As Greece came out of the Covid pandemic lockdown and summer took hold a number of long overdue energy conferences were organised to which the Institute was invited to participate and express its views on a number of critical issues. On July 29 IENE’s chairman, Costis Stambolis, was an invited keynote speaker in the AHEPA annual convention in Athens where he presented an all round view on “Greece’s Key Strategy Energy Challenges”. In his presentation Stambolis stressed the changing energy mix and the country’s increased dependence on imported gas and hence the need for increasing indigenous energy production both from conventional and renewable resources.As Greece came out of the Covid pandemic lockdown and summer took hold a number of long overdue energy conferences were organised to which the Institute was invited to participate and express its views on a number of critical issues. On July 29 IENE’s chairman, Costis Stambolis, was an invited keynote speaker in the AHEPA annual convention in Athens where he presented an all round view on “Greece’s Key Strategy Energy Challenges”. In his presentation Stambolis stressed the changing energy mix and the country’s increased dependence on imported gas and hence the need for increasing indigenous energy production both from conventional and renewable resources.
Earlier, on July 20-21 IENE’S current chairman and the Institute’s past chairman John Chatzivasiliadis actively participated in an investment oriented workshop organised by the Alpha Energy Initiative which focused on green energy and the increasingly important role of energy storage. Costis Stambolis made a presentation stressing the role of conventional fuels (lignite and natural gas) as well as electricity imports in maintaining the necessary condition in order to enhance greater RES penetration. John Chatzivasiliadis on his part expanded on the long term role of energy storage both pump storage and batteries.
Earlier in the month, on July 8-10 IENE’s chairman participated in a panel discussion in the 5th Crete Energy Conference which took place in Heraklion, Crete. Costis Stambolis joined the conference online from Athens and in his brief remarks he stressed Crete’s crucial regional role as the ongoing electricity Interconnector projects - which by 2023 will fully link the island with both mainland Greece and Cyprus- will enable Crete to expand greatly its renewable capacity. From the present 300 MW up renewables could increase to 2,0 GW and perhaps more given the island’s ideal solar and wind regime. To enable such huge expansion in installed RES capacity there will be a need for energy storage and this is an area where IENE has carried some ground breaking work on a project it carried out on behalf of Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO).
