Grid Decarbonisation at Scale: Can a Whole Country Go Net Zero? Artwork

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Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions

Grid Decarbonisation at Scale: Can a Whole Country Go Net Zero?

April 09, 2025 • Tom Raftery / John Sturman • Season 1 • Episode 215

0:00 | 49:45

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In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I sat down with John Sturman, Managing Director at NatPower UK, to dig deep into the realities of grid decarbonisation and energy transition at nation scale.

John pulled back the curtain on how NatPower is scaling up battery storage and renewable projects not just in the UK, but across the globe. From developing Europe’s largest battery storage pipeline to pioneering power solutions for maritime decarbonisation, this conversation gets into the detail of what's needed to hit net zero — and what’s holding us back.

We discussed:

Why the UK is currently one of the strongest global markets for battery storage
The urgent grid reform needed to meet the UK’s 2030 clean power targets
How long-duration battery storage could replace gas peaker plants sooner than expected
The overlooked challenge (and opportunity) of decarbonising the shipping industry
Why AI will be essential to balancing increasingly complex power grids
And why empowering communities is critical to speeding up the clean energy build-out

John didn’t shy away from naming the bottlenecks — planning delays, outdated infrastructure, and regulatory barriers — but he also laid out practical fixes that could unlock faster deployment of clean power.

If you’re serious about understanding the mechanics behind the transition to a net zero grid, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Listen now and get climate confident.

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