is going to fail,”

he said.

Washington is pushing countries,

nancial institutions and busi-

nesses to roll back their climate

change policies, using internation-

al forums ranging from the World

Bank to stock market regulators.

Notably, the EU has come under

pressure over recent laws aimed at

big technology groups. Corporate

due diligence rules, which came

into force last year, require compa-

nies operating in the bloc to iden-

tify any environmental and social

harms in their supply chains, in a

bid to crack down on forced labour

and pollution.

The Trump administration de-

scribed the legislation as a “serious

and unwarranted regulatory over-

reach” that “imposes signicant

economic and regulatory burdens

on US companies”.

According to S ofcials, sev-

eral American companies have

said that they will need to halt op-

erations in the EU as a result of the

due diligence and sustainability

reporting rules, which demand that

companies report on hundreds of

data points related to their environ-

mental footprint.

The EU legislation has also come

under re from S oil and gas com-

panies, with ExxonMobil’s Chief

Executive Darren Woods describ-

ing the rules as threatening US

companies with “bone-crunching”

penalties.

Although there has been some

pushback from Brussels, the Com-

mission says it is undertaking efforts

to simplify its green regulations.

It also announced the bloc would

launch a “clean transition business

council” to advise the commission

on clean tech investment opportu-

nities abroad and appoint a “special

co-ordinator for the global clean

transition” to similarly promote

EU clean tech companies.

“We are being way more transac-

tional in the way that we do busi-

ness and the way that we do climate

and diplomacy,” an E ofcial

said.

US demands for the EU to water

down parts of its green legislation

just months after agreeing a tariff

pact, risks a transatlantic trade war.

ut one E ofcial said that unlike

traditional trade negotiations, the

US is not offering concessions in

return. “It’s a one-way street.”

The US’s latest demands expand

on the Trump administration’s con-

cerns set out in July’s trade pact,

reached at Turnberry in Scotland,

which said “undue restrictions”

should not be imposed on transat-

lantic trade, and specied that the

EU should make changes to cut red

tape.

Continued from Page 1

Renewables overtook coal for the rst

time as the world’s leading source of

electricity in the rst half of this year,

according to new data from the global

energy think-tank Ember.

Renewables supplied 5072 TWh and

coal supplied 4896 TWh, the report

said. Sonia Dunlop, Chief Executive

of the Global Solar Council, said it was

a “historic shift”.

According to Ember, global solar

generation grew by 31 per cent in the

rst half of 22, with wind generation

also up by 7.7 per cent. At the same

time, total fossil fuel generation fell

slightly, by less than one per cent.

However, Ember says the headlines

mask a mixed global picture. Develop-

ing countries, especially China, led the

clean energy charge but richer nations

including the US and EU relied more

than before on fossil fuels for electric-

ity generation.

Even though China is still adding to

its eet of coal red power stations, it

also remains way ahead in clean en-

ergy growth, adding more solar and

wind capacity than the rest of the world

combined. This enabled the growth in

renewable generation in China to out-

pace rising electricity demand and

helped reduce its fossil fuel generation

by 2 per cent.India experienced slower

electricity demand growth and also

added signicant new solar and wind

capacity, meaning it also cut back on

coal and gas.

Commenting on the ndings, areth

Redmond-King, Head of International

Programme at the Energy and Climate

Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “As we

hit the 10th anniversary of the Paris

Agreement, the evidence is every-

where of the sea change it has helped

drive. Over the last decade, the pace of

growth in planet-heating emissions has

slowed ve-fold to the point now

where China’s emissions may have

peaked.”

But despite record-breaking progress

on renewable energy, a report by the

International Renewable Energy

Agency (IRENA), the COP30 Brazil-

ian Presidency and the Global Renew-

ables Alliance (GRA), warned that this

alone will not prevent global warming

from exceeding 1.5°C.

Unveiled during a pre-COP30 event,

the report found that global renewable

capacity additions reached 582 GW

last year, marking a 15.1 per cent an-

nual growth rate compared to 2023’s

14.4 per cent growth rate.

While this trend is positive, to stay

on track for the COP28 UAE Consen-

sus target of tripling renewables to 11.2

TW by 2030, 1122 GW of renewable

capacity must be added every year

from 2025 onward.

If the capacity growth seen in 2024

continues at the same rate through the

rest of the decade, only 10.3 TW of

renewable power capacity would be

installed by 2030.

United Nations Secretary-General

António Guterres hailed the clean en-

ergy revolution as “unstoppable” but

argued the world must “step up, scale

up and speed up” the energy transition.

“Renewables are deployed faster

and cheaper than fossil fuels, driving

growth, jobs, and affordable power,”

he said. “But the window to keep the

1.5°C limit within reach is rapidly

closing.”

The news came as the Climate Cen-

tral and World Weather Attribution

groups of international scientists re-

ported that more than 100 countries

now experience at least 10 more “hot

days” a year than a decade ago when

the Paris climate accord was drawn up.

Renewable sources of electricity gen-

eration are continuing to grow strong-

ly around the world, with global capac-

ity expected to more than double by

2030, according to the International

Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest medi-

um-term forecast.

‘Renewables 2025’, the IEA’s main

annual report on the sector, sees glob-

al renewable power capacity increas-

ing by 4600 GW by 2030.

Solar PV will account for around

80 per cent of the global increase in

renewable power capacity over the

net ve years  driven by low costs

and faster permitting timeframes –

followed by wind, hydro, bioenergy

and geothermal. Geothermal installa-

tions are on course to hit historic highs

in key markets, including the United

States, Japan, Indonesia and a host of

emerging and developing economies.

Rising grid integration challenges are

renewing interest in pumped-storage

hydropower, whose growth is expected

to be almost 80 per cent faster over the

net ve years compared with the pre-

vious ve.

In emerging economies across Asia,

the Middle East and Africa, cost com-

petitiveness and stronger policy sup-

port are spurring faster growth of re-

newables, with many governments

introducing new auction programmes

and raising their targets. India is on

course to become the second-largest

renewables growth market globally,

after China, and is expected to com-

fortably reach its ambitious target by

2030.

The IEA, however, cut in half its

forecast for renewable energy growth

in the US this decade. The global en-

ergy agency said last year it expected

the US to add 500 GW of new capac-

ity – almost all solar and wind power

– by 2030. But it now expects it to add

250 GW.

Headline News

Global renewable capacity is set to grow strongly, driven

by solar PV, says IEA

US policy reversals will only

have marginal impact on

global energy transition

n Almost even split between fossil and non-fossil fuels by 2050

n Global carbon dioxide emissions now forecast to be 4 per cent higher

Renewables overtake coal but world must move faster

Photo by Pixabay

Photo by Linkedin

Woods: US companies face

“bone crunching” penalties

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Egypt’s energy crisis reshapes East Med gas market,

forcing reliance on Israeli, Cypriot and LNG imports

CAST project enables major strides for Europe

in large-scale hydrogen storage and delivery

Gary Lakes

Egypt is moving quickly to address a

new energy crisis, while neighbouring

countries and operating companies are

building momentum to nally develop

offshore elds with a view to maimis-

ing eports.

Eperts in LN and gas marketing,

as well as regional gas developments

addressed this issue at the EMC East

Mediterranean Energy Conference and

Ehibition in Limassol, Cyprus, in late

October. Speakers analysed Egypt’s

steps to import gas from LN markets,

the installation of more FSRs, and

the growing reliance on Israel as a gas

supplier. Furthermore, the conference

saw the signing of agreements between

Egypt and Cyprus regarding the future

import by sub-sea pipeline of ship-

ments of Cypriot natural gas to Egypt

and its LN eport plants.

The crisis, which has caused intermit-

tent electricity blackouts across parts

of the country and led to restricted gas

supplies for heavy industry, marks a

signicant reversal for Egypt. The

2 discovery of ohr, a giant eld

with an estimated resource of 30 trillion

cubic feet (tcf), had been hailed as the

country’s answer to its long-running

energy woes, briey turning it back into

a gas eporter.

Production at the offshore ohr eld,

operated by Italy’s Eni, has suffered

signicant technical setbacks. Sources

indicate that water inltration into the

reservoir has critically impacted out-

put, dropping its capacity signicantly.

The eld, which peaked at 2. billion

cubic feet per day (bcf/day) in 2019,

was recently reported to be producing

closer to . bcfday this year, accord-

ing to industry reports.

This domestic shortfall – with na-

tional gas production forecasted to

drop from  billion cubic metres

(bcm) in 2021 to an estimated 53 bcm

in 22  comes as Egypt’s energy

demand continues to soar. The result

has been a frantic push by Cairo to

secure both liqueed natural gas

(LN) cargoes from global suppliers

like the S and atar, and a big increase

in pipeline gas from its neighbour,

Israel.

Egypt now has four Floating Storage

and Regasication nits (FSRs) in-

stalled  three in Ain Sukna and one at

the Port of Aleandria  and will ob-

tain another by the end of net year.

Most of its LN deliveries are ob-

tained from the spot market, which

provides a degree of eibility.

Israel has emerged as the primary

beneciary of Egypt’s sudden need for

stable gas supply. Already delivering

around 10 bcm of natural gas to Egypt

in 2024, Israel is currently responsible

for approimately  per cent of

Egypt’s total gas imports, with ows

coming from the Leviathan and Tamar

elds via the East Mediterranean as

(EM) pipeline.

In a landmark deal underscoring this

new interdependency, the Egyptian

rm lue Ocean Energy signed a 

billion agreement in August with the

partners of the Chevron-operated Le-

viathan eld. This deal is set to sig-

nicantly boost Israeli eports to

Egypt via the planned Nitana pipe-

line, which is epected to become

operational in 22.

The 9 million Nitana pipeline

project, announced in late October by

the Israel Natural as Lines Company

(INL) and funded entirely by the

Israeli gas eporters, is designed to

ship an additional  bcm to Egypt an-

nually. Analysts suggest this strength-

ened energy ais between Cairo and

Tel Aviv could help bolster political

and economic ties, even amidst re-

gional conict.

Further regional integration is on the

horion, with Cyprus positioning its

offshore discoveries as the net logi-

cal source of supply for the Egyptian

market.

Eni’s Cronos eld is slated to produce

a development plan by the end of this

year for the eld, with hopes to start

production in 22 and eports in

22. The plan involves piping the

Cronos gas to the eisting ohr produc-

tion facilities before transferring it to

Eni’s Damietta LN eport facility in

Egypt for processing. Eni, and its part-

ner TotalEnergies, has discovered sev-

eral other gas elds in the vicinity of

Cronos and they are epected to even-

tually be joined to the eport pipeline.

The Aphrodite eld will also play a

role in supplying Egypt and/or its

other LN eport facility. The Cypriot

government has approved the develop-

ment plan for the Aphrodite eld, dis-

covered in 2. Operator Chevron is

epected to complete nal engineering

for a pipeline to the EAS LN facil-

ity at Idku, with a nal investment

decision (FID) targeted for 22.

y leveraging its LN processing

infrastructure, Egypt serves as the es-

sential gateway for its neighbours’ gas

resources to reach both its own domes-

tic market and the protable European

and global markets.

ltimately, the combination of Is-

rael’s stepped-up pipeline deliveries,

the anticipated arrival of Cypriot gas,

and Egypt’s increased eibility to

import LN via its FSRs should

mitigate the current supply crisis.

More importantly, it creates a new

layer of energy interdependence – and

potential stability – among the Eastern

Mediterranean nations.

Gary Lakes

Notable progress has been made in the

European hydrogen industry with a

joint erman initiative, the ydrogen

Cavern Storage Transition (

CAST)

project. Led by infrastructure giants

asunie and Storag Etel, the project

recently served as a proving ground for

the delivery and underground storage

of hydrogen, with S-based Plug

Power successfully completing the

rst phase of its supply mandate.

This pilot initiative involved the de-

livery of . tonnes of hydrogen,

demonstrating the viability of using

repurposed salt caverns for large-scale,

long-duration energy storage. Follow-

ing this success, Plug Power was

awarded a second contract for an ad-

ditional 35 t, underscoring the opera-

tional reliability of the delivery logis-

tics and the engineering condence in

the underground storage solution.

“The success of our recent projects

in ermany with 

CAST shows that

hydrogen works, and that it is scalable

for strategic national energy require-

ments,” said ose Luis Crespo, Presi-

dent and Chief Research Ofcer of

Plug Power. “Plug’s ability to deliver

hydrogen on time, at volume, and with

our own transport and delivery equip-

ment for our customers underscores

Plug’s leadership in Europe’s fast-

growing hydrogen economy,” he said

in a company statement.

The Plug Power hydrogen supply will

continue to come from y2en Atlan-

tis in erlte, ermany. Plug Power

holds eclusive rights to  per cent

of the green hydrogen produced at the

site. Furthermore, the company’s per-

formance proved that hydrogen can be

safely transported and stored on a large

scale in ermany.

The ability to store vast quantities of

hydrogen underground is a strategic

game-changer for Europe’s energy

transition. reen hydrogen, produced

via electrolysis powered by intermit-

tent renewable sources like wind and

solar, cannot be produced on a constant

basis. To ensure continuous supply for

industry – from steel production to

heavy transport – massive buffering

capacity is essential.

Salt caverns, which already safely

store natural gas across the continent,

offer the ideal solution. Located deep

beneath the surface, these geological

formations can hold energy measured

in terawatt-hours, turning hydrogen

from an intermittent fuel into a reliable,

dispatchable energy source. This capa-

bility is vital for grid balancing and

providing the kind of national energy

resilience that policymakers have pri-

oritised following geopolitical energy

shocks. The successful injection and

withdrawal demonstrated by the



CAST partners validate this con-

cept, paving the way for the deploy-

ment of similar storage sites across the

European ydrogen ackbone.

The European ydrogen ackbone

(E) initiative consists of a group of

33 energy infrastructure operators,

united through a shared vision of a

climate-neutral Europe enabled by a

thriving renewable and low-carbon

hydrogen market. The initiative aims

to accelerate Europe’s decarbonisation

journey by dening the role of hydro-

gen infrastructure  based on eisting

and new pipelines – in enabling the

development of a competitive, liquid,

pan-European renewable and low-

carbon hydrogen market. It seeks to

foster market competition, security of

supply, security of demand, and cross-

border collaboration between Euro-

pean countries and their neighbours.

The 

CAST project and Plug Pow-

er’s participation in it address these

important goals.

While cavern storage addresses the

when’ of hydrogen availability, the

most ambitious development address-

es the how’ and where’ of its distribu-

tion. The successful operation of

smaller-scale, dedicated delivery ve-

hicles  like the eet used by Plug

Power in ermany  is a necessary rst

step, but the long-term vision centres

on a massive build-out of pipelines.

The E aims to create a pan-Euro-

pean network of pipelines that will

transport hydrogen throughout the

continent. This will be done largely by

repurposing natural gas lines, that will

connect regions of high renewable hy-

drogen production (such as the North

Sea coast and the Iberian Peninsula)

with major demand centres. ermany,

a key industrial nation, has already an-

nounced plans for a 9000 km domestic

hydrogen network, set for completion

between 22 and 22.

This pipeline network will dramati-

cally lower the cost of hydrogen deliv-

ery compared to trucking or shipping,

thereby making it economically com-

petitive with fossil fuels. Crucially, it

links up with industrial clusters – geo-

graphical areas with high hydrogen

demand – facilitating the essential de-

carbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors.

Without this physical infrastructure,

the E’s target of producing and im-

porting 10 million tonnes of renewable

hydrogen by 2030 would remain an

unachievable ambition.

The momentum in infrastructure de-

velopment is being heavily supported

by policy and capital. Recent develop-

ments, such as the announcement of

nearly 2 million in funding from

Austria to support hydrogen projects

including storage and cross-border

transport, underscore the role of na-

tional governments in driving the

physical build-out.

Despite this progress, the industry

continues to navigate signicant hur-

dles. The recent IMO decision to delay

a net ero framework for the global

shipping industry, for eample, repre-

sents a setback, delaying the creation

of major, consolidated demand for

hydrogen-derived fuels like ammonia.

Furthermore, high costs and the com-

pleity of ensuring a nal investment

decision (FID) for capital-intensive

projects remain a challenge.

Hydrogen

Gas

 seere and nepected decline in doestic natral gas prodction priaril fro the agship ohr egaeld is

plnging gpt into an acte energ shortage forcing a sift retrn to largescale iports This draatic shift is rapidl

solidifying a new, interconnected regional gas market in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Israel as the immediate key

spplier and prs preparing to enter the fra

The ropean hdrogen econo long focsed on secring prodction capacit is no isil atring on a critical

often oerlooed front storage and delier ecent sccessfl operations in eran highlight that the continent is

oing eond pilot proects to estalish the rost phsical infrastrctre needed to anage a olatile green energ

sppl and distrite it across indstrial heartlands

TE ENER INDSTR TIMES - NOEMER 22

Fuel Watch

reen nance is often dis-

cussed in abstract terms, fo-

cusing on large funds, risk

proles and ES standards. hat

really matters, however, is whether

investment is helping countries to

modernise their grids, reduce reli-

ance on fossil fuels, create jobs and

build resilience to climate change.

In other words, does green money

deliver real impact hat is going

well, and what still needs to

change for nancing to reach its

full potential

reen nance is no longer on the

sidelines it’s now a key driver of

the global move toward sustainabili-

ty. It means directing money from

governments, banks, and investors

into projects that cut pollution, pro-

tect nature, and support long-term

growth. hat was once niche is

now essential, with billions being

invested in renewable energy around

the world.

The International Energy Agency

estimates that nearly 2 trillion was

invested into clean energy in 22.

More of this funding is now going

to emerging economies, where pop-

ulations are growing quickly and de-

mand for electricity is rising.

In principle, this is a win-win.

Countries gain access to new tech-

nologies and more reliable power,

while investors can tap into growing

markets, but the reality on the

ground is more comple.

One of the clearest impacts of

green investment is new access to

electricity. In sub-Saharan Africa,

more than half a billion people still

live without reliable power. Large-

scale grid epansion is costly and

slow, which is why investors are

backing solar mini-grids and small

hydro schemes.

For eample, in enya and Tana-

nia, blended nance models have

enabled private rms to roll out vil-

lage-scale solar systems. These proj-

ects may seem small compared to

utility-scale solar parks. Still, their

impact is direct and immediate chil-

dren can study after dark, clinics can

refrigerate vaccines, and local busi-

nesses can operate longer hours.

In South Asia, renewable invest-

ment has supported grid stability. In-

dia has used green bonds and inter-

national capital to epand its solar

and wind eet. This has helped to

reduce reliance on imported coal

and ease pressure on urban air quali-

ty. hile challenges remain in trans-

mission and storage, the ground-

work for a cleaner power mi is

visible.

reen investment is also changing

labour markets. uilding wind

farms, solar parks and battery plants

requires local workers. According to

the International Renewable Energy

Agency (IRENA), renewable energy

jobs worldwide passed  million in

222.

In ietnam, foreign investment in

solar manufacturing has turned the

country into a major eporter of so-

lar panels, creating tens of thou-

sands of skilled jobs. In Morocco,

investment in solar and wind has not

only epanded domestic energy sup-

ply but also built technical capacity

among engineers and technicians.

The challenge is to ensure these

jobs are not only temporary con-

struction roles but part of long-term

industrial strategies. Countries that

link renewable projects with local

supply chains and training pro-

grammes are better placed to retain

value within their economies.

One of the strongest arguments for

clean energy is energy security. In

frontier and emerging markets,

countries that import fossil fuels for

power generation face volatile costs

and supply risks. Investments in do-

mestic solar, wind or geothermal re-

duce this eposure and support

greater self-reliance.

Mongolia provides a clear eam-

ple. The country relies heavily on

coal for both power and heating, but

it also has some of the world’s best

wind and solar resources. In recent

years, international investment has

supported the construction of large

wind farms on vast, at grasslands,

which now supply growing amounts

of clean electricity to the grid. These

projects help to diversify the energy

mi, reduce local air pollution and

cut dependence on imported fuel for

diesel back-up.

y backing local renewable re-

sources, green nance enables na-

tions like Mongolia to strengthen

their energy security while also lay-

ing the foundations for long-term

economic diversication. This is

not only an environmental goal but

also a strategic one for national

development.

The type of nancing matters as

much as the amount. Traditional in-

vestment structures often do not t

the realities of emerging economies.

Projects can stall if investors de-

mand high compliance standards

that local developers cannot meet.

lended nance has proved to be

one of the most effective tools. y

combining concessional funds from

governments or development banks

with private capital, the risk is re-

duced and the project becomes more

attractive. uarantees and insurance

products can also help to address

concerns about political or regulato-

ry instability.

Tiered ES requirements are an-

other emerging solution. Rather than

apply uniform reporting standards,

investors can tailor epectations to

the sie and contet of a project.

This allows small but impactful

projects, such as rural solar mini-

grids, to access capital they might

otherwise miss.

For green nance to succeed, com-

munities must see the benets. This

requires more than just electricity

connections. Public trust grows

when projects also support health-

care, education and local enterprise.

In Latin America, renewable de-

velopers have increasingly invested

in social programmes as part of

project design. For instance, wind

projects in Meico have included

community funds for schools and

roads. hile not without challenges,

this approach recognises that suc-

cessful energy transition depends on

local support.

Public engagement is equally im-

portant in wealthier countries. In the

 and ermany, wind and solar

epansion has sometimes faced lo-

cal opposition. Financing models

that share revenues with communi-

ties or lower household bills have

proved more effective than those

that treat projects purely as commer-

cial ventures.

Despite progress, several barriers

still slow the delivery of impact

n High upfront costs: Renewable

projects often require large capital

investment before revenue begins

n Policy uncertainty: Shifting regu-

lations or weak institutions can deter

private investors

n Grid constraints: New capacity

cannot always be integrated into

ageing grids

n Access to nance: Small developers

in low-income countries still strug-

gle to meet investor requirements.

ithout targeted reforms, these

barriers will continue to limit the

reach of green nance.

To make green investments deliver

more effectively, three areas stand

out

1. Policy stability: overnments need

to set clear long-term targets that

survive political cycles. Investors are

more likely to commit if they trust

the regulatory environment.

2. Stronger partnerships: Collabora-

tion between governments, investors

and communities ensures that proj-

ects align with national priorities and

public needs.

3. Capacity building: eyond nanc-

ing hardware, there must be support

for local skills, institutions and sup-

ply chains. This builds resilience and

long-term impact.

Looking ahead, the world cannot

afford a two-speed energy transition.

If wealthy countries race ahead

while frontier markets lag, global

climate goals will remain out of

reach. reen nance has the poten-

tial to bridge this gap, but only if it

is designed with impact in mind.

Success should not only be mea-

sured in megawatts installed or capi-

tal deployed, but also in the number

of households gaining reliable pow-

er, the workers trained in new indus-

tries, and the communities whose

futures are more secure.

On the ground, the transition is not

an abstract nancial eercise. It is a

matter of whether a farmer can

pump water for crops without e-

pensive diesel, whether a child can

study under electric light, and

whether a nation can chart its own

energy path. reen investment is de-

livering progress, but the challenge

now is to make it broader, deeper

and faster.

If nancing models evolve to

match the realities of each country,

the promise of green nance can be

fully realised. Nations will not only

cut emissions, they will also build

stronger economies and more resil-

ient societies. That is the true mea-

sure of impact.

Zula Luvsandorj is an energy strate-

gist and infrastructure nance expert

with 15+ years of global experience

and over $20 billion in closed deals.

She currently advises Mongolia’s

Deputy Prime Minister on energy

transition and investment strategy.

Across the world, governments and investors are putting more money into clean energy. From offshore wind farms in

the orth ea to solar elds across frica the o of capital toards green proects has gron steadil oer the past

decade. Yet behind the headline numbers, a more important question remains: how is this money changing lives on

the ground? Mongolian government adviser, Zula Luvsandorj explains.

On the ground impact:

making green investment

deliver for nations

TE ENER INDSTR TIMES - NOEMER 22

Industry Perspective

laorreennanceto

succeed, communities must see

teenetireireore

than just electricity connections

Photo by Kervin Edward Lara

sectoral operations through computa-

tional modelling, predictive analytics,

or real-time enhancements. Fields

such as industrial processes, energy

storage, policy simulation, grid man-

agement and the optimisation of data

centres themselves are among those

benetting from these capabilities.

For example, US-based KoBold

Metals uses AI to accelerate the dis-

covery of critical materials, such as

cobalt or lithium. It deploys an AI-

powered system which integrates

geoscientic data to reduce unneces-

sary drilling and environmental im-

pact. Another US-based company,

Climate AI, uses an AI-driven plat-

form to generate high-resolution cli-

mate forecasts. It helps agriculture,

nance and other industries adapt to

climate variability, improving opera-

tional resilience and enabling proac-

tive emissions planning. The number

of large corporations using AI for

decarbonisation-related applications

is growing rapidly. These include

ABB, Enel, Siemens, and Schneider

in Europe and Alibaba, Hitachi, Mit-

rticial Intelligence (AI) and

data centres dominate the

headlines almost daily, driven

by both concerns and opportunities.

Certainly, their role in the energy tran-

sition raises critical questions includ-

ing, what is the expected electricity

demand from data centres in general,

and AI in particular? How will this

demand be met? In which areas is data

accelerating the energy transition?

AI-related data centres require a

staggering amount of capital invest-

ment over the next few years. Global

consultancy McKinsey calculates the

amount to be between $3.7 and $7.9

trillion by 2030. The wide range is

because of three scenarios, including

$3.7 trillion in a constrained momen-

tum scenario, $5.2 trillion in a contin-

ued momentum scenario, and $7.9

trillion in an accelerated demand one.

Global real estate consultancy Knight

Frank estimates as much as $4 trillion

may be needed. An amount similar to

the base case of $4.2 trillion by the

International Energy Agency (IEA),

which projects mid and high cases of

$5.5 trillion and $5.7 trillion.

The massive investments in data

centres means more electricity de-

mand. The amount of electric power

peak supply is estimated at between

78 GW and 205 GW by McKinsey,

and well over 100 GW by others. The

typical utilisation rate range is 40-80

per cent, translating into a total con-

sumption by AI-related data centres

of at least 274 TWh assuming 78 GW

at a 40 per cent utilisation, up to 1435

TWh assuming 205 GW at an 80 per

cent utilisation. Global independent

assurance and risk management

company DNV in its 2025 ‘Energy

Transition Outlook’ report notes that

“a review of over 50 publications

with recent estimates… shows a vast

range in global data centre energy

demand for 2030” of 210 TWh to as

much as 7900 TWh at the high end. A

realistic amount would be 1000-1500

TWh, between a two- and three-fold

increase versus 2024.

The extra demand is unlikely to

create a supply crunch. The assump-

tion by the IEA and others is that

global power demand will be about

30 000 TWh by 2030. This would

mean that the consumption by data

centres would only represent a mod-

est amount of 3.3 per cent to 5 per

cent. Still the incremental growth will

not only happen in emerging coun-

tries, which should experience con-

sumption at signicantly higher rates

than developed countries. It will also

occur in developed economies such

as Europe and North America.

New demand will be met by a vari-

ety of energy sources. Clean power

coupled with energy storage systems

are likely to take the lead. The supply

should be reinforced by eible gas

red generation. Some countries may

opt to also add coal red generation,

but this is more likely to be a short-

term rather than a long-term plan.

Longer term the revival of nuclear

energy should also play a signicant

role. Probably from the next decade

small modular reactors (SMRs), cur-

rently an early-stage technology, es-

pecially in terms of cost, are also

likely to play an important role.

Most hyperscale data centres, which

have a massive cloud computing

scale capacity, are located outside

dense urban areas. However, smaller

edge (local fast computing) and co-

location (shared or rented server

space) sites are found near or in urban

areas. Edge and co-location facilities

secure energy from the local grid.

Hyperscalers rely on grid-supplied

energy or secure supply from dedi-

cated generation capacity. Investors

in this capacity are commonly third-

parties, not the owner and operator of

the hyperscale data centre, such as

Amazon, Google, or Microsoft. Tech

giants will usually conclude a long

term corporate power purchase agree-

ment (CPPA) with the power plant

owner, and sometimes even a share-

holder in the generation facility.

hatever the nancial arrangement

the facility can more easily secure

bank nancing with the CPPA in place.

Data centres have an intimate rela-

tionship with global decarbonisation.

Their operation contributes to green-

house gas emissions, but at the same

time enable signicant emissions re-

ductions across various sectors.

The carbon footprint of data centres

includes electricity consumption

when the grid’s carbon intensity is

high. They also include the embodied

emissions of the information technol-

ogy equipment, the construction and

materials used, and cooling refriger-

ants and systems. Overall, a data

centre’s carbon footprint is typically

signicantly lower than an average

energy intensive manufacturing facil-

ity. It is also worth highlighting that

while data centres electricity load is

relatively stable, AI does raise the

load volatility at data centres, in terms

of magnitude and frequency of peaks.

In parallel, AI-related data centres

play an increasingly vital role in the

global path to decarbonisation. The

rapidly growing computing power is

helping to accelerate the energy tran-

sition in several ways.

They are driving major advances in

carbon accounting, research and de-

velopment of clean energy technolo-

gies, in discovering new clean tech

materials, climate modelling, and in

improving industrial and urban energy

efciency. AI-related data centres are

also playing a key role in optimising

subishi, and PetroChina.

AI and data centres are at the heart

of the energy transition. They bring

both signicant challenges and mean-

ingful opportunities. Their increasing

electricity demand calls for careful

planning, strategic investment and

thoughtful management to avoid sup-

ply strains. At the same time, their

ability to accelerate decarbonisation

and drive breakthroughs in clean en-

ergy innovation by enabling advanced

data analysis, accelerating research

and development, and improving op-

timisation, is undeniable. Successfully

balancing growing energy needs with

robust sustainability measures will be

critical to harnessing AI’s full poten-

tial and securing a low-carbon future.

Giuseppe ‘Joseph’ Jacobelli, head of

singlefaily ofce ourne pact

apital has + years in energy ar-

ets e chapions sustainable -

nance through his Asia liate i-

nance odcast and writings lie his

upcoing boo owering the n-

stoppable reen hift

TE ENER INDSTR TIMES - NOEMER 22

Decarbonisation Series

The rapid rise of

articial intelligence

 and data

centres raises a

i of concerns

and opportnities 

central isse is their

role in the energ

transition hich

raises seeral e

estions

Joseph Jacobelli

taes a closer loo

Fuelling clean tech: AI’s role in

global decarbonisation

Global data centre capacity expenditure driven by AI by category and scenario, 2025-2030 projection ($, trillion)

Contributions to decarbonisation from AI

Source: Author, 10 October 2025. Background image: Perplexity AI, ‘Black and white AI

sketch with brain and circuits’ (generated image, Perplexity AI, 9 October 2025)

Jacobelli: Rapidly growing

computing power is helping to

accelerate the energy transition in

several ways

as red power generation

serves as a critical bridge in

the energy transition, provid-

ing controllable, eible, and reli-

able energy today, while supporting

the ongoing epansion of renew-

ables. Reducing CO

emissions

from these plants, however, remains

important.

Carbon capture, utilisation  stor-

age (CCS) is emerging as a key

technology for a low-carbon energy

future. Driven by stricter regulations,

rising CO

prices, and corporate cli-

mate pledges, CCS  especially in

modular gas engine plants  offers a

commercially viable, mature solu-

tion to cut emissions by up to 9 per

cent while ensuring reliable power

supply.

In August, following three years

of construction, a carbon capture

and utilisation project has begun

commercial operations. The ork-

sop plant in Nottinghamshire, ,

is a demonstration of the patented

FlePower Plus

concept. Devel-

oped by Landmark Power oldings

(LMP) in collaboration with ic-

tory ill, Rolls-Royce Power Sys-

tems and Asco Carbon Dioide

(Asco) the facility delivers  M

of electricity, while producing food-

grade CO

for industrial use.

Ralph Spring, CEO, Asco Carbon

Dioide Ltd, noted “Revenue di-

versication is always a key driver

for businesses. As CO

pricing rises

and net ero targets tighten, CCS

as a sustainable strategy is a timely

and valuable solution.”

as red power plants with CCS

provide operational eibility, reli-

ability, and geographic adaptability.

They can integrate effectively with

variable renewable generation, stabi-

lising the grid during periods of low

solar or wind output and while green

hydrogen and biomethane are poten-

tial long-term decarbonisation op-

tions, their current availability and

cost limitations make CCS the

only commercially mature solution

capable of delivering immediate re-

ductions in CO

emissions from gas

red generation. Additionally, cap-

tured CO

is an industrial commodi-

ty with a wide range of applications.

“Carbon dioide can be used in

mineralisation processes for con-

struction materials such as cement

or concrete, in the production of

synthetic fuels, or as a chemical

feedstock, providing an additional

revenue stream beyond electricity

sales,” said Spring. “CO

is also wide-

ly used in the food and beverage in-

dustry  for eample in carbonated

drinks, refrigeration, and packaging

 as well as in other sectors such as

horticulture for greenhouse enrich-

ment and water treatment.”

Forecasts suggest annual new

CCS capacity  currently in the

double-digit M range  could

reach several hundred M by 2,

totalling gigawatts cumulatively.

Economic drivers include carbon

credit revenues, lower E ETS com-

pliance costs, and infrastructure syn-

ergies (e.g., access to eisting stor-

age in Northern Europe). The

modular, scalable design (from tens

to hundreds of M) enables cost-ef-

fective, eible CO

reduction. ith

rising CO

prices and supportive

E policies, these plants offer a

compelling near-term investment to

accelerate decarbonisation.

In the , the Net ero Innova-

tion Portfolio (NIP) funds pilot

projects, while the Cluster Sequenc-

ing Model backs regional infrastruc-

ture, fostering coordinated industrial

and energy cluster deployment. New

mechanisms like Dispatchable Pow-

er Agreements (DPAs) and low-

emission electricity incentives aim

to boost project viability and attract

private investment, positioning

CCS plants as reliable mid-merit

assets in the ’s 2 decarboni-

sation strategy. At the E level, the

Innovation Fund supports large-

scale decarbonisation, though target-

ed backing for engine-based CCS

is still developing.

The orksop project integrates

multiple technologies to maimise

energy efciency, combining high-

efciency mtu gas engines, Organic

Rankine Cycle Turbines (ORCs),

and Asco carbon capture modules in

a eible, modular design.

The plant’s power generation is

based on si mtu Series  LF-

NER gas engines, selected for their

high efciency, rapid load response,

and reliable performance under

varying grid conditions. Compared

to large gas turbines, gas engines

provide compact, scalable designs

with faster deployment, making

them ideal for small to medium-

sied plants and complementing re-

newables and hydrogen in the tran-

sition to net ero.

These compact, standardised en-

gines are designed for modular,

containerised deployment, which

simplies commissioning and al-

lows eible operation. eat from

the engine jacket water is recovered

by four low-temperature ORCs,

each directly coupled to an individ-

ual engine, to generate additional

electricity.

In future iterations, a ring main

conguration will enable the ORCs

to draw heat collectively. This

means that if one ORC is ofine for

maintenance, the others can in-

crease their output. It also opens the

opportunity to capture heat from ad-

ditional sources, including the car-

bon capture process, further en-

hancing overall plant efciency.

“At the orksop plant, a high-

temperature ORC currently uses e-

haust gas heat to generate additional

electricity. In future projects, this

ehaust heat will be redirected to

produce steam for the CC system,

simplifying operations, enhancing

overall CP (combined heat and

power) efciency, and reducing op-

erating costs,” said Ollie Fergusson,

ead of Project Development,

Landmark Power oldings.

The Asco carbon capture modules

manage the separation, purication,

and liquefaction of CO

, with the

plant achieving a total annual CO

capture capacity of   tons.

The plant layout, shaped by its evo-

lution from a peaking site to a high-

efciency power plant and nally to

a CCS-integrated facility, pro-

vides valuable insights for future

sites. These lessons will allow clos-

er integration of power generation

and CC units, optimising ue gas

routing and CO

handling.

Additional benets of the modular

conguration include the ability to

continue operations during mainte-

nance and the ease of replicating

similar plants in other locations. y

combining proven gas engine tech-

nology with ORC heat recovery and

carbon capture, orksop demon-

strates that small-to-medium-scale

plants can deliver tangible environ-

mental and economic benets.

The development of the orksop

plant followed a phased approach,

demonstrating how modular CCS

plants can progress from concept to

full operation. This timeline high-

lights the importance of robust proj-

ect management, eibility, and

close supplier collaboration, partic-

ularly when navigating comple in-

tegrated systems. In parallel, key in-

tellectual property milestones

illustrate the innovative technolo-

gies underpinning the project.

ey project milestones included

nancial close, October 22 EPC

contract signed November 22

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

concluded March 222 on-site con-

struction start April 222 back ener-

gisation completed April 22 origi-

nal EPC contractor entered ad-

ministration une 22 works re-

sumed under LMP project man-

agement, with contracts renegotiated

August 22 engine commissioning

started April 22 CC commis-

sioning started October 22 rst

captured February 22 and

start of commercial operations in

August 22.

This roadmap showcases how care-

ful planning, adaptability, strong

supplier relationships, and concur-

rent innovation through patented

technologies enable comple proj-

ects to move from planning to suc-

cessful operation, even in the face of

unepected challenges.

Despite the challenges posed by

the EPC contractor’s insolvency, the

project was successfully completed

thanks to strong partnerships with

key suppliers, including Rolls-Royce

Power Systems, Asco, Climeon, and

Turboden. LMP’s direct manage-

ment of contracts allowed the project

to maintain momentum, although

with an unavoidable delay.

The absence of a pre-FEED study

and incomplete EPC design re-

quired on-the-y modications dur-

ing construction, including adjust-

ments to the Turboden hot oil

system, absorberdesorber spray

noles, and the scrubber cooling

system. Future projects will prioritise

complete design packages and de-

tailed construction and commission-

ing schedules prior to construction.

The plant’s modular conguration

allowed operational eibility dur-

ing redesign activities and will con-

tinue to do so during operational

maintenance, reinforcing the value

of eible layouts for both current

operations and future epansion.

These lessons provide a roadmap

for future modular CCS projects,

emphasiing risk mitigation, suppli-

er collaboration, and operational

optimisation.

“Our factory-validated, fast-to-

market modular mtu gas container

solutions align perfectly with As-

co’s epertise in delivering turnkey

carbon capture systems. Together,

under Landmark’s FlePower Plus

concept, we provide maimum ef-

ciency and reliability to meet any

customer requirement,” said Mi-

chael Stipa, Senior ice President

usiness Development  Product

Management, Stationary Power So-

lutions, Rolls-Royce Power Sys-

tems

The planned investment for ork-

sop was approimately . million

per M installed, although costs

were affected by EPC disruptions.

“The project is epected to deliv-

er returns of around 2 per cent,

based on multiple revenue streams,

including electricity sales to the

grid, capacity market contracts, and

offtake agreements,” said Mi-

chael Avison, CEO, Landmark

Power oldings. “Private wire

sales to a nearby industrial custom-

er will further enhance the return

on investment.”

The modular design also enables

integration with microgrids and be-

hind-the-meter supply for industrial

clients. The combination of electric-

ity and CO

revenues demonstrates

the commercial viability of modular

CCS plants.

The project has strategic signi-

cance and market prospects are

promising.

“The orksop plant’s success val-

idates the potential for eible,

modular gas engine CCS systems

to meet growing demand for low-

emission power in the , Europe,

and the SA,” said Stipa. “Its com-

bination of technical maturity, scal-

able design, and diversied revenue

streams demonstrates that small-to-

medium plants can achieve measur-

able emissions reductions while re-

maining commercially viable, offer-

ing a bridge between intermittent

renewables, grid stability require-

ments, and the decarbonisation of

hard-to-electrify sectors.”

ey market opportunities include

electricity sales (both grid-connect-

ed and private wire) and CO

off-

take for industrial, or synthetic fuel

applications. Additional opportuni-

ties include co-locating plants with

industrial users, microgrid solu-

tions, and sustainable aviation fuel

(SAF) production. Rising CO

pric-

es, supportive  energy policy,

and growing demand for reliable

low-carbon power further strength-

en the commercial case. Together,

these factors position orksop and

future FlePower Plus sites as cor-

nerstones of the energy transition,

delivering both environmental and

commercial value at scale.

Commercial

operation has

commenced at the

Worksop Gas Engine

carbon capture power

plant in the UK. The

10 MW project is a

demonstration of the

patented FlexPower

Plus

concept,

capable of delivering

electricity while

producing food-grade

for industrial

use. Landmark

Power Holdings’

Astrid Mynborg;

Rolls-Royce

Power Systems’

Patrick Roth and

Fabian Weber

at Asco Carbon

Dioxide, explain the

technology.

Carbon capture at Worksop

offers food for thought

TE ENER INDSTR TIMES - NOEMER 22

Technology Focus

The Worksop carbon capture

plant in Nottinghamshire,

UK, has been operating since

August this year

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY TIMES - NOVEMBER 2025

Final Word

alancing that three-legged stool

we call the energy trilemma is

no easy task, often leading to

erce debate on what fuel mi andor

energy policies offer the best path to

the goals of affordability, security and

environmental sustainability. hile

there is little argument that the ultimate

demise of coal is certain, any similar

conclusion over the future of gas is far

from clear cut.

hile much of last month’s Interna-

tional as Turbine Conference (ITC)

organised by the European Turbine

Network (ETN) discussed technology

programmes around gas turbine

technology  both promising ideas and

mature solutions  the opening key-

note session attempted to reach some

kind of consensus on the future of gas

red generation and the policies

needed to support that future role.

Opening the keynote Ruud empner,

European Commission Deputy ead

of Energy Security and Safety noted

that the energy trilemma “is very much

at the heart of the EU energy policy

debate”. Decarbonisation was the fo-

cus in 22 with the European reen

but since the start of Russia’s war on

kraine, security and affordability

have gained prominence.

empner said some important en-

ablers were required to follow the E’s

energy transition pathway, which has

been in place since 29. “e need

eibility in the system to manage the

transition rethink and be more innova-

tive in terms of the localised vs Euro-

pean element of this energy transition

– when do we need to look at more

local energy systems to make them

more balanced and secure, and when

do we need to take advantage of the

resources we have across the intercon-

nected E to make a liquid energy

market across the continent. And third,

we need to talk about investment.”

ut it is the role of gas in providing

eibility in the system that seems to

be the most important reason for the

continued use of gas, at least through

to 2. hile empner noted that the

Commission thinks about eibility in

a “holistic way”, citing demand shift-

ing and the use of electric vehicles,

empner also noted that gas turbines

and ongoing technology develop-

ments were not only important for

balancing variable renewables but also

contributed to fuel eibility. e nod-

ded to programmes aimed at burning

hydrogen in machines and how the

ability to utilise biogas and e-fuels

would allow the use of local resources

for dispatchable power generation.

“If you take that eibility and the

ability to adapt to local circumstances,

those are the two elements that will be

your design principles to ensure your

investments make a return not only

now, but also in 2 years,” empner

told delegates.

It was a point that Dennis Hesseling,

ead of as, Coal  Power Markets

Division, International Energy Agen-

cy, also picked up on.

“In view of the strong growth of

renewables, gas in power generation

will be less about baseload and more

about eibility and system services,”

he stated. “Current policy discussions

address eibility in power markets

(both supply and demand), afford-

ability (for industry and for consum-

ers), and the upcoming LN supply

wave.”

esseling showed that global LN

supply growth is set to accelerate

further to  per cent in 22  its fast-

est pace since 29. This strong

growth will be primarily supported by

North America and atar’s North

Field East epansion.

There has certainly been a great deal

of attention on the US and the impact

the Trump administration’s pivot from

renewables to gas will have domesti-

cally, as well as globally.

Due to the S government shut-

down, Robert Schrecengost, Director

of Advanced Energy Systems Divi-

sion, at the US Department of Energy

was unable to join the keynote panel

discussion. owever, obby Noble,

Senior Programme Manager at the

Electric Power Research Institute

(EPRI) offered some useful insights

for the gas turbine sector.

“e’ve had a lot of reversals in the

S this year, but a lot of the states and

companies already have specic

goals, which are still in place. So, what

we are really seeing is changes in

what’s getting funded. hile many

renewable projects are being can-

celled, when we think about long-term

aspects for decarbonisation of gas

turbines  and while those words are

maybe not spoken directly  there’s

still a lot of research going on. Com-

panies are still doing work to ensure

that gas turbines can be part of that

mi.”

hen looking at policy changes,

Noble said it is important to look at

how quickly they make an impact on

decisions.

“Last year when the ruling came

around gas turbines, and combined

cycles specically, there were some

things that some companies had to

think about. It would hit units that had

a capacity factor of 30 or 40 per cent

and above... so when you look at

orders for last year, mostly things

went simple cycle for the S. ut now

when you look at the policy

changes this year, it’s looking like

things are going to boom.”

The rise in the use of articial intel-

ligence and subsequent growth in data

centres will also be another major

driver, he said. “hen we look at

projections, we’re talking double,

triple, quadruple electricity demand

in a decade or so… Many of these data

centres are well over   that starts

to become a perfect scenario for

combined cycle gas turbines,” Noble

eplained.

If the demand for data centres does

not prove to be a bubble, this, along

with S President Donald Trump’s

“drill, baby drill” mantra, certainly

prolongs the inclusion of gas in the

electricity mi.

nfortunately, the debate around gas

has become an emotive one and po-

litical. To some degree it is understand-

able. ith the need to urgently tackle

climate change, the stakes are high.

In the S, the government’s position

now borders on the etreme. The

Energy Department has added “cli-

mate change”, “green” and “decarbon-

iation” to its growing “list of words

to avoid” at its Ofce of Energy Ef-

ciency and Renewable Energy. Trump

has called climate change a “hoa” and

told more than  world leaders at

the N recently “If you don’t get away

from this green scam, your country is

going to fail.”

hat is worrying is that such think-

ing is taking root in certain political

corners.  Conservative leader

emi adenoch has said net ero by

2 is impossible, and argues the

’s current climate policies are

“driving up the cost of energy”. Last

month the leader of the opposition

party said if she became Prime Minis-

ter, her party would repeal the 2

Climate Change Act, which set targets

for cutting carbon emissions and

reaching net ero.

ut despite the narrative, largely

from right-wing politicians, that it is

renewables and green policies that are

driving up electricity prices, it is clear

that is not really the case. hile green

levies do add a small amount to en-

ergy bills, it is a market design that

links the cost of electricity to gas that

is the real problem. This is clear when

looking at the , where gas red

generation sets the electricity price 9

per cent of the time. The country

subsequently has the highest power

prices in Europe.

At the other end of the debate, envi-

ronmental activists are responding –

perhaps in ways that do not best serve

their cause. In late September, eight

climbers from reenpeace  scaled

two ehaust stacks at Staythorpe

power station, England’s largest gas

red power station, to “epose the role

epensive gas plays” in setting elec-

tricity prices and pushing up bills.

Speaking about his involvement in

the protest, Vincent McGoldrick, a

-year-old retiree, said “I’m a pen-

sioner  I shouldn’t be climbing on

power stations. ut something has to

happen  something has to change.”

Something does have to change but

climbing chimneys is not helpful or

sensible. Neither is banning words

from documentation. Putting the

brakes on renewables and claiming

climate change is a scam is just gas-

lighting the entire gas debate and

stymies efforts to balance the energy

trilemma. as has its place in the

electricity mi  at least for now  and

gas turbine manufacturers must con-

tinue to work towards making those

machines as emissions-free as possible.

Gaslighting the climate

change debate

Junior Isles

Cartoon by Jem Soar