Interchange Recharged

This special wrap-up episode of Interchange Recharged takes listeners on a fast tour of the entire carbon capture value chain, from industrial emitters and LNG developers to UK transport and storage pioneers. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Research Director at Wood Mackenzie, brings together three leaders shaping how CCUS moves from theory to reality. First, James Lopez, Subsurface CO₂ Storage Advisor at CEMEX, explains why cement’s process emissions make it one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and why storage certainty is now the key enabler for investment. He shares how CEMEX is identifying and evaluating CO₂ storage hubs across global sites, and why capture without a permitted storage solution is a business risk few emitters can take. “CCUS doesn’t work if you only have the C,” he says, “you need the full chain.” Next, Glenn Wilson, Chief Financial Officer at Coastal Bend LNG, discusses how LNG economics and carbon capture can work hand in hand. Designed from day one as a low-carbon project, Coastal Bend LNG is integrating capture across both pre-treatment and post-combustion stages, aiming for near-zero emissions. Glenn explains how 45Q tax credits and the sale of verified environmental attributes create a dual-revenue model, and why tokenising the carbon intensity of each LNG cargo could redefine transparency in global energy trade. “We’re not just reducing emissions,” he says, “we’re creating a new market for verified carbon value.” Finally, Nick Terrell, Executive Director at Carbon Catalyst, joins from the UK to reveal how depleted gas fields are being repurposed into next-generation carbon storage sites. Following the country’s first offshore CO₂ injection test, he shares how reusing North Sea infrastructure is cutting costs, driving bankability, and opening the door to cross-border storage for European emitters. As policy alignment grows between the UK and EU, Terrell argues that liberalisation and private capital will be the next accelerators. “Once we have more FIDs,” he says, “finance, technology, and data will do the rest.” From the cement kiln to the seabed, this episode captures the energy and optimism emerging across the CCUS ecosystem - a clear sign that carbon capture is moving from cautious planning to confident execution. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Recorded live on day two of Wood Mackenzie’s CCUS Conference in Houston, this episode of Interchange Recharged explores how carbon capture is advancing from state-level regulation to real-world innovation and global market trends. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez begins with Lily Barkau, Groundwater Section Manager at the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, who explains how Wyoming became one of the first states to secure Class VI primacy and why local leadership is key to building trust, speeding up permitting, and ensuring long-term stewardship of CO₂ storage. Next, Katherine Hough of GEVO connects policy with practice, describing how her team links biogenic CO₂, carbon sequestration, and sustainable aviation fuel to create a truly circular carbon economy. Her insights show how business models, not just technology, are making carbon management commercially viable. Finally, Sylvia sits down with Ed Crooks, Vice Chair, Americas at Wood Mackenzie and host of  Energy Gang [https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-energy-gang/], for a wide-angle look at how policy clarity, AI-driven demand, and global energy dynamics are shaping the next phase of CCUS. From permitting to project finance to public perception, this on-the-ground episode captures the collaborative energy driving carbon capture forward—and marks a rare crossover between Wood Mackenzie’s two flagship podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

This special episode of Interchange Recharged brings together finance, law, and technology leaders shaping the path to commercial carbon capture. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez explores how capital, regulation, and innovation are converging to turn early-stage CCUS projects into bankable reality. The conversation opens with Omer Farooq, Head of Sustainable Asset Finance at Bank of America, on how one of the world’s largest banks is approaching carbon capture — from financing first-of-a-kind projects to assessing new business models and risk structures. Omer explains why point-source capture is already investable, why direct air capture still has hurdles to clear, and why incentives like 45Q remain the backbone of the economics. “Policy drives energy,” he says, “and transport and permitting are the next frontiers.” Next, Liz McGinley, Partner at Bracewell LLP, joins to unpack the evolving U.S. regulatory landscape. She discusses the expanded 45Q tax credit, the lingering uncertainty around the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, and why the slow pace of pipeline permitting has become a bottleneck for deployment. Yet, she says, investor confidence is growing fast — driven by clarity on incentives and insurance mechanisms to manage geological risk. Finally, Shahul Hameed, Vice President of Global Oil & Gas Measurement Instrumentation at Emerson, explains how technology is catching up with policy. He shares how decades of oil and gas expertise are being repurposed for CO₂ transport and storage, and how automation, measurement accuracy, and data integrity are helping to de-risk projects. From AI-driven analytics to mass-based metering, Shahul outlines how precision is becoming the new currency of CCUS. From finance and legal frameworks to field-level innovation, this episode captures the mood on the ground in Houston — one of optimism, collaboration, and rapid evolution. As Sylvia concludes, “Finance follows certainty. The incentives are there, the technology is advancing, and the industry is learning fast.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

As RE+ 2025 wrapped up in Las Vegas, the mood across the show floor was one of contradiction: anxiety, anger, optimism, and opportunity all rolled into one. In this episode, Sylvia Leyva Martinez – Research Director and analyst covering global solar markets - sits down with Chris Seiple, Vice Chair of Power & Renewables, and Kasim Khan, Senior Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, to unpack the forces shaping today’s energy market. From the shockwaves of OB3 and FEOC restrictions, to investors navigating the whiplash of shifting subsidy regimes, Sylvia, Chris and Kassim talk about the conversations they’ve had with developers and manufacturers. Everyone is facing the same dilemma: double down on building compliant supply chains or hold back in anticipation of yet another policy reversal? Meanwhile, the collapse of early-stage development activity and the race to prove FEOC compliance are reshaping priorities across the industry. But there’s more than just uncertainty, there’s also innovation. Utilities are experimenting with new ways to fast-track data center interconnections, EPCs are doubling down on execution, and storage is emerging as the wildcard technology that could reshape both grid reliability and investor confidence. With US utilities already committed to 99 GW of new load from data centers - equivalent to nearly 15% of peak demand - the industry faces a defining test. Will the removal of subsidies finally level the playing field for capital, or will it strip away the last federal lever for climate policy? Tune in to hear why industry leaders believe we are living through the most uncertain moment in US clean energy history, and why that uncertainty could also create the biggest opportunities yet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Recorded live at RE+, Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Research Director at Wood Mackenzie, hosts Ryan Chen and Neil Bradshaw from Hithium to unpack the true costs of OB3, the constraints on innovation and fire safety as result of the bill, and the future possibilities for AIDC. Neil Bradshaw is Director of Global Applications Engineering, and takes the view that even US manufacturers aren’t immune from the OBBA’s sweeping impact on supply chains: “imagine you are a manufacturer based in the US but you're importing parts, and all of a sudden you have a policy that comes through that changes how you bring in parts and maybe you can't find local cells or you can't find a certain component,” he says. How are manufacturers responding to this uncertainty? How are they planning for the next few years, never mind decades? Ryan Chen is Chief of Staff to the Chairman at Hithium, and he shares with Sylvia how Hithium is betting big on Texas manufacturing, investing before they even had offtake agreements in place. You’ll hear how they’re importing not just equipment but full-scale Chinese manufacturing practices - down to autonomous container movers - and why true scale is the only way to compete.Plus, hear how AI is driving new demand for storage, how bankruptcies are shaking up the talent market, and why even something as small as a paint colour change can cost millions in safety testing. Got power? At Hithium Energy Storage, we make sure the answer is always yes. Hithium delivers safe, reliable, profitable energy solutions that keep the clean energy transition moving forward. Let green energy benefit all. Trusted worldwide, built to last. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].