This year’s SE Europe Energy Dialogue, which took place in Thessaloniki on June 19/20, attracted strong interest from business, academia, governments and regional organizations. Organized annually by the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE), this year's conference featured prominent experts, executives, and diplomats among the speakers. The agenda focused on energy security, geopolitical and diplomatic priorities, and the transition to clean energy in SE Europe and beyondThis year’s SE Europe Energy Dialogue, which took place in Thessaloniki on June 19/20, attracted strong interest from business, academia, governments and regional organizations. Organized annually by the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE), this year's conference featured prominent experts, executives, and diplomats among the speakers. The agenda focused on energy security, geopolitical and diplomatic priorities, and the transition to clean energy in SE Europe and beyond.
The proceedings of the 15th SEEED began with an address by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Mrs. Alexandra Sdoukou, who underlined the Ministry's role in strengthening cooperation and promoting common interests among SE European states in the energy sector. The Deputy Minister elaborated on the Ministry's and government's priorities, highlighting two regions of high geostrategic importance: the wider SE Europe and Black Sea region, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The address by Mr. Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community, an EU organization based in Vienna that facilitates the integration of the Western Balkans and wider SE Europe into the European Acquis in the energy sector, was particularly significant. Mr. Lorkowski praised Greece's role in efforts to integrate the electricity markets of neighboring countries such as Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
A highlight of the 15th SEEED was the address by H.E. Mr. Xiao Junzheng, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Greece. Ambassador Junzheng emphasized the increasingly significant role of the region due to its key geographical position, making it a focal point of global interest in commercial, energy, and wider geo-economic contexts. He noted that through the cooperation between State Grid and IPTO, China can assist Greece in building electrical connections with neighboring countries in SE Europe.
In the Ambassadors Forum which followed H.E. Mr. Matthew Lodge, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, and H.E. Mr. Arif Mammadov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan, under the moderation of Ambassador a.h. Michael Christides highlighted the prospects for energy cooperation between countries in the region. Additionally, the panel analyzed the impact of the current extremely tense geopolitical and diplomatic landscape, marked by the ongoing armed crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, on the region's energy sector, encompassing aspects such as production and interconnections.
Furthermore, the critical importance of energy security in SE Europe and the Southern Mediterranean was emphasized by acclaimed experts from the region and beyond. These included Mr. Slavtcho Neykov, Chairman of the Board of the Energy Management Institute of Bulgaria and Partner at IENE, Dr. William Gillett, Director of Energy Programs at the Scientific Advisory Council of the European Academies (EASAC) in Brussels, Ms. Eugenia Gusilov, Director of the Romania Energy Center (ROEC) and Partner at IENE, and Mr. John Roberts, Energy Security Specialist and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute.
Topics concerning the dynamics of electricity markets in SE Europe, as well as the development of related infrastructure, were analyzed by prominent figures such as Professor Pantelis Biskas from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at AUTH, Mr. Aleksandar Mijušković, President of the Board of Directors of the Electricity Transmission System Operator of Montenegro (CGES), and Mr. Antonis Kontoleon, Chairman of the Union of Industrial Energy Consumers (UNICEN).
The trends and opportunities for the development of nuclear energy in power generation in the region, particularly in light of the EU's revised "green" policy (New Taxonomy), were discussed by key industry figures such as Mr. Tim Yeo, President of the New Nuclear Watch Institute, former UK MP, and former Environment Secretary, and Dr. Teodor Chirica, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Romanian Nuclearelectrica.
Additionally, the conference featured distinguished experts in hydrocarbon exploration, such as Dr. Amit Mor, CEO of Israeli ECO Energy Financial and Strategy Consulting and Partner of IENE and Dr. Efthimios Tartaras, Head of Geoscience & Management at HEREMA. Prominent executives from the natural gas market, including Dr. Gerasimos Avlonitis, Director of Market Development at DESFA and Board Member of the Energy Exchange, Mr. Kostis Sifnaios, Vice President and CEO of Gastrade, and Mr. Milan Zdravkovic, DSO Executive Director at JP SRBIJAGAS in Novi Sad, Serbia, analyzed relevant trends, challenges, and opportunities in SE Europe.
Critical issues related to the regional energy transition, such as decarbonization, renewable energy sources (RES), and energy efficiency, were the focus of a session coordinated by Mr. Gus Papamihalopoulos, Senior Partner at KG Law Firm and Partner at IENE. Participants included Mr. Spyros Kiartzis, Director of New Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources at HELLENiQ ENERGY, and Dr. Muhsin Mazman, Director of the Energy Storage Division at Turkey's T-Dynamic.
The session on alternative energy solutions, such as green fuels, biomethane, hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), featured contributions from Ms. Liana Gouta, Director General of Fuels Europe, Mr. George Exarchou, Business Development Manager at French Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy) for Greece and Cyprus, and Professor Vassilios Veskoukis from the School of Agronomists at NTUA.
The 15th SE Europe Energy Dialogue, organized by the SE Europe Energy Institute and held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Energy and Environment, was supported by a group of leading and dynamic companies and entities in energy production and services. Sponsors and supporters of the conference included HELLENiQ ENERGY Group, Motor Oil, the Hellenic Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA), KG Law Firm, the energy company Elpedison, the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Management Company (EDEYEP) S.A., Gastrade, ZeniΘ, the energy company EnSCo, the consulting firm Grant Thornton, and the Regional Electricity Control Center of SE Europe (SELeNe CC) based in Thessaloniki.
Supporting organizations included the International Hellenic University (IHU) in Thessaloniki, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce.
Media sponsors for the event were the energy portal Energia.gr, NEGlobal.eu, SeeNews, allazorevma.gr, and the Policy Journal.
