"The New Energy Mix”, which gradually emerges in SE Europe and beyond, was the subject of IENE’s "8th SE Europe Energy Dialogue”, which took place in Thessaloniki (June 11 - 12, 2014). Held under the auspices of the Greek Presidency of the EU and organized in association with the World Energy Council (WEC), IENE’s annual "SEEED” attracted, once again, senior government officials from several SE European countries, top executives from most major energy companies of the region, senior executives from banks and financial institutions, as well as high ranking officials from major international organizations"The New Energy Mix”, which gradually emerges in SE Europe and beyond, was the subject of IENE’s "8th SE Europe Energy Dialogue”, which took place in Thessaloniki (June 11 - 12, 2014). Held under the auspices of the Greek Presidency of the EU and organized in association with the World Energy Council (WEC), IENE’s annual "SEEED” attracted, once again, senior government officials from several SE European countries, top executives from most major energy companies of the region, senior executives from banks and financial institutions, as well as high ranking officials from major international organizations.
The "8th SEEED” opened on Wednesday, June 11,with a session dedicated to the global and regional perspectives of energy, with senior executives of regional and international energy organizations and institutions among its speakers and co-ordinated by IENE‘s Chairman, Mr. John Chadjivassiliadis. Mr. Slav Slavov, Regional Manager of World Energy Council (WEC), contributed the opening remarks of the conference, whereas Mr. Timur Topalgoekceli, Energy Analyst of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Ms Barbora Jaksova, Advisor to EC Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, analyzed, respectively, the international and regional energy trends and the latest developments in Western Balkans and SE Europe. Mr. David Lippeat, (Counselor for Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy in Greece) and Dr. Narsi Ghorban ( Secretary to the Environment and Energy Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce, Iran Committee, Tehran, Iran), were also speakers in this inaugural session of "8th SEEED”. Mr. Costis Stambolis, IENE’s Executive Director, in his introductory remarks to the session, presented an overview of all important developments in the region over the last 12 months.
Dr. Yurdakul Yigitguden, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environment Activities (Vienna), chaired the next session, which focused on the electricity market priorities and infrastructure requirements in SE Europe. Mr. Aleksandar Mijuskovic, Executive Director of the Montenegro- based Coordinated Auction Office for South East Europe (SEE CAO) was this session’ s keynote speaker, followed by Mr. Nikolay Iliev (Head of the ATEE Department, Electricity Market Department, National Dispatching Center, Sofia, Bulgaria), Mr. Pavlos Baxevanis (Head of Regulatory Affairs and International Market Section, Energy Management Department, Public Power Corporation S.A. -PPC, Greece), Mr. Serhat Metin (Assistant Manager, Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation - TEIAS, National Load Dispatch – Control Center, Ankara, Turkey), Prof. Osman Sevaioğlu (Electrical Energy Sector Expert-Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey), Dr. Vesna Borozan (Professor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University "Sts. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, FYROM), and Dr. Anastasios Garis (Chairman and CEO, Greek Electricity Market Operator S.A. - LAGIE, Greece). A lively discussion followed where all aspects of the fast changing regional electricity market were analyzed.
At the end of the first day of IENE’s "8th SE Europe Energy Dialogue”, the official conference dinner followed, with Greece’s ex Minister of Environment and Energy, Dr. Evangelos Livieratos, Professor of Geodesy and Cartography at the School of Surveying Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as guest speaker. Dr. Livieratos gave a concise, yet in-depth, analysis of the history, economy and geopolitics of SE Europe and Eastern Mediterranean as pictured in cartography since the antiquity.
The second and last day of IENE’s "8th SEEED”, i.e. Thursday, June 12, started with a session on SE Europe’s expanding natural gas market. The session’s keynote speaker,Chris Walters, Managing Consultantof the UK-based energy consultancy group, Gas Strategies, provided a thorough outlook of the potential of the gas market of SE Europe, as well as a detailed outlook of the trends of the European gas market and production. The Director ofTechnical Activities Division at Greece’s Public Gas Corporation (DEPA-IGI Poseidon/IGB), Mr. George Kostopoulos, Mr. Milan Zdravkovic, Development Sector Director, of JP SRBIJAGAS (Serbia), Mr. Vladimir Durovic (Manager, Development Division Dept., PLINACRO Ltd, (Croatia), Mr. Theodore Zafeiropoulos (Of Counsel, Norton Rose Fulbright, Greece) and Dr. Michael Thomadakis (Member, Regulatory Energy Authority -RAE, Greece), also participated in this session. Dr. John Desypris (Director, Regulatory Affairs, Mytilineos Holdings S.A., Greece) was the session’s chairman.
The gas market challenges in SE Europe was the subject of the 4th session, with Mr. Roland Wolk, Head of Marketing & Sales, Central European Gas Hub AG (CEGH) (Vienna, Austria), as its keynote speaker and chaired by H.E. Petar Poptchev, Ambassador A.H. (Bulgaria). Mr. Gokhan Yardim (General Manager, Angoragaz Import Export Wholesale Inc., Turkey), Mr. Kostis Sifnaios (Business Development Director, Gas Trade SA, Copelouzos Group, Greece) and Mr. Panayotis Kanellopoulos (CEO, M&M Gas Co S.A., Greece) were also speakers in this session.
During this session, Mr. Costis Stambolis (IENE), Mr. Radamanthys Tsotsos (Hellenic Central Securities Depository (HCSD), Thessaloniki Branch and Ms. Argiro Roinioti, (Research Associate, IENE), made a joint presentation of an IENE project for the establishment of a regional Gas Trading Hub in SE Europe, assessing the potential and necessity of the concept and formulated a number of scenarios related to its establishment after 2019, once adequate gas quantities become available in the region.
Mr. Hans Hutta, General Director of the Vienna-based International Academy for Petroleum & Industrial Management (ICM) was the 5th session’s keynote contributor and chairman, which focused on the regional investment and business opportunities in oil & gas exploration. Mr. Hutta provided detailed data and analysis of the hydrocarbon exploration sector in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Mr. Ilia Gjermani (Regulatory & Management, Petroleum Sector, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Energy, Albania), Dr. Dinos Nikolaou (Petroleum Geologist & Member of IENE’s BoD, MoB of the Cyprus Hydrocarbon Company, Cyprus), Mr. Dimitris Gontikas (CEO and Vice President, Kavala Oil, Greece), Mr. Yannis Grigoriou (D. General Manager, Exploration & Production of Hydrocarbons, Hellenic Petroleum S.A., Greece) and Mr. Valentin Kuniev (Executive Director, BBSPA) were also speakers in this session.
"RES/Grid Transformation and Storage Revolution – Energy Efficiency and Cogeneration” were the subjects of the conference’s sixth session, chaired by Prof. Dimitris Mavrakis (Director, Energy and Policy Development Centre, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece). Mr. John Chadjivassiliadis, Chairman of IENE, was the session’s keynote speaker, followed by Mr. Nicholas Sofianos (Research Project Coordinator, IENE, Greece), Mr.Panayiotis Papastamatiou (Head of Research, ENTEKA S.A, Greece ) and Dr Sotirios Douklias (Senior Associate, Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm -KG Law Firm, Greece). Also, a contribution by the Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association was made, on a strategy for sustainable development.
IENE’s "8th SE Europe Energy Dialogue” concluded its proceedings with the 7th session, on thechanging energy landscape and the key policy issues facing SE Europe. Chaired by IENE’s Executive Director, Mr. Costis Stambolis, thesession hadDr. Yurdakul Yigitguden(OSCE), as its keynote speaker, who described the major energy challenges for SE Europe, related to energy security issues and co-operation, and, also, aspects of environmental protection.Mr. Slav Slavov (WEC), Mr. Gus Papamichalopoulos (Secretary General of IENE and Partner of Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm - KG Law Firm, Greece) and Mr. Costantin Synadino (Head of Lending Operations in Greece, European Investment Bank (EIB), Luxembourg) participated also in this session, with a detailed analysis on issues related to investment, policy and regulatory framework.
As an overall assessment, this year’s "SE Europe Energy Dialogue” meeting was highly topical in view of the ongoing debate between the EU and major suppliers with regard to the security of energy supplies, their high dependence on hydrocarbon imports and the global concern for the development of viable alternatives. The implications on market operation from the introduction and application of EU’s 3rd Energy Package also provided the opportunity for a wide ranging of discussion among the participants of IENE’s"8th SEEED”. Furthermore, the Dialogue focused on the latest developments of the region’s evolving natural gas and electricity markets and S.E. Europe’s ever deepening energy partnerships with Russia, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the East Mediterranean and North Africa.
Greece’s Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) was the event’s lead sponsor, while the Public Power Corporation (PPC) and the KG Law Firm were sponsors of the conference. Moreover, IENE’s "8th SEEED” was supported by Terna Energy SA, EDF Energy Nouvelles, Energean Oil and Gas Co., the Norton Rose Fulbright Law Firm and Greece’s Gas Transmission Operator (DESFA).
Media partners of IENE’s "8th SEEED” included the "Kathimerini” and the "New Europe newspaper, See News and Energia.gr
