Copenhagen 19 March 2009. Today industry and energy experts gathered in Copenhagen to discuss Europe’s new energy needs and perspectives for the future of secure energy supply. The purpose of the seminar was to provide different perspectives on the subject and to discuss the role the Nord Stream project plays for future security of energy supply to Europe. Security political concerns, new import routes and the trans-boundary energy co-operation between the EU-27 countries and in particular the Baltic littoral countries were some of the subjects addressed by the seminar’s four speakers:
- Svend Aage Christensen, Senior Researcher at Danish Institute of International Studies, provided insights about the various import routes needed to secure European energy supply in the future.
- Knud Petersen, Vice President at Dong Energy, presented Dong’s strategy to secure Denmark’s security of supply and the role of natural gas in the energy mix.
- Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, Chairman of the Baltic Development Forum, focused on security political concerns and the arguments presented by the opponents of the Nord Stream project.
- Neel Strøbæk, Project Director at Rambøll provided information about the Nord Stream project with a focus on the extensive environmental research and planning that is accounted for in Nord Stream’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
After the speakers’ presentations the seminar concluded with a panel-debate and a Q&A-session between the panel and the audience, which included key stakeholders from industry, business, government agencies and other sectors. Moderator Anna Libak, Editor at Weekendavisen, facilitated the dialogue, which provided great insights about the Danish perspectives on Europe’s future security of energy supplies.
“Discussing the future security of supply in Denmark today is important. A seminar like this is highly relevant for the energy political agenda and to create awareness of an increasingly important subject”, said Knud Petersen after the seminar. “I very much appreciate that the seminar presented the Nord Stream project in a broader energy political and security political context. In my opinion it is necessary to inform and involve the opposition that this important project faces,” added Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.
