Where the leaders of energy transition in SEE meet

May 13-14, 2024 Crowne Plaza Belgrade

350+

participants

50+

speakers

8

panels

150+

companies

Energy transition of Southeast Europe - through decarbonization and system integration to climate neutrality and exit from the crisis

The Belgrade Energy Forum 2023, the new conference format of the Balkan Green Energy News portal, will be held on 8 and 9 May 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belgrade. Built on the success of conferences in 2021 and 2022, as well as on the strong position and reputation of the portal in the region and the world, including the centers of political, economic and financial decision-making, BEF 2023 will be the place where the leaders of energy transition of Southeast Europe meet.

Like the rest of Europe, the region has faced a serious energy crisis further fueled by geopolitical frictions and rising inflation. BEF 2023 will discuss the most pressing energy challenges of the region: how to successfully implement the energy transition in accordance with the Green Agenda imperative and climate action efforts, decarbonize the energy and other sectors, provide infrastructure, technologies and capital needed for new low-carbon and green capacities, and strengthen system resilience and energy security of the region through regional cooperation and partnerships with major energy actors beyond the SEE.

BEF 2023 will bring together decision-makers from the region and Europe , power utilities, leading investors in the energy sector, financial institutions, consulting firms, technology providers, companies for innovative services and digital solutions, and non-governmental organizations. All members of the first league of the region’s energy transition, or those who aspire to join it, will be in Belgrade on 8 and 9 May.

Secure your place in time as a participant or partner and be part of the most important energy event in the region for 2023.

Video BEF 2023

Speakers 2023

Dubravka Đedović

Minister of Mining and Energy, Government of Serbia

Artur Lorkowski

Director, Energy Community Secretariat

Rossen Hristov

Minister of Energy, Republic of Bulgaria

Petar Đokić

Minister of Energy and Mining, Government of Republic of Srpska

Christophe Gence-Creux

Head of the Electricity Department, ACER

Giles Dickson

CEO, Wind Europe

George Agafitei

State Counsellor, Government of Romania

Viktor Andonov

Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister, Republic of North Macedonia

Norela Constantinescu

Head of Innovation, ENTSO-E

Anže Predovnik

Director, ADEX Group

Jasmina Trhulj

Head of Electricity Department, Energy Community Secretariat

Miloš Mladenović

CEO, SEEPEX

Dimitrije Knjeginjić

Director, Lafarge Serbia

Milutin Đukanović

President of the Board of Directors, Elektroprivreda Montenegro

Dr. Wasim Sarwar Dilov

Director, Rimac Technology

Neda Lazendić

Country Manager, WV-International in partnership with Emergy

Robert Szabó

Director of Smart PV Solutions of Huawei Serbia & Hungary Digital Power Business Dept.

Arben Kllokoqi

Director for Electricity Market Design, EFET

Branko Milićević

Economic Affairs Officer, UNECE

Mirza Kušljugić

President of the Board of Directors, RESET

Bojan Bogdanović

Principal Fund Manager, EBRD

Chad Canfield

Director of Project Finance, GGF & Finance in motion

Maja Turković

Executive Vice President, CWP Europe

Dejan Stojčevski

Chief Operating Officer, SEEPEX

Elena Boškov Kovač

Managing Director, Blueprint Energy Solutions Gmbh

Aleksandar Kragović

Director of the Investment Directorate, EMS

Marko Janković

Head of Electricity Market Department, CWP Global

Simon Franko

Managing Director, BASF Adriatic

Marko Lasić

CEO, KOER

Dušan Macura

Head of Production and Distribution, Novi Sad DH company

Biljana Grbić

Consultant, Energy Community Secretariat

David Huber

Managing Director, Interenergo d.o.o.

Željko Marković

Senior Manager, Deloitte Serbia

Jurij Curk

Consultant to the Management, Elektro Ljubljana

Nikola Rajaković

President, Association Of Energy Sector Specialists Serbia

Petar Mitrović

Partner in the Energy and Natural Resources Industry Group, Karanović & Partners

Svetlana Cerović

MBA- Head of Financing, UniCredit Bank Serbia

Dejan Stojanović

Director, Serbian Association of District Heating Plants

Petar Šainović

Managing Director Siemens Energy d.o.o. Beograd

Pavle Milekić

Principal Banker, Energy EMEA team, EBRD

Vugar Veysalov

Head of External Affairs & SEI, Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG

Barbara Jäggin Sprenger

Senior Policy Advisor, SECO

Mislav Slade-Šilović

Energy, Utilities & Resources Consulting Leader, PwC SEE

Dejan Turk

CEO, A1 Serbia & A1 Slovenia

Viktor Delov

Regional relationship Manager, Danske Commodities

Matija Medojević

Director, Montenegrin Power Exchange

Miloš Smiljanić

Director of Solution Design and Sustainability, Enel PS

John Šuša

Head of Eastern Europe, International System Business Unit, Trina Solar

Mona Ben Salem

General Secretary & Dep. COO Central Europe, AKUO Energy

Georgios P. Lantzas

CEO, PPC Albania Sh.A. & Business Development for the West Balkans region

Danko Kalkan

Manager, ESG Advisory Services, Ernst & Young

Tamara Zejak

Senior Lawyer, Petrikić & Partneri AOD in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz

Marija Filipovska Jelčić

Partner, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz DOOEL

Dunja Jandl

Partner, CMS Slovenia

Georg Gutfleisch

Lawyer, CMS Austria

Aleksandar Jakovljević

Director of Strategy Department, EPS

Aleksandar Latinović

Head of Ancillary Services, EPS

Vasko Stefanov

CEO, ESM

Anes Kazagić

Head of Strategic development dept., Electric Power Industry of BiH, Sarajevo

Vladimir Đorđević

Senior Originator, AXPO SERBIA

Agenda 2023

8th May 2023

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DAY 1

08:00 – 09:00

Registration and welcoming coffee

08:50 – 09:00

Statements for the media

09:00 – 09:05

Welcoming remarks

Branislava Jovičić, Founder and Editor of Balkan Green Energy News

09:05 – 09:30

Opening ceremony

  • Artur Lorkowski, Director, Energy Community Secretariat
  • Dimitrije Knjeginjić, Director, Lafarge Serbia 
  • Dubravka Đedović, Minister of Mining and Energy, Government of Serbia

09:30 - 11:00

PANEL I

Energy system of Southeast Europe – strategies for overcoming the crisis

The energy map of Southeast Europe (SEE), as in the rest of Europe, is changing significantly and rapidly due to global geopolitical turmoil, the energy crisis, and the imperative of decarbonization, primarily of energy but also other sectors. In political and economic terms, the region stands in two columns. In the first column are member states of the European Union, with all membership benefits, including substantial financial support for energy investments. The second one are the countries of Western Balkans as contracting parties of the Energy Community, with limited access to finance, the problem of dilapidated thermal power plants, and the obligation to abandon coal. Yet, both groups share a common goal – to ensure the security of the energy supply and successfully implement the energy transition.

Which strategies do decision-makers from the region see as winning for getting out of the crisis and what do they envisage is the first panel’s topic.

Moderator: Professor Mirza Kušljugić, RESET

Panellists:

  • Rossen Hristov, Minister of Energy, Republic of Bulgaria
  • Petar Đokić, Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska
  • Giles Dickson, CEO, WindEurope
  • George Agafitei, State Counsellor, Government of Romania
  • Viktor Andonov, Advisor to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia

 

11:00 – 11:30

Decarbonization of construction for a NET ZERO future, LAFARGE Serbia

  • Dimitrije Knjeginjić, Director, LAFARGE Serbia

 

11:30 – 12:00

Coffee break

12:00 – 13:30

PANEL II

SEE power utilities in energy transition – a transformation toward green megawatts

Decarbonization of electricity companies from SEE, especially those in the Western Balkans, and their gradual transformation into modern energy entities that ensure a stable supply of carbon-neutral electricity to customers is one of the pillars of the region’s successful energy transition. Can the utilities independently carry out the transformation and build new capacities to produce green megawatt-hours, or do they need to partner with private investors for this undertaking? What models are currently in play, and what do they entail?

Moderator: Željko Marković, Senior Manager, Deloitte

Panellists: 

  • Aleksandar Jakovljević, Director of Strategy Department, EPS
  • Milutin Đukanović, Chairman, EPCG
  • Georgios P. Lantzas, CEO, PPC Albania Sh.A. & Business Development for the West Balkans region
  • Vasko Stefanov, CEO, ESM
  • Mislav Slade – Šilović, Energy, Utilities & Resources Consulting Leader, PwC SEE

13:30 – 14:30

Lunch break

14:30 – 16:00

PANEL III

Modern technologies for sustainable heating and cooling

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Decarbonization and the application of modern technologies are prerequisites for the sustainability of remote heating and cooling systems. Applying solar thermal and geothermal energy, heat pumps, biomass, and industrial waste heat reduces air pollution and GHG emissions. In the current intense energy crisis, locally available energy sources ensure the security of supply and increase the affordability of district heating and cooling services for end users. How will the SEE region make the best use of the possibilities of decarbonization of remote energy and reducing dependence on expensive fossil fuels is a question that will be addressed by the leading experts in this field in the region.

Moderator: Bojan Bogdanović, Principal Fund Manager, EBRD

Panellists:

  • Dušan Macura, Head of Production and Distribution, Novi Sad DH company
  • Aleksandar Latinović, Head of Ancillary Services, Electric Power Industry of Serbia
  • Biljana Grbić, Consultant, Energy Community Secretariat
  • Anes Kazagić, Head of Strategic development dept., Electric Power Industry of BiH, Sarajevo
  • Dejan Stojanović, Director, Serbian Association of District Heating Companies in Serbia

 

16:00 – 17:30

PANEL IV

Market design – is the current electricity market model sustainable?

The energy transition and the crisis caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine disturbed global energy and electricity markets. This especially applies to Europe. Resolving the situation and establishing a new sustainable state is still not in sight. Is the current model of electricity market design sustainable or should it be changed? Do state interventions violate some basic free market postulates and the target model of a single European market? In which direction will markets develop? What is the priority: energy independence or energy transition?

Moderator: Dejan Stojčevski, Chief Operating Officer, SEEPEX

Panellists:

  • Christophe Gence – Creux, Head of Department – Electricity, ACER
  • Jasmina Trhulj, Head of Electricity Department, Energy Community
  • Anže Predovnik, Director, ADEX Group
  • Arben Kllokoqi, Director for Electricity Market Design, EFET
  • Matija Medojević, Director, Montenegrin Power Exchange
  • Vladimir Đorđević, Axpo

17:30 – 18:30

Networking reception

9th May 2023

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DAY 2

08:30 – 09:00

Welcoming coffee

09:00 - 09:30

Legal insights for your smart energy investments, CMS Reich – Rohrwig Hainz

  • Tamara Zejak, Senior Lawyer, Petrikić & Partneri AOD in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz
  • Marija Filipovska Jelčić , Partner, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz DOOEL
  • Dunja Jandl, Partner, CMS Slovenia
  • Georg Gutfleisch, Lawyer, CMS Austria

09:30 - 11:00

PANEL V

Major challenges for an increased share of renewable energy sources in the SEE region

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In the last few years, the region has achieved significant results in the production of electricity from renewable sources. However, investments in green kilowatts remain modest compared to global trends. Records are broken by Greece and Turkey, while the Western Balkan countries still need help with problems such as obtaining permits, equipment procurement, incomplete regulation, unclear market entry and balancing models, and an increased appetite for financing. What should the region’s countries and all participants in the supply chain do for investors to deliver more green energy to the grid? The main trends in renewable energy sources and the best practices will be discussed by leading experts on a panel that always attracts great interest.

Moderator: Petar Mitrović, Partner, Karanović & Partner

Panellists:

▪  Neda Lazendić, Country Manager, WV-International Emergy
▪  Miloš Mladenović, CEO, SEEPEX
▪  Maja Turković, Executive Vice President, CWP Europe
▪  Chad Canfield, Director of Project Finance, GGF & Finance in motion 
▪  John Šuša, Head of Large – Scale Project Development Eastern Europe, Trina Solar
▪  Viktor Delov, Regional Relationship Manager, Cross Border Power Trading, Danske Commodities

11:00 – 11:30

Coffee break

11:30 – 13:00

PANEL VI

Winning corporate strategies to reach net zero

Decarbonization is an obligation of all of us. The global race to net zero carbon emissions requires that not just the energy sector, but other industries as well, including energy-intensive industries, and the commercial sector, shoulder the burden and include a path to net zero in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) plans.

How to solve the sustainability equation? How to design green operations, products, or services? How to reduce environmental impact, increase competitiveness and improve financial performance? – are some of the questions. The panel will feature concrete examples of how companies transform internally to more powerfully and decisively contribute to global climate action endeavours.

Moderator: Danko Kalkan, Manager, ESG Advisory Services, EY

Panellists:

  • Dimitrije Knjeginjić, Director, Lafarge Serbia
  • David Huber, Managing Director, Interenergo
  • Dejan Turk, CEO, A1 Serbia & A1 Slovenia
  • Svetlana Cerović, Head of Financing, Specialized Lending Corporate & Investment Banking Division, UniCredit Bank
  • Simon Franko, Managing Director, BASF Adriatic

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

14:00 – 15:30

PANEL VII

Infrastructure, technologies and financing for carbon neutrality by 2050

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For transformation into a modern, carbon-neutral energy system in parallel with providing security of supply, the region needs to develop and modernize its energy infrastructure, rapidly deploy green and innovative technologies such as renewables, hydrogen, battery storage, reversible hydropower plants, carbon capture and storage, waste to energy, conventional and small-scale nuclear facilities, and secure financing.

Moderator: Branko Milićević, Economic Affairs Officer, UNECE

Panelists:

  • Vugar Veysalov, Head of External Affairs & SEI, Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG
  • Dr. Wasim Sarwar Dilov, Director, Rimac Technology
  • Aleksandar Kragović, Director of Directorate for Investments, EMS
  • Mona Ben Salem, General Secretary & Dep. COO Central Europe (Assets), AKUO Energy
  • Pavle Milekić,  Principal Banker, Energy EMEA team, EBRD
  • Petar Šainović, Managing Director Siemens Energy d.o.o. Beograd

16:00 – 17:30

PANEL VIII

Flexibility and digitalization for distributed energy production and consumption

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The energy system of Southeast Europe is rapidly moving away from centralized production and consumption towards a decentralized system. With an increasing number of renewable energy power plants, prosumers, electric vehicles and electricity storage systems, the need to integrate these sources into the system is growing, which will ensure system balancing and improve its reliability in real-time.

Find out how digitalization and platforms for improving flexibility (aggregators, virtual power plants) can help the optimization of new distributed energy sources, integration of new green power plants, and improvement of efficiency of the energy system, as well as its decarbonization.

Moderator: Elena Boškov Kovač, Managing Director, Blueprint Energy Solutions GmbH, Chair of European Commission ETIP SNET Working Group Digitalization of the electricity system and customer participation

Panellists:

  • Robert Szabó, Director of Smart PV Solutions of Huawei Serbia & Hungary Digital Power Business Dept.
  • Norela Constantinescu, Head of Innovations, ENTSO-E
  • Marko Lasić, CEO, KOER
  • Marko Janković, Head of Electricity Market Department, CWP Global
  • Jurij Curk, Consultant to the Management, Elektro Ljubljana
  • Professor Nikola Rajaković, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade 

17:30 – 18:00

Conclusions

News

Sponsors 2023

Institutional partners

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Exhibitor

Friend of conference

Our team at your service

Branislava Jovičić

Founder and Editor of
Balkan Green Energy News

+381 63 87 12 874

Arsen Krstic

Conference Producer

+381 64 121 04 57

We look forward to seeing you in Belgrade!

Secure your seat at the most important energy conference in SEE this year

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