CERAWeek Podcast with Atul Arya

The energy transition is increasingly becoming an energy expansion, as electrification, industrial growth and AI-driven demand accelerate the need for reliable electricity. In this episode, Morten Wierod, CEO and President of ABB, joins Atul to discuss how rising power demand is reshaping priorities for grids, infrastructure and industrial systems worldwide. 
 
The conversation highlights why grid resilience is emerging as a national security issue, illustrated by the 2025 blackout in Spain and Portugal that left 65 million people without power. As electricity becomes more central to economic activity, reliable grids are now critical infrastructure priorities.
 
Key topics:
The shift from energy transition to energy expansion as electricity demand accelerates
Grid resilience as a national security priority in an increasingly electrified world
Energy efficiency as a hidden hero, with potential savings exceeding 10% of global electricity consumption
Electrification, AI-driven demand and automation reshaping industrial energy systems

Energy demand continues to grow, but the defining feature of today's energy system is volatility.
In this episode, Nick Studer, Incoming Chief Executive Officer of Marsh Risk, President and Chief Executive Office of Olivier Wyman, joins Atul alongside Mark Pellerin, Global Head of Energy & Natural Resources at Oliver Wyman, to discuss how rising uncertainty is reshaping decision-making across the energy sector—and why risk management and insurability are increasingly shaping which energy projects get financed and built.
Key topics:
Risk management shifting from operational issue to board-level priority
The surge in power demand from data centers and implications for infrastructure investment
Bankability and insurability shaping the pace of new energy technologies
A "commercially smart" energy transition where profitability and sustainability must coexist
Climate adaptation and resilience as growing balance-sheet considerations
This episode builds ahead to CERAWeek 2026, March 23–27 in Houston, where leaders will examine how risk, resilience and capital allocation are shaping the next phase of the global energy system. Learn more at ceraweek.com

Low-carbon fuels could work in today's engines, pipelines and refineries—without rebuilding the entire energy system.
Meg Gentle, Executive Director of the Board at HIF Global, joins Atul Arya to discuss how e-fuels—synthetic hydrocarbons made from renewable electricity, water and recycled CO₂—could help decarbonize sectors where electrification is difficult.
The conversation explores how "drop-in" fuels can leverage existing infrastructure, why aviation and shipping are key early markets, and what it will take to scale global production—from certification systems to partnerships across the fuel value chain.
Key topics:
Producing gasoline from renewable electricity, water and recycled CO₂
Drop-in fuels that work with today's vehicles and fuel infrastructure
Scaling e-fuel production and reducing costs through larger facilities
Sustainable aviation fuel as a key pathway for aviation decarbonization
Direct air capture as a future CO₂ source for synthetic fuels
Global carbon accounting and certification systems to enable trade
This episode builds ahead to CERAWeek 2026, March 23–27 in Houston, where leaders will examine how molecules and electrons together will shape the next phase of the energy transition. Learn more at ceraweek.com

Steel accounts for 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions—making it one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize.
José Fonrouge, Global Environmental Director at Ternium, joins Atul to discuss the realities of reducing emissions in a two-billion-ton industry. The conversation examines structural constraints—from coal dependence and infrastructure gaps to global market dynamics—while outlining pragmatic pathways grounded in recycling, energy efficiency and hydrogen innovation.
Key topics:
The global scale of steel production and its emissions footprint
The current state and growing potential of steel recycling
Carbon capture and emissions reductions targets for steel
"Turquoise hydrogen" as a potential low-carbon pathway
Incentives, trade dynamics and global "green steel" standards
This episode builds ahead to CERAWeek 2026, March 23–27 in Houston, where leaders will examine hard-to-abate sectors, industrial competitiveness and the energy transition. Learn more at ceraweek.com

Green hydrogen is entering a more disciplined phase—where project viability and secured offtake matter more than headline announcements.

In this episode, Kim Hedegaard, CEO of Power-to-X at Topsoe, joins Atul to discuss what it will take to scale clean fuels on commercially sound foundations.

The conversation examines how the sector is shifting toward industrial maturity—where access to competitive power, risk mitigation and capital discipline determine which projects move forward. 

High-temperature electrolysis, offering between 20-30% greater efficiency, compared to other electrolyzer technologies illustrates how technology can improve economics—but bankability will ultimately define the pace of deployment.

Key topics:


Moving from hydrogen hype to commercial discipline
Offtake, risk allocation and project bankability
Efficiency gains in high-temperature electrolysis
Scaling manufacturing to reduce costs
Policy and regulatory drivers shaping demand
This episode builds ahead to CERAWeek 2026, March 23–27, where leaders will examine how technology, capital and policy must align to scale the next phase of the energy transition. Learn more at ceraweek.com