More than 60 speakers and panellists will attend the SE Europe Energy Dialogue, now in its 13th edition organised by the Institute of Energy for South-East Europe (IENE).
This year the main conference theme will focus on energy security with market integration and sustainability issues also discussed at length. The Energy Dialogue starts with a global and regional overview and then continues with a discussion on the war in Ukraine and Europe’s and SEE’s in particular, energy dilemmas. The diversification of the regional gas market in terms of supply routes and suppliers is another important session with contributions from speakers from all different countries in SEE. Following that, the debate narrows down to the energy and security implications for SE Europe.
The role of the EU’s Green Deal is examined in light of the latest developments including the Fit for 55 package and the latest REPowerEU plan. There are bound to be profound implications for the region and these will be discussed and analysed in the context of expanded electricity networks and the much bigger energy storage installations required, so as to secure higher penetration of variable Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The role of Energy Efficiency is vital for the pursued energy market transformation, and this is examined both globally and regionally. The need to combine RES with Energy Efficiency solutions emerges as a topic which is attracting increasingly greater attention from industry and consumers alike and this will also be discussed in some detail.
Electricity market integration is another major issue which will be first discussed at the Energy Exchange CEO level to be followed with examples from regional markets including major industries. Market coupling, intraday, day-ahead, balancing and forward market issues along with bilateral contracts will be discussed and analysed at length. The Energy Dialogue will pursue further the discussion on the Green Agenda in the context of decarbonisation efforts now taking hold across SE Europe where the operation of efficient electricity networks is a sine qua non-condition.
Accelerating decarbonisation in the region does not necessarily mean the abandonment of hydrocarbon exploration and production efforts since gas, along with nuclear, is widely recognised as the main transition fuel which has a specific role to play many years ahead in maintaining and optimising the electricity system operation. In this sense, the Energy Dialogue is devoting a whole session to enhancing hydrocarbon exploration in SE Europe where active hydrocarbon geological formations are to be found in the Adriatic, the Ionian, the East Med and the Black Sea.
This year’s Energy Dialogue will conclude with a session on energy investment challenges as there are mounting needs for channelling funds to various projects in all areas of the energy sector. Companies in the region have to compete hard with countries outside SEE in order to secure adequate funding for their projects. In spite of current difficulties in project finance, the whole SE European area is attracting much greater interest than say 5 years ago and according to the latest IENE study, the total energy-related investment needs in the region until 2030 are estimated to exceed 480 billion euros. Hence, the discussion on energy investment needs and financing mechanisms is expected to attract considerable interest.
You may find more information on the 13th SEE Energy Dialogue’s programme, confirmed speakers and registration process on the conference’s microsite.
