The 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium, held on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at the Royal Hall in Nicosia, attracted wide interest from professionals and experts in the energy sector as well as from the business community. Entitled “A Time for Implementing Energy Projects" , this year's Energy Symposium was organized by the Energy Institute of SE Europe (IENE) jointly with Nicosia-based FMW Financial Media WayThe President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulidis, made the inaugural address, while Ms. Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives, also spoke at the opening session of the Symposium.
As every year, the Cyprus Energy Symposium covered the entire energy spectrum focusing on market developments, while facilitating discussions between government and investors. Having established itself as the most important annual gathering for the island's energy sector, the Cyprus Energy Symposium once again provided a suitable pltform for debating the hot questions arising from the island's energy transition drive.
Thus, the 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium opened new channels of communication between the government, energy professionals, business executives, academics and investors. With the participation of high-ranking officials as well as representatives of international oil companies, the Symposium served as a landmark, for 2023, of the energy progress of the Republic of Cyprus, signaling, at the same time, the country's next steps.
In his address, the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. George Papanastasiou, stressed the need for energy security and re-orientation of the current energy policy. More specifically, Mr. Papanastasiou broached the idea of the need for full energy autonomy as the best way of addressing the growing geopolitical instability and securing of much needed energy resources.
The speakers of the event also included the Chairman of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) Dr. Andreas Poulikkas, Mr. Diogenes Angelidis, Director-General of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC), Dr. Konstantinos Nikolaou, Vice President of the BoD at Energean Greece, Dr. Charles Ellinas, CEO & Founder of EC Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company Ltd (eCNHC), Ms. Marina Strovolidou, Head of Certification at Climate Bonds Initiative in Nicosia, Ms. Despina Theodosiou Panagiotou, Chairperson of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), and Mr. Stavros Stavrinos, Executive Director at the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSOC), while the important presence of IENE in the proceedings of the 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium should be noted, as the Chairman and Executive Director of the Institute, Mr. Costis Stambolis, the General Secretary & Chairman of the Energy Efficiency Committee of IENE Mr. Kostas Theofylaktos and Dr. Georgios Anthrakefs, Special Adviser of IENE on EEZ issues, participated as speakers and session moderators.
The four sessions of the 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium focused, respectively, on the hydrocarbons exploitation and production, the internal electricity market, electricity grids, RES and energy efficiency, electricity and investments in the energy sector.
More specifically,the rapid and unpredictable developments in the energy sector, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the EU's effort to wean itself off Russia's natural gas, the latest flare-up in the Middle East, on the occasion of the Israel- Hamas, the geopolitical economic and strategic realignments, the effects of the energy crisis and Turkey's reactions to the Cyprus EEZ covered the agenda on this year's 11th Energy Symposium, with its speakers thoroughly analyzing:
-
The geopolitical and energy rearrangements in Europe and the Middle East
-
Assessment of the international energy crisis
-
Cyprus' next steps in the field of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, in the light of new international and regional setting
-
The possibility of Cyprus to contribute to Europe's independence from Russia's natural gas
-
The results and perspectives of the energy cooperation among the states of the region
-
Rising energy costs
-
The importance of natural gas resources for energy transition
-
Energy companies' investments in the SE Mediterranean
-
The plans for natural gas transport pipelines from the Mediterranean to Europe
-
The utilization of natural gas for power generation
-
Cross-border electricity interconnections
-
The creation and implementation of the necessary legal and administrative framework, with the aim of improving energy efficiency in Cyprus.
The Hellenic Bank was the Gold Sponsor of the 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium, whereas Symposium Supporters were Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA), Cyfield Group, Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC), Energean, Cyprus' Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA), as well as Prountzos & Prountzos Law Firm.
VTT Vasiliko Ltd. was lunch sponsor of the event.
Media Sponsors of the Symposium were the “Fileleftheros” newspaper of Cyprus and ANT1 Cyprus TV Channel.
Online sponsors included the Energia.gr portal and Nomisma.com.cy website.
The 11th Cyprus Energy Symposium was held under the auspices of Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
For further information, visit the event’s website:
