Events / REKK Workshops
Gas phase-out - A blessing or threat for decarbonisation13 of September, 2022 - Regional energy policy forum
Location: Budapest Music Center, 1093 Budapest, Mátyás u. 8.

As part of the energy transition, a gradual reduction in the use of fossil fuels is unavoidable. While the phase-out of coal was placed on the national energy policy agenda several years ago, the question of what role natural gas can play in decarbonized economies is still widely debated. The war on Ukraine has accelerated the need to replace Russian fossil gas in Europe, but is a sudden phase-out helpful or threatening to decarbonization goals?

This year, REKK's annual energy policy forum focused on how to phase out fossil gas in the CEE region and at what cost. We explored supply-side options for replacing Russian fossil gas in the short and medium term, and separate panel discussions focused on how gas can be replaced by sustainable sources in the heating, industrial, and energy sectors.

Speakers were:

  • Andrej Nosko, Researcher and Visiting Lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
  • Andreas Graf, Senior Associate, Agora Energiewende, Germany
  • Katalin Kovács-Toperczer, Senior Economic Analyst, European Commission Representation in Hungary
  • Oskar Mazur, project manager at Siemens Energy, Sweden
  • Eszter Szekeres, Executive Director of Wholesale Operations and Optimization at MET Group
  • Pál Ságvári, Vice-Presidentfor International Affairs, Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority
  • Erika Kun, Head of Energy Trading, ISD Power Kft.
  • Zoltán Bige, Chief Strategy Officer, Nitrogénművek Zrt.
  • Zoltán Reng, CEO at Hungrana, Hungary
  • István Bart, Managing Director, Climate Strategy 2050 Institute
  • Péter Horváth, CEO, Dunamenti Power Plant
  • Richárd Balogh, MAVIR Hungarian Transmission Operator Co.
  • Péter Kotek, Senior Research Associate at REKK
Gallery

The event was supported by the REKK Foundation.