The Institute of Energy for South-East Europe (IENE) is organizing a one-day conference on Liquid Biofuels and their use in the transport sector, under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Development. The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 2006 and will be held in the amphitheatre of the GAIA Centre at the Goulandris Museum of Natural History in Kifissia (Othonos Street 100).
Over the past years, biofuels have proved to be a serious alternative source of energy, especially in the transport sector. Recognizing their contribution to the reduction of gas emissions and their role in improving the security of energy supply, the European Union has promoted the development and use of biofuels in all its member-states for some years now. Indeed, a directive to this effect regarding liquid biofuels (2003/30/EK) obliges all countries to replace conventional fuels with liquid biofuels by 2010 to a height of 5,75% of the total of fuels used for transport in the EU. A law to this effect was also recently passed in Greece (Law 3423/2005, Government Gazette A’ 304/2005).
The conference’ s thematology will be centred around: the market for biofuels in Europe; energy-producing plants and their cultivation under Greek conditions; the energy balance and its repercussions on the environment; the legal and institutional framework for agriculture, but also for the sectors of energy, transport and the environment; the new trends regarding biofuels in the EU; and, the economic-financial data of biofuel production and distribution in Greece.
The conference organized by IENE is aimed, on the one hand, at calling attention to the above subjects and, on the other, on offering information to interested companies, producers and consumers. Also, another of the Institute's basic aspirations is for the conference to contribute towards the elaboration of a strategic framework for the development and promotion of liquid biofuels in Greece.
The event is expected to be addressed by important representatives of the sector, among whom: a European Commission representative, Prof. Spiros Kyritsis, Mr Nikos Liapis, Exploitation Director of ELINOIL, Ms Kalliope Panoutsou and Ms Myrsini Christou from the Department of Biomass of the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), as well as by Dr Georgios Paparsenos on behalf of IENE. The conference is supported by Greek biofuel company Agroinvest SA.