The latest issue of “IENE News” No 14, for Autumn – Winter 2025-26 has just been published (see here). Rich in content, it covers the Institute’s activities in all areas of interest comprising research, publications and events. With its Editorial focusing on research and innovation, the Institute sends out a strong signal on where its priorities lie in the months ahead.
Another area of focus is the Institute’s flagship publication, which was released early in February this year. The “South East Europe Energy Outlook 2025/2026” is a comprehensive study which deals with the current energy situation in the SE European region but also covers the “Outlook” from now until 2050. The study covers all 16 core countries in the region as well as a number of peripheral countries, economically and geographically related to the core countries. This is the fourth time that such a major study has been undertaken by IENE with the first one published in 2011. The study contains substantial comparative data, detailed sectorial analysis, and energy demand and production estimates and projections.
As stressed in the Editorial, the “SEE Energy Outlook 2025/2026” is a milestone marking not the conclusion but rather the beginning of a renewed and more innovation-driven research phase for the Institute. Having fully revised and streamlined its Research Programmes, these are now grouped into twelve well-defined areas of work, IENE broadens its scope of research to additional areas as Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), Carbon, Capture, Utilisation and Storage technologies (CCUS), Data Centers etc.
The issue also reports on the 29th National Energy Conference “Energy and Development 2025”, which was convened by the Institute on November 11 - 12, at the OTE Academy in Athens. Once again, this major annual IENE conference, which is regarded as an institution for the Greek energy community, drew strong interest by a large number of executives from home and abroad. The “Energy and Development 2025” Conference focused on market operation as well as on emerging geopolitical issues.
Another major IENE event presented in this latest “IENE News” issue is the one-day “Innovation in Energy” conference convened at the prestigious Cotsen Hall in Athens, on May 8, 2025. Examining the critical role of innovation in energy transition, the conference coincided with the launch of the Institute’s “Innovation in Energy” programme, which was presented during the event. The conference reviewed several facets of innovative solutions over a wide range of energy applications and, in addition, examined the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in accelerating the search for appropriate clean energy technologies for large scale applications in SE Europe and further afield.
The readers of this issue can also find information on an event on green bonds and green financing, jointly organized by the Athens Chamber of Commerce (ACCI) and IENE, which took place on May 27, 2025. This joint ACCI-IENE "Green Bonds as a Financing Tool for Low Carbon Emission Projects" event provided Greece’s business community the opportunity to learn more on financing opportunities for low carbon projects through the issuance of green debt, for companies involved in low-carbon emission projects, such as renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency.
“The Economics of CCUS Applications” was the subject of another IENE Workshop covered in the current issue of the “IENE News”. This event, organised by the IENE on March 12, 2025, at the Technical Chamber of Commerce (TEE) in Athens, sought to examine the financial and policy implications of the deployment of this innovative sustainable technology in Greece as elsewhere in SE Europe.
One can also find information on the highly topical “AI and Energy Transition” webinar which was held on May 20, 2025, and highlighted the energy dimension of an issue that is currently at the forefront of the global technological agenda and focuses on the impact of AI on energy demand and the management of energy systems.
“IENE News” No 14 also provides information on the publications the Institute released in 2025. One of them is IENE’s study on the “Energy Options in the East Mediterranean” (M72, July 2025), which provides an overview of the current and anticipated energy developments in the East Mediterranean by presenting the energy options which are attainable for the countries of the region within a realistic framework. IENE’s annual Report on “The Greek Energy Sector 2024” is also presented in brief in the Newsletter.
One can also find information on a special report on “Heat Pumps and Applications in Energy Transition”, explaining the basic principles of HP’s, latest technological developments, and their role in Energy Transition, which was published as background paper prior to the Institute’s Workshop on “Heat Pumps and Applications in Buildings”, which took place at the Technical Chamber of Greece on April 2, 2025.
Moreover, information is provided on a new electronic newsletter published by the Institute. Since July 2025, “SEE Energy Update”, a new monthly newsletter has been freely available to anyone interested in following the Institute’s activities as well as the major energy developments in the wider South Eastern European region. One may register to receive the newsletter free of charge by accessing the relevant part on Institute’s site (www.iene.eu)
“IENE News” No 14 also covers the active participation of IENE in several events organized by other institutions and organizations. One such event where IENE’s Chairman, Mr. Costis Stambolis, participated was the annual Flame conference held in Amsterdam (May 13-15, 2025) which brought together some of Europe’s top gas suppliers, traders and industry leaders. In his presentation, Mr. Stambolis focused on the role and prospects of the Southern Gas Corridor.
Mr. Stambolis was also a speaker in one of the panels of the Delphi Economic Forum (DEF), Greece’s and SE Europe’s leading business event, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, but also moderated a separate panel the following day. More specifically, he participated as speaker at the “Climate and Energy: The Challenges of the Dual Transition” panel and moderated the panel on “Building Bridges in a Fragmented World” which brought together some the country’s foremost thinkers and managers.
In addition, following an invitation by the International Energy Agency, the then General Secretary (and currently Deputy Chairman) of IENE and Chairman of the Institute’s Energy Efficiency Committee, Mr. Kostas Theofylaktos, took part in the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, held in Brussels by the IEA, on June 12-13, 2025.
