The COVID-19 pandemic hit many industries hard in 2020, including automotives. Electric vehicles’ sales, however, grew substantially from 2019 -- and the trend should continue in 2021, supporting the demand for battery metals such as lithium and cobalt. This edition of the Platts Future Energy podcast explains why EVs outperformed internal combustion engine cars and how the lithium and cobalt markets reacted to this increase amid the pandemic.

In the latest Platts Future Energy podcast, Janjoost Jullens, Energy Lead at the at the Blocklab innovation lab in the Netherlands, and James Rilett, Senior Director of Innovation at S&P Global Platts, tell Henry Edwardes-Evans about Platts AI trading platform Distro. Rotterdam's blockchain-based microgrid has driven user costs down 11% and producer returns up 14% - now its developers are looking to extend its reach within the port and roll the system out elsewhere.

New financial tools are emerging alongside new technology to help companies address greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike green bonds, where the proceeds from the bond are used for new and existing projects with environmental benefits, sustainability-linked bonds can be more flexible.  NRG Energy announced the issuance of a $900 million sustainability-linked-bond earlier in December. The company says that is going to help them achieve a 50% reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 from a 2014 baseline.   Gaetan Frotte, the senior vice president and Treasurer at NRG Energy, spoke with Energy Evolution co-host Taylor Kuykendall about the latest announcement. 

Cobalt is a pivotal metal for the batteries that underpin electric vehicles. Recent long-term supply commitments signed by battery makers suggest that cobalt is set to remain a crucial component for many years, as such understanding the market and pricing of this metal is critical. In the latest instalment of the Platts Future Energy podcast, Emmanuel Latham is joined by Robin Tisserand, Cobalt Broker at SCB Group, to discuss the market, the major pricing issues and the risk management options available to the market and what this means for cobalt’s future as a key battery raw material.

As the world aims to hit global climate goals, countries and companies around the world are setting targets and making plans to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas. While utilities are leading the way in the energy sector, rising pressure from investors has the oil and gas sector working to catch up. S&P Global Market Intelligence's Energy Evolution interviewed Williams Cos. Inc. President and CEO Alan Armstrong and Enbridge Inc. Chief Sustainability Officer Peter Sheffield on their companies' recently-announced ambitions to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  Energy Evolution co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Subscribe to Energy Evolution on your favorite platform to catch our latest episodes!

The global steel sector accounts for roughly 7% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Blast furnaces, which process iron ore and coking coal, and produce most of the world’s steel, have a higher emissions intensity compared with mini-mills that melt ferrous scrap. Incorporating hydrogen and renewable power could help the sector lower its emissions profile as it looks for new ways to meet demand for greener steel. S&P Global Platts managing editor Andrew Moore speaks with Platts senior editor for steel raw materials and metals analysis Hector Forster and Platts Analytics’ lead hydrogen analyst Zane McDonald on how hydrogen may help transition the steel sector away from emissions-intensive blast furnaces and more toward direct reduction iron- and scrap-fed electric arc furnaces. The discussion covers global steel production trends, PCI coal substitution by hydrogen, power and hydrogen sources, carbon-based taxes on steel in Europe, and how demand for low emissions steel is already being seen in Europe.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to enter the White House with big plans to address climate change, a goal with substantial implications for the energy sector. Biden's climate plan is a $2 trillion economywide proposal that looks to cut or eliminate emissions from power generation, transportation, buildings, agriculture and more. S&P Global Market Intelligence's Energy Evolution team briefly previews some potential implications for the energy sector with senior policy correspondent Molly Christian. Energy Evolution co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Subscribe to Energy Evolution on your favorite platform to catch our latest episodes!

While Democratic nominee Joseph Biden and Republican President Donald Trump have different stances on fossil fuels, much of the demand for clean energy is being driven at the state and individual consumer level, where it may be difficult to reverse the momentum of a transition toward more renewables. But there are several ways that transition could be slowed or accelerated by the outcome of the election. In the second of two episodes on the Nov. 3 contest, S&P Global Market Intelligence's Energy Evolution team spoke about potential impacts to the oil, gas and utility sectors with Lillian Federico, energy research director for Regulatory Research Associates, Sarah Ladislaw, a senior vice president and director of the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Christine Tezak, managing director of research at ClearView Energy Partners. Co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Subscribe to Energy Evolution on your favorite platform to catch our latest episodes!

In this first Platts Future Energy podcast, representatives from Analytics, News and Pricing discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Energy Transition, with a focus on: energy demand and carbon emissions, now and in the years ahead; recovery programs, whether supportive, regressive or ineffective; and finally, the technology pathways set to emerge strongest from the pandemic.

With the upcoming U.S. presidential election offering two very different visions for the energy industry's future, some executives remain confident the renewable energy transition has gained a permanent foothold no matter the outcome. On Energy Evolution's latest episode, Sunnova CEO John Berger, Hannon Armstrong Managing Director Susan Nickey, Ramaco Resources Chairman Randall Atkins and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz game out what's at stake in 2021, based on who prevails in November. Co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Be sure to subscribe to Energy Evolution on your favorite platform to catch our latest episodes!