The prospects and challenges of the gas market in Southeast Europe will be at the heart of IENE’s latest online workshop titled "Gas Markets in Transition in SE Europe", which will take place on Tuesday, June 8, between 13:00 – 18:00 (Athens time), via livestreaming. The webinar will bring together some of the most important “players” from the region since leading representatives of the energy sector from Greece and abroad will be attending its sessions.
More specifically, key political actors and business executives such as MEP and member of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Maria Spyrakis, the Senior Director of the United States Energy Association, William L. Polen and the Secretary General of Hydrogen Europe, Giorgos Hatzimarkakis will address the Webinar. Among the key speakers in the opening Session is Dr. Marios Tsakas, CEO of Greece’s Regional Gas Distribution Company (DEDA).
Furthermore, leading representatives of leading energy organizations from around the world and renowned energy market experts have already confirmed their participation; those include: Andreas Guth (Policy Director, Eurogas), Dr. Andrey A. Konoplyanik (Adviser to Director General, Gazprom export LLC Co-chair from the Russian side of the Work Stream 2 “Internal Markets” Russia-EU Gas Advisory Council Member of Scientific Council for System Research in Energy Russian Academy of Sciences), Hans Kreisel ( CEO Nordion Energi (Sweden) Chairman GEODE in Brussels), Dr. Gottfried Steiner (CEO Central European Gas Hub from Austria), and among the Greek participants are Theodore Terzopoulos, Coordinating Director, Strategy & Corporate Affairs DEDA, Chairman of IENE’s Committee on Natural Gas, Biomethane and Hydrogen, Dr. George Paparsenos (Independent Energy Consultant) and more.
The workshop will be opened with the introductory comments of the Chairman and Executive Director of IENE, Costis Stambolis. According to IENE’s Chairman:
‘The Webinar is highly topical since over the last 12 months we have been witnessing the arrival of substantial new gas quantities in SEE from several destinations (e.g. TurkStream, TAP-TANAP, new LNG). At the same time, numerous key interconnections are being implemented across the region contributing to increased gas trading and market integration. Very high on the agenda of the Webinar are the latest developments concerning the role of natural gas in energy transition in view of EU’s so far critical assessment of natural gas in terms of its new taxonomy and the EIB’s binding decision to suspend funding for all gas related projects from 1 January 2021. Therefore, the question surrounding the suitability of natural gas as bridge to an environmentally sustained energy system acquires a new importance as well as its role in gradually reducing GHG emissions by 2050. At the same time, the debate remains open as to whether hydrogen is a real alternative that can be combined with natural gas and how it could replace it on competitive terms.”
“As there appears to be a strong inconsistency between pursued EU policy targets regarding gas use and locally applied policies, particularly favoring further gas use, sooner or later this serious policy discrepancy will have to be addressed at the highest level. A strategy correction and associated mid- and long-term action plans shall need to be put in place.”
Overall, the event will have six sessions focusing on the following issues:
- The context of developments in the gas markets in South-East Europe - Introductory Session.
- Gas Market Integration and Market Dynamics.
- Gas Infrastructures of the Future.
- Gas Trading Outlook in SE Europe.
- EU’s New Taxonomy and the Role of Natural Gas.
- The Emergence of New Technologies: Hydrogen and Biomethane.
The Lead Sponsor of IENE's Natural Gas Webinar is HELLENIC PETROLEUM SA, Greece's leading energy group, while the Media Sponsor is the energy portal energia.gr.
For further details and free registration, please click here.
