Energy Technology: Industry Insights

GlobalData Energy
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Energy Technology delivers strategic, actionable insights for energy industry professionals across the value chain. Each week, we dive into the forces shaping power, oil and gas and mining – from market forecasts and policy updates to technology breakthroughs and supply chain intelligence – bringing together expert voices and data-driven analysis, powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence platform. This podcast builds on reporting from GlobalData’s energy titles: Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology.

  1. 6d ago

    Drones in solar: where can automation deliver the most value?

    Solar farms are getting bigger every year, and with them, so are the challenges of design, construction and maintenance. Drones are flying to the rescue to lower costs, improve safety and optimise output. Today, drones are being deployed across the full solar lifecycle, from site surveying and construction monitoring to post-commissioning O&M.   In this episode, we explore how drones can deliver the most value for the industry. Joining us to share their insights are Suneil Sastri, VP of product management at Zeitview, Joshua Baum, commercial lead at Percepto, and Rehaan Shiledar, senior power industry analyst at GlobalData.  We discuss drone use cases across the value chain, BVLOS regulations, Drone-in-a-Box and AI potential, and where the industry’s heading.  ⁠Jackie Park⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, editor-in-chief of GlobalData's energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode.   Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Offshore Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Mining Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.   (00:00) Intro  (01:08) How drones are used across the value chain  (02:46) Where can drones most and least help?  (06:07) Navigating BVLOS operations  (09:17) Drone-in-a-Box: achieving full autonomy  (10:54) AI and the software-first evolution  (13:24) The next frontier    Resources from this episode:  GlobalData’s 2025 Drones: Strategic Intelligence report GlobalData’s 2025 Future of Work in Power report

    Drones in solar: where can automation deliver the most value?

  2. Sep 1

    Can digitised colonial records unlock the DRC’s mineral exploration potential?

    The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking greater access to historical geological records held in Belgium as the country looks to exert greater control over the information underpinning its mineral wealth. The involvement of US mining company KoBold Metals has added a new dimension to the debate, bringing geological archives into the wider discussion around digital exploration and critical minerals. But how valuable is geological information collected decades ago? We speak with Junior Nsimba Badila, Klaus Eckhof and Russell Menezes, CEO of RadiXplor, about resource sovereignty, China's longstanding presence in the DRC, historical exploration data, and the technologies being developed to make vast archives of geological information searchable and usable. The discussion moves beyond the DRC to consider whether AI can change the economics of exploration by allowing geologists to interrogate millions of pages of historical information in a fraction of the time. Alejandro Gonzalez, editor of Mining Technology and MINE magazine, is the host of this episode of Energy Technology: Industry Insights. Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters. (00:01) Intro (02:14) Why the DRC wants access (03:10) Making use of historical record: the challenge (04:02) Digitalisation and AI driven geological research (07:20) A new kid on the block: critical minerals (08:30) Who will drive this effort? (12:40) Ends

    Can digitised colonial records unlock the DRC’s mineral exploration potential?

  3. Aug 25

    Electrifying offshore: what is slowing rig electrification?

    Offshore oil and gas electrification has proven benefits including lower operational costs and emissions reductions. However, global uptake has remained low and, outside of Norway, most platforms still rely on fossil power. Potential decarbonisation wins have been overshadowed by rising infrastructure costs and long connectivity timelines, but the burgeoning offshore renewables sector could bolster the oil and gas industry’s economic incentive to electrify. Unpacking why upstream electrification has stalled are four expert guests: Dr Maurizio Bragagni, chairman and CEO of cable manufacturer Tratos, Said Addi, previously the global lead of crude and fuel oil trading at E3 Energy Group, Thomas Manuel Ortiz, former senior technical advisor for energy issues at Texas General Land Office, and Mo Razzaq, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData. Eve Thomas, editor of Offshore Technology, is the host and producer of this episode.  Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters. (00:00) Intro (01:19) Why most rigs are fossil powered (03:18) Assessing electrification economics (04:24) Grid connection constraints (04:58) Advantages of offshore electrification (05:53) Do emissions affect barrel price? (06:50) Decarbonisation is not a fix-all (09:19) Why Norway leads (10:47) Offshore wind for power (12:10) Renewables could improve investment value (13:36) What is needed to support electrification

    Electrifying offshore: what is slowing rig electrification?

  4. Aug 18

    AI in smart grids: how grid tech is navigating challenges and opportunities

    AI represents a huge opportunity for the grid sector facing a rapidly changing load landscape. However, for the historically conservative and risk-averse industry, trustworthiness remains a hurdle to mass implementation.  Fragmented network data is another challenge – at the same time, it could represent an opportunity for AI to work around the flaws.  In this episode, we gather insights directly from three leading grid management tech providers: Ralf Blumenthal, SVP Europe at Siemens Grid Software, Linda-Maria Wadman, Chief Commercial Officer at Plexigrid, and Talal Eskandar, Executive Managing Director at Reactive Technologies. They explain the role AI plays in their technologies and what the industry could expect ahead.   We’re also joined by Rehaan Shiledar, senior power industry analyst and author of GlobalData’s 2026 Smart Grids report, to discuss the risks and rewards AI can bring to smart grids.  ⁠Jackie Park⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, editor-in-chief of GlobalData's energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode.  Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Offshore Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Mining Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.  (00:00) Intro  (00:48) Overview: AI in smart grids  (02:20) How grid tech providers are integrating AI  (05:23) Fragmented data: AI’s opportunity and challenge  (08:36) Building trust in AI  (10:05) Calls for action    Resources from this episode:  GlobalData’s 2026 Smart Grid: Strategic Intelligence report, authored by Rehaan Shiledar

    AI in smart grids: how grid tech is navigating challenges and opportunities

  5. Aug 11

    Underground LDES: turning mines and caverns into energy storage 

    As intermittent renewables expand, so does the demand for long duration energy storage (LDES). However, different geologies and applications require tailored solutions, and increasingly developers are looking to the subterranean. Underground storage bypasses some limitations of traditional electrochemical batteries, including degradation, thermal runaway and supply chain constraints. However, compressed air energy storage (CAES) and underground gravity energy storage (UGES) bring their own techno-economic challenges. In this episode, we speak to two underground energy storage providers to understand how the sector is taking shape on (and under) the ground. CEO of Storelectric Tallat Azad addresses CAES, while founder and CEO of Green Gravity Mark Swinnerton unpacks the technicalities of UGES. We also hear from Edward Barbour, associate professor of energy systems and storage at the University of Birmingham, about the broader landscape. Eve Thomas, associate editor of GlobalData’s energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode.  Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.   (00:00) Intro (01:46) How CAES and UGES work (02:22) Comparing underground technologies (03:36) How Storelectric uses CAES (04:34) Geology for CAES (05:24) How Green Gravity uses UGES (06:19) Abandoned mines for UGES (07:13) CAES bottlenecks (08:24) UGES bottlenecks (09:17) Relative advantages of CAES (09:49) Relative advantages of UGES (10:48) CAES energy storage capacity (12:00) UGES energy storage capacity (13:29) Grid impact (14:37) Underground innovation (15:19) Outro

    Underground LDES: turning mines and caverns into energy storage 

  6. Aug 4

    Lessons from the Iran War: China’s oil buffer and energy resilience, tested

    The 2026 Iran war and subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz was yet another harsh wake-up call to the entire world – after the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and trade wars – about the dangers of foreign reliance for energy supplies. Yet, throughout the height of the crisis, China, the world's largest crude oil importer appeared relatively immune to the blow. Has the Asian powerhouse truly reached a level of energy resilience unmatched, or were the cracks inevitably about to show like the rest of the world? In this episode, we’re breaking down China’s management of recent oil flow disruptions and its march toward energy independence. Joining us to share their insights are Rory Green, head of emerging markets research at TS Lombard (TSL) and author of TSL’s recent report ‘Is China immune to energy shocks?’, and Dr Erica Downs, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, specialising in Chinese energy markets and geopolitics.  ⁠Jackie Park⁠⁠⁠⁠, editor-in-chief of GlobalData's energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode. Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Offshore Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Mining Technology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters. (00:00) Intro (01:15) China's resilience to energy shock (05:34) Remaining risks to resilience (06:36) China’s stockpiles: how effective? (07:57) Absorbing shock to causing shock (09:10) China’s response to a prolonged closure of the strait (11:03) Russia: a buffer or another vulnerability? (14:18) Lessons from the war Resources from this episode: Find Rory Green’s report ‘Is China immune to energy shocks?’ and more economic analysis on Chinese markets by subscribing to the GlobalData TS Lombard Portal.  You can also find Rory’s report and more oil and gas industry insights on GlobalData’s Intelligence platform.

    Lessons from the Iran War: China’s oil buffer and energy resilience, tested

  7. Jul 28

    Cyber espionage in mining: how big is the threat?

    Cyber espionage represents a silent but prolific threat for mining operators. In an era of increasing digitalisation, the mining industry has more attack surfaces than ever before. As the race for transition minerals heats up, the sector also has more security-critical information, including geological surveys and M&A planning.   As a result, cyber espionage is rife – most states are both perpetrators and victims. Yet, the clandestine nature of the threat makes it near-impossible to quantify.   In this episode, we speak to William Akoto, professor of foreign policy and global security at American University, and Nilesh Raghoo, associate analyst at GlobalData, to understand the scale and shape of the threat, the technologies that make operators vulnerable and those being used in cyber defence.  Eve Thomas, associate editor of GlobalData’s energy titles, is the host and producer of this episode.  Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.   (00:00) Intro  (01:56) What is cyber espionage?  (02:26) The Night Dragon campaign example  (03:03) Mining operators hold valuable data  (04:41) Attack surfaces in mining technology  (05:21) How operators are reacting  (06:10) Rio Tinto example  (06:36) Who are the perpetrators?   (07:31) Norge Mining example  (07:55) Is cyber espionage illegal?  (09:42) Recorded Future report  (10:02) The scale of the threat  (11:46) AI and quantum computing: a changing landscape

    Cyber espionage in mining: how big is the threat?

  8. Jul 14

    Automation and AI in biofuel refining: Q&A with Honeywell

    Biofuel demand is growing, driven by decarbonisation strategies across hard-to-abate sectors. However, scaling up production presents challenges; feedstock variations are unavoidable, and conventional refineries aren’t built for the chemical diversity of waste inputs, nor the contaminants. In this episode, we speak to Lewis Sweet, general manager for sustainable fuels and chemicals at Honeywell Process Automation, to understand how automation and AI are preparing the biofuel refinery space for a future of increasing demand. We consider the current capabilities of automation and AI, alongside the likely future trajectory, and ask how technology can tackle the challenges of inconsistency, both in feedstock supply and content. Eve Thomas, editor of Offshore Technology, is the host and producer of this episode. Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.  (00:00) Intro (01:21) Automation use in biofuel refining (02:15) AI conversations in biofuel (03:36) Integrating AI in biofuel automation (04:54) Automation and AI in supporting biofuel production (07:36) Embedding supportive technologies (09:42) What AI insights offer industry (10:51) Feedstock composition as a pain point (11:32) Will technology help to manage feedstock variables? (13:33) Where to begin (14:23) Outro

    Automation and AI in biofuel refining: Q&A with Honeywell
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Energy Technology delivers strategic, actionable insights for energy industry professionals across the value chain. Each week, we dive into the forces shaping power, oil and gas and mining – from market forecasts and policy updates to technology breakthroughs and supply chain intelligence – bringing together expert voices and data-driven analysis, powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence platform. This podcast builds on reporting from GlobalData’s energy titles: Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology.

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