I'm very grateful to Leo Birnbaum for taking some time out of the Eurelectric #LightsOn Summit in Athens to speak with me. We covered a LOT of ground - the need for rapid build-out of transmission, the impact of digitisation on the electricity sector and much more. A really engaging conversation with an undisputed leader in European electricity and electrification. Listen and learn!
I thought this was an excellent discussion. Leo comes across as a great CEO - straightforward answers to Michael's questions and not afraid to state if he doesn't do enough on various points (Africa). I liked the response regarding Nuclear in Germany...the decision was made so move forward.. On a technical point - watched on UA-cam and you can see the wind hitting the beach but it didn't affect the sound quality - so good job on that whether it was the tech set-up or post sound editing. More interviews like this please!😊
Your guest is absolutely correct that electrification requires “more focus on grids” and “where the energy transition really happens is in the low voltage, medium voltage…grids”. In the UK 80% of local grids are only capable of supplying 1 - 2KW continuously to each household according to a professor from Southampton University in written evidence to a Parliamentary Committee studying evs. Although meter boxes are fitted with 80 amp fuses (18.4 KW at 230v) this power consumption is only possible if it is for random amounts at random times which will not be the case when heating and transport is electrified. His conclusion was that evs could only be owned by 1 in 7 households even when staggering the supply to 7KW chargers and this was not taking into account the 4-5 KW needed for heat pumps running 24/7 in winter. This explains why there is no plan for any grid-scale energy storage shown in the NGESO FES energy charts either by 2035 (or 2030 according to Labour’s plans for decarbonisation of our electricity) or by 2050. It is clear that storage is useless without the local grid capacity being sufficient to handle not only 12 KW for evs and heat pumps but also the expected large increases in demand when the wind blows allowing batteries and all other devices such as washing machines, freezers, immersion heaters etc. to be turned on when the power is available and consequently “cheap”. It is clear that electricity will need be rationed using smart meters not only because of the chaotic intermittency of renewables but even more so on a rolling basis for the local grids to cope with demand. Of course all the local grids can be upgraded but I expect the cost to be £ trillions and to take decades as we don’t have the engineers…unless we import these from China or India as well as all our renewable infrastructure, metals and minerals….
great interview. Very open and interesting. However: E.ON is a perfekt example why europe and especially Germany falls behind : its all about de-risking and monopoly profits to the expense of the consumers (successful lobbying). E.ON dumping Gas to UNIPER (state owned now) and all nuclear to the German state and now making risk free profits in a monopoly. Yet Leo argues against regulation and for more risktaking. See the contradiction? net and net development should be owned by the state whereas the work and maintenance are valid markets where there should be competition. And as was mentioned in another of your podcasts: clear price signals will do the rest.
We are on the coal Level (stone ande brown) on the level of 1955 according to Prof Bruno Burger! just to mentiom that! there is so much hoax on the internet about german NPP!
I'm very grateful to Leo Birnbaum for taking some time out of the Eurelectric #LightsOn Summit in Athens to speak with me.
We covered a LOT of ground - the need for rapid build-out of transmission, the impact of digitisation on the electricity sector and much more.
A really engaging conversation with an undisputed leader in European electricity and electrification.
Listen and learn!
I thought this was an excellent discussion. Leo comes across as a great CEO - straightforward answers to Michael's questions and not afraid to state if he doesn't do enough on various points (Africa). I liked the response regarding Nuclear in Germany...the decision was made so move forward..
On a technical point - watched on UA-cam and you can see the wind hitting the beach but it didn't affect the sound quality - so good job on that whether it was the tech set-up or post sound editing.
More interviews like this please!😊
Thank you very much Michael Liebreich and Mr. Brinbaum for the great episode and your brainstorms! I am looking forward to the next Cleaning Up!
Birnbaum zefix
Your guest is absolutely correct that electrification requires “more focus on grids” and “where the energy transition really happens is in the low voltage, medium voltage…grids”.
In the UK 80% of local grids are only capable of supplying 1 - 2KW continuously to each household according to a professor from Southampton University in written evidence to a Parliamentary Committee studying evs. Although meter boxes are fitted with 80 amp fuses (18.4 KW at 230v) this power consumption is only possible if it is for random amounts at random times which will not be the case when heating and transport is electrified. His conclusion was that evs could only be owned by 1 in 7 households even when staggering the supply to 7KW chargers and this was not taking into account the 4-5 KW needed for heat pumps running 24/7 in winter.
This explains why there is no plan for any grid-scale energy storage shown in the NGESO FES energy charts either by 2035 (or 2030 according to Labour’s plans for decarbonisation of our electricity) or by 2050. It is clear that storage is useless without the local grid capacity being sufficient to handle not only 12 KW for evs and heat pumps but also the expected large increases in demand when the wind blows allowing batteries and all other devices such as washing machines, freezers, immersion heaters etc. to be turned on when the power is available and consequently “cheap”. It is clear that electricity will need be rationed using smart meters not only because of the chaotic intermittency of renewables but even more so on a rolling basis for the local grids to cope with demand.
Of course all the local grids can be upgraded but I expect the cost to be £ trillions and to take decades as we don’t have the engineers…unless we import these from China or India as well as all our renewable infrastructure, metals and minerals….
sounds reasonable, but I am not sure
Hi Mike-it’s starting to come together
Vorsprung durch Angst ist das Europäische Motto!
great interview. Very open and interesting. However: E.ON is a perfekt example why europe and especially Germany falls behind : its all about de-risking and monopoly profits to the expense of the consumers (successful lobbying). E.ON dumping Gas to UNIPER (state owned now) and all nuclear to the German state and now making risk free profits in a monopoly. Yet Leo argues against regulation and for more risktaking. See the contradiction? net and net development should be owned by the state whereas the work and maintenance are valid markets where there should be competition. And as was mentioned in another of your podcasts: clear price signals will do the rest.
Yet PPM greenhouse gases pollution are at new highs and growth rates. This is all that matters...
We are on the coal Level (stone ande brown) on the level of 1955 according to Prof Bruno Burger!
just to mentiom that! there is so much hoax on the internet about german NPP!