In a well though out special event held on December 6 a highly prestigious group of experts gathered at EI's central London premises under the capable chairmanship of veteran gas market analyst and international consultant James Ball ,to debate the fast changing European energy scene and the role of gas in it. With a suitable conference theme, " Gas at a crossroads- what happened to the Golden Age of Gas?" the conference examined all different aspects at both global and European level
Revisiting IEA' Golden Age of Gas scenario Tae - Yoon Kim ,energy analysts,from IEA's Paris headquarters set the discussion in context by presenting the organisation's latest findings from its 2017 World Energy Outlook study. With IEA's earliest prognosis for a fast moving gas penetration into world markets having somehow been diluted as a result of the unexpected and consistent rise, over the last five years, of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) a more realistic approach concerning gas's role emerged. This view was reinforced in a way by the presentation of Zsuzsanna Szeles ,policy officer at DG Energy of the European Commission, who expanded on the way that the EU gas industry is moving towards a low carbon scenario.
A number of key issues now facing European gas markets were addressed by Christopher Wright, senior LNG and Gas Analyst at Vitol in Switzerland, who obviously focused on LNG' s prospects in view of ever expanding global production and observed shifts in consumption patterns in Europe, and by Graham Bennett, Vice President of DNV GL, who presented alternative scenarios on the energy transition and its impact on European gas demand. The debate was carried forwards through a series of highly focused presentations by Alex Barnes, Government Relations Advisor at Nord Stream 2, Dr. Katja Yafimava, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies and by Mehmet Ogutcu, chairman of the Istanbul based Global Resources Partnership.
In a technology oriented session the future role of LNG as a widely used transportation fuel was presented by Rod Wood, Chief Executive of Gasrec, and by Philip Fjeld, Chief Executive of CNG Fuels who talked on the use of biogas in transportation. Finally the future of gas and its role in a decarbonised world was discussed by Nicola Pitts, Head of Market Change, Gas, at National Grid, in a well documented presentation.
The contributions by the above speakers not only presented a thorough review of latest developments in the European gas scene but also provided a much needed insight as to where European gas markets are heading in view of undergoing cataclysmic changes in market structure and operation.Representing IENE its Executive Director, Costis Stambolis, participated in this highly stimulating conference and actively took part in the various panel discussions highly motivated by the presence of old friend and colleague James Ball who for many years was Editor of Financial Times's International Gas Report.
