Electricity interconnections and renewable energy in spotlight at 5th Energy Forum

The speakers will include leaders of the energy sector and politicians who will discuss strategies and issues that the Baltic energy sector will have to face in order to ensure successful and smooth functioning of the common energy market.

Lithuania’s electricity interconnections with Poland and Sweden and cooperation with these countries will be in focus.

The participants at the Energy Forum will include the President of the Management Board of Polish Power Exchange S.A Ireneusz Łazor and former Minister of Finance of Sweden Pär Nuder.

Latvian Seima Consultant on Energy Reinis Aboltinš along with Estonian and Lithuanian energy sector representatives will discuss challenges associated with the gas sector.

One of the most important topics is renewable energy. Gustav Melin, President of Aebiom and CEO of Swedish Bioenergy Association is sure that other countries can learn much from Lithuania.

“We must encourage the energy sector to move towards producing fuel that is more eco-friendly and at the same time, adjust funding schemes and political decisions. A good way to achieve efficiency is a carbon tax, because hybrid energy and electricity production helps lower costs and carbon emissions. Lithuania is a good example for how to develop a market with centralized heating and hybrid heating and electricity, one which the rest of Europe should follow,” Melin notes.

Questions about biomass will be discussed by Board Chairman and CEO at Eesti Energia AS Hando Sutter, prospects of solar energy development in the Baltic region will be presented by Chairman of the Board of Global BOD Group Vidmantas Janulevičius. Tadas Navickas, the Managing Director of UAB 4energia will review the opportunities of developing wind farms in Lithuania.

“The energy interconnections launched several months ago have already made considerable changes in the energy market. Lithuania is located among three major energy markets with their own distinct tendencies. They have considerable influence on the energy flows into the country, which means that energy is a dynamic field that influences the economy of the Baltic States significantly,” Janis Bethers, one of the moderators and CEO at Enefit UAB, says.

The organiser and founder of the Energy Forum is the chairman of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania Robertas Juodka. He says that one of the main goals of the forum is to invite representatives from the entire regional energy sector to ensure an informative and diverse discussion about the successful functioning of a common energy market.

“Five years ago, there was a need to have a vocal discussion about the changes in the energy sector, which is why we decided to organize an international conference about matters regarding energy. We are happy with how much the forum has grown,” Juodka says.

The annual Energy Forum is organised by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania, along with Law Firm PRIMUS (formerly VARUL) and the Estonian Embassy in Vilnius.

Partners of the forum: Embassies of Latvia, Sweden and Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce, Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists. The event is sponsored by Enefit UAB, Amber Grid AB, Nordica, Lexus Vilnius, the Trade and Investment Promotion Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius, and Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square.

The fifth Traditional and Renewable Energy Forum will take place on May 10th in Vilnius, at the Kempinski hotel.