This year, the annual Regional Gas Conference, convened by the Croatian Gas Center, celebrated its Jubilee by organizing from October 21-23 the 35th International Scientific & Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals. The meeting was held virtually on account of the measures of prevention and limitation of the contagion of the coronavirus. IENE participated in the conference by presenting a paper on the “Prospects for the Establishment of Gas Trading Hubs in SE Europe”.
The paper was presented by its two authors: IENE’s Chairman and Executive Director Mr. Costis Stambolis and IENE’s Head of Research Mr. Dimitris Mezartasoglou and was based on the related study on the "Prospects for the Establishment of Gas Trading Hubs in SE Europe”, which was completed in November 2019.
The authors highlighted the latest developments regarding the conditions and prospects for establishing regional gas trading hub(s) in SE Europe.As the authors argued, there is now a number of nascent gas trading hubs in the region, which include those in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Ukraine. According to the EFET’s Annual Scorecard 2019, Greece is the frontrunner in SE Europe in its attempt to establish a regional gas trading hub, which is known as Hellenic Trading Point (HTP).The full operation of the Hellenic Energy Exchange, which is now scheduled for November 1, 2020, is expected to augment and strengthen the trading aspects of the HTP by facilitating "gas future” trading. It is also worth noting that currently there is not a single proper gas trading hub east and south east of Vienna, whose CEGH could act as a pivot for organizing and promoting gas trading in this region.
The Virtual Jubilee 35th International Scientific & Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals was organized by the Croatian Gas Association and Croatian Gas Center Ltd. More information about the conference is available at: https://susret.hsup.hr/en/
