124. The challenging Energy Transition of Japan - Mar24

124. The challenging Energy Transition of Japan - Mar24

“It’s hard to play a good game when you have been served weak cards”. This is the perennial challenge of Japan when it comes to the Energy Transition. And the game is getting harder when your two main choices, nuclear and hydrogen, are proving extremely costly in a world of cheap renewables.

How robust is a business model based on a protected internal market with high margins and limited competition allowing Japan Inc. to expand abroad at super competitive prices, but stifling innovation and diversification? Japan is “Prisoner of its geography” (to quote Tim Marshall); thankfully its answer has been a world class level of engineering allowing to partially overcome its shortcomings.

And Gerard, during his recent trip to Japan, has witnessed some extraordinary achievements in the energy transition in the downstream sector, with extreme energy efficiency, retail innovations, and digital developments.

We have the pleasure to welcome Shuichiro Kawamura, who heads one of the rare investments’ funds focusing on the Energy Transition. Established in 2006, Energy & Environment Investment (EEI) is Japan's first VC firm solely dedicated to the energy and environment sectors. They support startups with innovative technologies and services in this space, aiming to drive sustainable growth and positive global impact. As of Q1_24, the AUM of EEI is around US$500MM, with more than 130 portfolio companies. There is no easy formula in Japan. Only the smarts will survive.

We thank our friends and partners AQUILA CAPITAL for supporting our show.

Episoder(180)

197. The fight for accurate Carbon Accounting and 24/7 Green Power - Sep25

197. The fight for accurate Carbon Accounting and 24/7 Green Power - Sep25

With Gerard away, Laurent invited another Irishman, Killian Daly, to dive into a technical—but critically important—topic: carbon accounting, power procurement, the GHG Protocol (v3), and the push for...

29 Sep 202521min

196. Are SAF and Marine Green Fuels worth the Carbon Reductions? - Sep25

196. Are SAF and Marine Green Fuels worth the Carbon Reductions? - Sep25

Aviation and marine transport together account for approximately 15% of global oil consumption—a substantial share driven by sectors that are among the hardest to decarbonize. Unlike road transport or...

22 Sep 202530min

195. The Battery Doctor - Sep25

195. The Battery Doctor - Sep25

Battery technology lies at the core of the global energy transition, but managing and optimizing battery systems has become a highly specialized discipline. ACCURE is a cutting-edge startup that is re...

15 Sep 202530min

194. Next-Gen Weather Forecasting: AI, Satellites, and Drones - Sep25

194. Next-Gen Weather Forecasting: AI, Satellites, and Drones - Sep25

Water, wind, sunlight — the driving forces behind renewable energy. The better we can predict them, the more we can accelerate progress and reduce risk.  Weather forecasting is undergoing a quantum le...

8 Sep 202526min

193. The Seven Deadly Sins of the Energy Transition

193. The Seven Deadly Sins of the Energy Transition

Three wise men met and discussed the Seven Sins of The Energy Transition. Laurent, Gerard and Michael dissect seven sectors that have captured attention, investments and public money and are at best d...

1 Sep 202530min

192. How AI will revolutionise Energy

192. How AI will revolutionise Energy

Gerard delivered a keynote on Digitalisation, AI, Supply Chains and Electrification at the EcoVadis Global Summit.Gerard Reid argues that we are living through a new industrial revolution driven by di...

25 Aug 202523min

191. “How Big Things Get Done” with Pr. Bent Flyvbjerg (hosted by Michael Barnard)

191. “How Big Things Get Done” with Pr. Bent Flyvbjerg (hosted by Michael Barnard)

This is a re-release of the legendary interview by Michael Barnard of Pr Bent Flyvbjerg on our sister show ”Redefining Energy Tech” Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, an expert on megaprojects and author of Ho...

18 Aug 20251h 19min

190. Solar and Flex – Solar Power Summit 2025

190. Solar and Flex – Solar Power Summit 2025

This Spring, Laurent Segalen was invited by Solar Power Europe to moderate a panel, during the Solar Power Summit, around the theme ”Winning the Flex challenges”.The Speakers were:Andrea Wechsler, Mem...

11 Aug 202539min

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