The event focused on transforming the Eastern Mediterranean into an interconnected energy corridor, making a substantial contribution to the security of supply for the wider region, was the focus of the high-level event co-organized by HELLENiQ ENERGY and the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), on Wednesday, October 7, in Athens.
As HELLENiQ ENERGY CEO Andreas Siamis noted in his opening remarks, “Greece is a natural energy gateway to European markets, and both companies and the government have taken significant steps to fulfill this role, so that energy products reach European consumers either through the development of infrastructure such as pipelines and cables, or through a transport network by land and sea.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Participants in the Forum included, among others, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, and the Minister of Energy, Trade, and Industry of Cyprus, Michalis Damianos, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Karim Badawi, the Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration at the U.S. Department of Energy, Joshua Volz, as well as the Secretaries-General of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), Osama Mobarez and the International Energy Forum (IEF), Jassim Alshirawi.
Also in attendance were representatives of EMGF member states, ministers and government officials, regulatory authorities, representatives of the Gas Industry Advisory Committee (Gas Industry Advisory Committee—GIAC), leading companies and energy infrastructure developers, investors, financial institutions, and international energy organizations.
The conference focused on the conditions necessary to connect the region’s energy resources with the infrastructure, markets, and capital required for their development. This was evident both in the discussion among energy ministers, institutional representatives, and members of the energy industry, as well as in the thematic panels that followed, the key challenges to establishing a functional regional energy system were examined. Particular emphasis was placed on identifying energy corridors and priority projects, liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, pipelines, storage, and interconnections, as well as the conditions required for projects to reach Final Investment Decisions (FIDs).
The discussion also covered cross-border regulatory harmonization, the efficiency of permitting procedures, and mechanisms for allocating commercial risk. A common focus of the event was linking the strategic discussion to specific priorities which can support the attraction of capital and the acceleration of procedures for the implementation of projects of the utmost importance.
The human dimension of energy corridor development featured prominently on the agenda, through a special session featuring the EmpowerMed Women Network. The discussion focused on the leadership skills and specialized expertise required to implement complex projects, as well as on the contribution of female professionals to strengthening the energy sector’s workforce.
With a presence in eight countries and operations across the entire energy value chain, HELLENiQ ENERGY participated in the dialogue as one of the largest energy groups in Southeast Europe, highlighting the critical role of cross-border infrastructure, with a prime example being the Vardax pipeline, which was recommissioned earlier this year, connecting HELLENiQ ENERGY’s facilities in Thessaloniki with the Group’s facilities in Skopje. Vardax transports transportation fuels to the Republic of North Macedonia as well as to neighboring markets in the Balkans, contributing to the region’s energy security and resilience.
HELLENiQ ENERGY and the EMGF facilitated a dialogue focused on implementation, focusing on partnerships and investment conditions that can strengthen the Eastern Mediterranean’s position on the regional and European energy landscape.
