Energy Strategies - Europe and the Mediterranean: Trends and Scenarios for a Connected Energy Market

In partnership with the NATO Defense College Foundation, the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG, the Union for the Mediterranean and the NATO Defense College

Live Broadcast

As the world witnesses a fast-paced energy transition from fossils to renewables, the international community faces new political, economic and security challenges.

- What are the technological issues of a production diversification and the conditions for electrical connections in Northern Africa?

- What kind of new threats come with renewable power plants and smart grids and how can we boost cooperative security in the area?

- How can we achieve a more connected, integrated energy market in the Western Mediterranean and ensure North-South connections?

Gathering specialists from international organizations and major companies in the sector, this conference will investigate the multiple transformations unfolding in the energy market and the energy security field, with a particular focus on the Western Mediterranean.

The first panel will sketch how investments in renewables will change regional Western Mediterranean markets (offer, demand and reserve capabilities), in addition to existing and planned infrastructures regarding fossil energies. The two key problems are: renewables’ investments (market diversification) and new electrical connections among North African countries (market integration). Diversification reduces revenue dependence from one type of energy exports (more stability), interconnection reduces political and economic fragmentation (more collaboration).

The second one will discuss the changing nature of energy security of supply, and how old and new vulnerabilities of traditional and renewable energy plants require a special focus by the Alliance. Infrastructures protection (in its physical and cyber dimensions), is a strategic goal. NATO’s cooperative security tools and partnerships are able to act in the domain of cooperative security to support partners in resilience from old risks (old plants) to new risks (renewable plants); cyber dimension is crucial in smart grids.

The third panel will explore and analyse the possibility to transform the Western Mediterranean region in the framework of the cooperative security outlined in the previous panels into a more integrated Euro-Mediterranean energy market that allows a shared energy security of supply on both sides of the West Mediterranean. This entails appropriate infrastructures and regulatory frameworks, whose result is to increase security and stability in this strategic area, where Euro-Atlantic values and stakes are under external soft and hard challenge.

Over two days, renowned experts will address these topics with the aim of delivering concrete answers and possible ways ahead.

According to the current rules, the event will be organised without the public. Speakers only will be set on stage and the discussion will take place and live streamed on a content-rich, engaging digital framework. A few days ahead of the event, registrants will receive all useful information to access and navigate the platform.

Program of the conference: https://www.natofoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NDCF-Energy-Strategies-2021-Draft-Programme-P-110321-h1545.pdf

Registration: https://platform.eventboost.com/e/energy-strategies/26304?fbclid=IwAR03XnYKv9jX66zT2CgeULgWJNWYkPPLwfcTLy8Wph23a1kLXZXD2xnC3Dc