The
Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE) held in Athens, on 4-5 July 2017, an
international Workshop on "Energy Security in SE Europe and the role of LNG”,
which brought together high-level energy professionals from several European
countries, including some of the region’s top energy players, as well as from
pioneering companies working at global scale.
The Workshop
succeeded in providing the latest information and analysis on the critical
issue of regional energy security and the increasingly important role of LNG
through presentations and discussions on the present situation but also on
energy demand and technology prospects and forecasts.
The event’s first session, on Tuesday, July 4,
focused on the energy security dimension in SE Europe and the role of gas, and opened
with welcome and introductory remarks by Mr. Costis Stambolis, Executive
Director of IENE.
A highly respected energy expert, Mr. John Roberts, Senior Fellow at the,
Washington DC–based, Atlantic Council (USA), as well as Energy Security
Specialist at Methinks Ltd (Scotland), was among the session’s keynote
speakers. Other keynote speakers included Mr. Gokhan Yardim, General Manager of
Angoragaz and Manager and Partner of ADG Consultancy Ltd (Turkey) and Mr. John
Arapoglou, Chairman of the BoD of Gastrade (Greece).
A panel discussion followed, with the
participation of Dr. Marika Karagianni (Caspian Energy Expert, Demokriteion
University of Thrace and Research Associate ΙΕΝΕ, Greece), Dr. Charles Ellinas
(CEO, Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company Ltd., Cyprus), Dr. Stylianos Bikos
(Head, Commercial Division, Public Gas Corporation, Greece) and Mr. Dimitris
Mezartasoglou (Research Associate, IENE, Greece). The discussion was
co-ordinated by Mr. Christos Dimas (Chairman of IENE Geopolitics Committee,
Honorary Chairman of the Hellenic-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Greece), who
chaired this session.
The second session, on the global and regional LNG market perspectives,
chaired by Mr. Costis Stambolis, opened with the keynote presentations by Mr.
Spyros Paleogiannis (Managing Director, Med Gas and More Ltd, ex- CEO, Public Gas Corporation -DEPA,
Greece) and Mr. Max Vauthier (President, LNG Value Ltd, UK).
Ms. Elfride Covvarubias (Business Development Manager for Italy &
Mediterranean Area, DNV GL MARITIME, Italy), Mr. Alex Lagakos (President, Greek
Energy Forum, Greece) and Dr. George Paparsenos (Independent Energy Consultant,
ex- CEO DESFA, Greece) participated in this session’s panel discussion, which
ended the works of the first day of the Workshop.
The second day of this international IENE event, Wednesday, July 5, started
with the 3rd session, which focused on the challenges and
opportunities in the regional LNG market. Mr. John Roberts chaired this
session, which opened with an address by Dr. Michael Thomadakis (Head of Energy
Sector, Grant Thorton, Greece), who outlined the role of LNG in bolstering energy
security in SE Europe.
The 3rd session was divided in two parts. In the first one, on LNG
Production and Export Options in East Mediterranean, Dr. Charles Ellinas (CEO,
Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company Ltd., Cyprus) and Mr. Panayotis
Kanellopoulos (Managing Director, M & M Gas, Greece), participated as
Keynote speakers. A panel discussion followed, with the participation of Mr.
Max Vauthier and Mr. Nicholaos Sofianos (Head of
Research, IENE, Greece).
The second part, on LNG storage and gasification options, analyzed both the
land-based and the FSRU solutions. Mr. Nikolaos Katsis (Director of Operations
Division, Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator SA, Greece), Dr. Marika
Karagianni (Caspian Energy Expert, Demokriteion University of Thrace and
Research Associate ΙΕΝΕ, Greece) and Ms. Marianna Charalampous (Member of the
Board, Natural Gas Public Company, Cyprus), provided, with their presentations,
valuable information on the most recent developments in this sector.
The Workshop’s 4th and final session, on the growing importance of LNG for
European energy security, included also two parts both chaired and co-ordinated
by Mr. Spyros Paleogiannis. Ms. Elfride Covvarubias and Dr. George Paparsenos
delivered presentations describing the market aspects of LNG’s rising
importance for Europe, and also discussed the relevant subjects.
The technical perspectives of LNG’s implications on European energy
security were analyzed by the speakers of the second part of this last session.
Dr. Philip- Mark Spanidis (Project Manager, Oil & Gas Systems, Asprofos SA,
Greece), Mr. Laurent Ducoup (Technical Director, Sofregaz, France), Mr. Panos
Yannoulis (Chairman, Oceanking, Greece) and Ms. Daria Nochevnik (Deputy Head of
Brussels Branch, Greek Energy Forum, Belgium) were the speakers of this part,
who also participated in a panel discussion.
IENE’ 2-day workshop on the Energy Security in SE Europe and the role of
LNG concluded with a round-up by Mr. John Roberts and Mr. Costis Stambolis.
M&M Gas, Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operation – DESFA S.A. and
Greece’s Public Gas Operation –DEPA S.A. were the event’s supporters, while the
daily Kathimerini and Greece’s leading energy portal, Energia. Gr, were media
partners.
A
microsite with the speeches, presentations and interventions of the workshop will
soon be available and IENE will inform its members accordingly.