Access for Women in Energy (AccessWIE) participated in the ‘Energy Union Future Leaders’ academy, organised by the Greek Energy Forum, a partner of AccessWIE, and under the auspices of the European Commission.
The academy took place on 10-12 November, at the University of Piraeus in Greece. Two AccessWIE members benefited from the sponsorship available.
Dr Carole Nakhle, CEO of Crystol Energy and President of AccessWIE, spoke during the opening ceremony about the latest energy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the region’s peculiar geopolitics highlighting some of the regulatory, economic, fiscal and political challenges on exploiting gas in the region.
Other distinguished speakers included HE Geoffrey Pyatt, US Ambassador to Greece; and Mr Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President responsible for Energy Union in the European Commission. Both speakers stressed the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region in the EU’s energy security and diversification of supplies given its strategic location. The Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr George Stathakis, added that Greece has already met its 2020 target with 30 percent of its energy mix coming from renewables, with the country remaining committed to the Paris agreement.
Professionals from leading energy companies also discussed, during Days 2 and 3, the liberalisation of electricity and gas markets in Greece and Southeast Europe; the challenges and opportunities of financing energy efficiency; investing in strategic interconnections and infrastructure in the region; as well as the change in the global crude oil flows and how the Mediterranean ended up being a clearing market.
The Academy’s objective was to educate students and young individuals on the significance of the European Energy Union and its benefits for the region and highlight the indispensable element of ‘regionality’ in contemporary European energy policy.
