October proved to be an exceptionally busy month for IENE and its executives as they took part in a series of well-attended and highly-focused conferences in Germany, Serbia and Croatia. IENE’s participation in these top-level events demonstrates in the clearest fashion the Institute’s strong commitment to a regional agenda but also its growing presence at an international level.
On October 16 and 17, Mr. Costis Stambolis participated in a conference on "Energy Security as a Security Challenge in Southeast Europe?", organised by The Aspen Institute Germany in Alt Madlitz, Brandenburg, Germany. This highly exclusive international meeting took place at the Gut Klostermühle resort, with the participation of 35 experts and senior political executives representing all SE European countries and Germany. Mr. Stambolis, invited by the management of the Aspen Institute Germany, presented a paper on "Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency and their Role in SEE Energy Security”, which will soon be available in IENE’s website.
Mr. Stambolis also participated actively in the round table discussions on regional energy security and the prospects for its improvement. IENE’s Executive Director backed by solid figures and analysis argued that the enhancement of energy security is possible only through the enrichment of the better energy mix and of the exchange of energy flows, especially in electricity and natural gas.
IENE’s Executive Director was also one of the panelists at the 6th annual Energy Arena 2013, SEE Regional Conference on Energy, which took place in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 23, organized by the Ιnfoarena organization, under the auspices of the government of Serbia and of the Energy Community. Among the speakers of this high-level conference were the Prime Minister of Serbia, Mr. Ivica Dačić, the Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection of Serbia, Ms. Zorana Mihajlović, the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Ms. Daniela Bobeva, Mr. Fabrizio Barbaso, Fabrizio Barbaso, Deputy Director-General of DG Energy, European Commission, Ministers of Energy of Croatia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina etc., as well as senior executives of ΕΙΒ, EBRD and Energy Community.
Mr. Stambolis took part in the round table discussion co-ordinated by Ian Brown, Senior Adviser, Power and Energy, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Serbia. The Roundtable focused on the role of the private sector in aligning SEE markets with the EU energy policy and strategy. Mr. Petr Steiner (Director, Refining, Hart Energy, Belgium) gave the introductory lecture on "The South East Europe Energy Outlook”, which formed the background for the round table discussion which ensued.
It has to be noted that Serbia’s state hydrocarbon company, NIS, was the conference’s basic sponsor and supporter, with its CEO, Mr. Kirill Kravchenko, being one of the event’s keynote speakers. Other participants at the aforementioned Roundtable were Mr. Vadim Vorobev (Vice President for Petroleum Products Sales Coordination, Member of the Management Board, LUKOIL, Russia). Mr. Radu Caprau, Director (Downstream Optimization & Supply of OMV Petrom), Mr. Gaetano Massara (CEO, General Electric South East Europe) and Mr. Aleksandar Kovacevic (Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies).
The outlook for energy demand in SE Europe by 2020-2022, the rising role of RES and the investments which are necessary in the energy industry, and especially in refining, natural gas – networks, pipelines, LNG etc. – and coal-fired power stations, based on local lignite reserves were the basic topics of discussion. The challenge for a combination of the required energy investments, with the parallel need for adopting environmental protection measures in a competitive financial framework, was a common theme which was reiterated by most participants. Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the introduction of RES in the energy mix of Western Balkans are, according to the participants at the roundtable, an essential yet difficult task, in view of the economic problems faced by the countries of the region. The views of the speakers varied considerably on this subject, with the need for the further exploitation of domestic solid fuels reserves being the only point of common reference. However, as it was noted, this strategy does not comply with EU’s environmental agenda. Thus, large-scale funding for RES development and energy efficiency backing is of paramount importance for the adjustment of West Balkans to EU standards.
Finally, IENE’s Executive Director participated in the 6 th Balkan Energy Finance Forum in Zagreb, Croatia, on October 16-17, represented by Mr. Nicholas Sofianos, Research Projects Coordinator of the Institute. Mr. Stambolis’s presentation focused on "Investment and Financial Implications from SE Europe’ s Energy Outreach”. At the 6 th Balkan Energy Finance Forum Mr. Sofianos also presented his own contribution, on investment trends and outlook of the RES sector. Both presentations will soon be available on IENE’s website (iene.eu). For IENE its participation in the 6th BEFF presented a first-class opportunity for furthering its contacts in Croatia and in the vicinity. This was especially important in view of the preparation of the Institute’s forthcoming seminar in Zagreb on April 8th, 2014 (see IENE events) and the revised "SE Europe Energy Outlook 2014” study, the preparation of which has already commnced.
