At a special event held today, February 5, at the Athens Exchange (ATHEX), IENE's flagship publication, the “South East Europe Energy Outlook 2025/2026”, was presented in full to an audience of energy market executives, experts and diplomats. The study provides substantial data on the region’s energy resources but also identifies the prevailing energy trends. The study also provides estimates of the investment potential in the energy sector for the 16 countries comprising SE Europe. In the event, the main contributors to the study, who belong to the broader scientific team of IENE, presented their findings and responded to questions from the audience.
The event started with opening remarks by Mr. Manolis Kalaitzakis, Chief Strategy and Development Officer of ΕnEx Group (Hellenic Energy Exchange Group). Introductory remarks were contributed by the Chairman of IENE, Mr. Costis Stambolis, who described the background and origins of the study. He also commented on the current situation in the energy sector of the overall SE European region, including Greece.
In the main part of the event, IENE’s Chairman and Executive Director, Mr. Costis Stambolis, presented in detail the Institute’s major study, “SEE Energy Outlook 2025/2026”. He underlined that, according to the study’s calculations, which comprehensively examines the issues of energy infrastructure, energy supply and demand, energy security and investment prospects, the potential for new investments in energy infrastructure and systems in SE Europe is expected to exceed 700 billion by 2035.
Moreover, as Mr. Stambolis noted, one of the central findings of the study is the impressive increase in the participation of RES and nuclear energy in the power generation mix. However, the penetration of RES in the overall energy balance is much lower due to the great inertia that characterizes it. If we exclude Turkey – which represents approximately 50% of the total consumption demand and energy investments in the region – the participation of fossil fuels appears reduced. Nevertheless, the total consumption of oil is increasing, mainly due to the rise in GDP and the increase in the number of motor vehicles.
Another point highlighted by the Chairman of IENE, the only regional think tank in SEE, is that, despite energy resource diversification, all countries in SE Europe remain highly dependent on oil and gas imports. Furthermore, he stressed that the steady increase in RES penetration over the last decade calls for the strengthening of electricity grids, energy storage and interconnectivity within the region.
Subsequently, some of the main contributors of the “South East Europe Energy Outlook 2025/2026” provided a brief presentation and commentary on their respective part of the study. These included Mr. John Roberts, Energy Security Specialist (Methinks Ltd, Scotland, UK), Mr. Konstantinos Theofylaktos, Deputy-Chairman of IENE and Chairman of the Institute’s Energy Efficiency Committee, Dr. George Giannakidis, Managing Director of Energy Transition Consultants Ltd (EnTC), Dr. Ioannis Kambouris, Technical Consultant of the Southeast Electricity Network Coordination Center (SEENCC), Mr. Nikos Sofianos, IENE’s General Secretary and Chairman of the RES Committee of the Institute, Mr. Aleksandar Kovacevic, Energy Economist (Belgrade, Serbia), Mr. Nikolaos Liapis, Energy & Business Consultant, Managing partner of ActaNonVerba and Chairman of IENE’s Downstream Committee, as well as Mr. Kostis Oikonomopoulos, Petroleum Geologist and IENE Research Fellow.
The presentation concluded with comments by Mr. Spyros Kiartzis, Manager New Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources of HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings S.A., which was the Lead Sponsor of IENE’s flagship publication.
The study was made possible thanks to the financial support provided by a group of 20 companies active in the region’s energy sector. These included the following:
The Lead Sponsor of the “South East Europe Energy Outlook 2025/2026” was HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings S.A.
Sponsors included DEPA Commercial S.M.S.A., DESFA (Operator of the Greek National Natural Gas System) S. A., Energean, Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA S.A.), Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operation (IPTO - ADMIE), the Kyriakidis-Georgopoulos (KG) Law Firm, and TERNA Energy.
The following companies participated as Supporters of the study: Asso.subsea, Copelouzos Group, ElvalHalcor, EnExGroup (Hellenic Energy Exchange Group), Cenergy Holdings, the energy services company EnSCo, EPIAS (Energy Exchange Istanbul), Hellenic Halyvourgia, IBEX (Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange), ICGB AD, Metlen, Motor Oil and Nuclearelectrica.
