AGENDA

18:00

Speakers Meeting

19:00

Evening Networking Cocktail Reception for early arriving delegates and speakers Day 1

8:00

Registration and Welcome Coffee

9:00

Welcome Speech

OPENING SESSION:

9:15

ENERGY TRANSITION IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE: TRENDS & DEVELOPMENTS

KEYNOTE:

9:45

The Clean Industrial Deal: Leveraging the EU mandate for industrial decarbonisation

Leveraging the 2026 EU mandate for industrial decarbonisation.

Jan Dusik

Deputy Director-General for Climate Action

European Commission

PANEL DISCUSSION:

10:00

Navigating Security, Affordability, and the Green Mandate

The Central and Eastern European region stands at the crossroads of today’s energy transition, where energy security, affordability, and sustainability must be balanced under increasing geopolitical and economic pressure. Policymakers and energy leaders will examine the tough trade-offs shaping the region’s energy future.

Cristian Bușoi

Secretary of State

Ministry of Energy of Romania

Dennis Hesseling

Head of Gas, Coal & Power Markets Division

International Energy Agency

Jan Dusik

Deputy Director-General for Climate Action

European Commission

10:45

Coffee Break

KEYNOTE:

11:15

PRESENTATION - TBC

Zoltan Aldott, Chairman of the Management Board, MOL Group

Zoltan Aldott

Chairman of the Management Board

MOL Group

KEYNOTE:

11:35

Net Profit with Net Zero

Jose de Barros

Chief Decarbonization Officer

Lummus Technology

PANEL DISCUSSION:

12:00

Accelerating Projects in Central & Eastern Europe: From Policy & Finance to Execution

The 2026 mandate for industrial decarbonization has set the pace, but the "boots-on-the-ground" reality in Central & Eastern Europe remains a complex web. This panel brings together CEE’s major operators, financiers, and regulators to dissect the specific friction points preventing projects from reaching full execution.

Chandrasekhar Ramakrishnan

Managing Director

ILF Consulting Engineers

Razvan Popescu

CEO

Romgaz

Hrjove Simovic

Management Board Member

INA Grupa

Adina Andreescu

Principal Banker

EBRD

SHow less

Moderator:

Chandrasekhar Ramakrishnan

Managing Director

ILF Consulting Engineers

Discussion members:

Razvan Popescu

CEO

Romgaz

Hrjove Simovic

Management Board Member

INA Grupa

13:00

Networking Lunch Break

SESSION:

14:00

CEE’s Nuclear Renaissance: From Strategy to Industrial Power

• The 2026 SMR Execution Roadmap
• SMRs as the "New Coal" Replacement
• Case Study - Large-Scale Expansion & Modernisation

PANEL DISCUSSION:

14:45

Nuclear in Action: Driving Industrial Decarbonization in CEE

This panel brings together major CEE project owners, global nuclear advocates, and industrial offtakers to define the blueprint for a nuclear-powered Central & Eastern Europe.

Silvana Jirotková

SMR Development Department Director - New Energy Division

CEZ Group

Alina Arsani

Head of Energy Systems Programme

EPG

Roxana Tompea

Director of Investment

NuclearElectrica

Alice Mariana Dima

Director

Nuclear and Radioactive Waste Agency, Romania

SHow less

Moderator

Iustinian Captariu

Managing Partner

Kinstellar

Discussion members:

Silvana Jirotková

SMR Development Department Director - New Energy Division

CEZ Group

Alina Arsani

Head of Energy Systems Programme

EPG

Roxana Tompea

Director of Investment

NuclearElectrica

Alice Mariana Dima

Director

Nuclear and Radioactive Waste Agency, Romania

15:30

Coffee Break

SESSION:

16:00

Transforming Energy Operations: The role of AI, Electrification & Efficiency

• Keynote: Energy Efficiency, the first fuel for industry competitiveness.
• Presentation - The Electrification Edge: Shifting industrial processes and heavy operations from fossil fuels to power.
• Presentation: AI & Operational Efficiency in the Transition
• Energy demand and sustainability of data centres in CEE

DISCUSSION PANEL:

17:00

AI as a Catalyst for CEE’s Energy Transition

As AI adoption grows across Central & Eastern Europe, the region has a unique opportunity to modernize its energy infrastructure. This session moves beyond the digital hype to examine how AI is being deployed as a core tool for operational resilience. Panellists will discuss successes, operational challenges, and lessons learned.

Bogdan LEU

Research & Innovation Project Manager

Transelectrica SA

18:00

End of Day 1

18:30-21:30

Evening Gala Reception

START-UP COMPETITION:

8:30

Net Zero Rising Stars Competition

Five leading decarbonisation innovators present their projects and solutions. Funders will rank the projects based on innovation, business viability, and measurable climate impact. The session culminates in the announcement of the top project and direct connections for immediate funding discussions.

Adrian Ghita

Executive Director

Romanian Energy Efficiency Fund

Adina Andreescu

Principal Banker

EBRD

SESSION:

9:30

Green Hydrogen, SAF & Chemicals

Barbora Cernanska

Waste Processing Manager

Slovnaft

Natalia Gmucova

Senior Director - Economic & Financial Consulting - Energy Practice

FTI Consulting

Tomasz Jarmicki

Director, Gas Technologies Development & Implementation Office

ORLEN S.A.

Konstantinos I. Chatzifotis

EU Affairs Manager

Motor Oil

SHow less

Moderator:

Barbora Cernanska

Waste Processing Manager

Slovnaft

Presentation:

Green Hydrogen Trade and Pricing Outlook to 2030: Implications for Importers and Exporters in CEE

Natalia Gmucova

Senior Director - Economic & Financial Consulting - Energy Practice

FTI Consulting

Presentation:

Introducing Green Hydrogen in CEE

Tomasz Jarmicki

Director, Gas Technologies Development & Implementation Office

ORLEN S.A.

Presentation:

Transferable Lessons from the EPHYRA Project

Konstantinos I. Chatzifotis

EU Affairs Manager

Motor Oil

11:00

Coffee Break

PARALLEL SESSION:

11:30

Scaling RES & Offshore Wind in CEE

First-hand insights into what it takes to develop and deliver renewable projects, highlighting real-world obstacles, timelines, and lessons learned.

Anton Assfoura

Green Energy Project Manager

Black Sea Oil & Gas

Istvan Pocs

Director

MMESZ

Valentina Ivan

Partner Energy

Policy Lab

Adrian Ghita

Executive Director

Romanian Energy Efficiency Fund

SHow less

Speaker:

Unlocking Green Energy Investment in CEE Through PPAs

Valentina Ivan

Partner Energy

Policy Lab

Speaker:

Presentation - TBC

Adrian Ghita

Executive Director

Romanian Energy Efficiency Fund

PARALLEL SESSION:

11:30

Geothermal for Heating & Industry: The Underrated CEE Opportunity

In 2026, CEE is at the forefront of a geothermal renaissance. This session examines the technical and financial blueprints used by regional leaders to scale geothermal projects.

Sara Albares

Regional Manager

Clean Air Task Force

SHow less

Moderator:

Sara Albares

Regional Manager

Clean Air Task Force

12:30

Networking Lunch Break

SESSION:

13:30

Decarbonising Hard-to-Abate Clusters

This session highlights the region’s "Lighthouse" projects alongside the next generation of capture and storage technologies.

Johan Dekeyser

Senior Business Development Manager, Large Projects

TotalEnergies

Dr. Pantelis Vogiatzis

CCS Commercial Lead

EnEarth S.A. (a company of Energean PLC)

Ryan Morrison

Head of New Energy Europe

SLB

SHow less

Speaker:

Prinos CO₂ Storage: Advancing CCUS in Southern Europe

Dr. Pantelis Vogiatzis

CCS Commercial Lead

EnEarth S.A. (a company of Energean PLC)

Speaker:

Carbon Capture Strategies for EU Refineries

Johan Dekeyser

Senior Business Development Manager, Large Projects

TotalEnergies

Speaker:

End-to-End CCS Integration and Lessons from European Projects

Ryan Morrison

Head of New Energy Europe

SLB

PANEL DISCUSSION:

14:30

Scaling CCUS: Bridging the Project-Policy-Finance Gap in CEE

• Examine the key hurdles and enabling factors for widespread CCS deployment across CEE.
• Explore the essential roadmap and near-term actions to scale CCS from the demonstration phase to a significant climate mitigation tool across the region.
• What mechanisms can policymakers introduce to match the pace of EU funding?•
How to address the social acceptance challenge?

Ionut Sorin Banciu

Vice President

ANRPMSG

Luminița Gabriela Horga

Head of Clean Economy

Energy Policy Group

Adrian I. Porfir

Program Director CCUS

Holcim Romania

SHow less

Moderator:

Ryan Morrison

Head of New Energy Europe

SLB

15:00

Coffee Break

SESSION:

15:30

BUILDING TOMORROW’S ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Nicolas Pothier

Senior Director, Energy Project & Climate Finance

FTI consulting

Farhad Mammadov

General Manager

Green Energy Corridor Power Company

SHow less

Presentation:

Innovative Financing Models for CEE’s Grid and Interconnectors Expansion

Nicolas Pothier

Senior Director, Energy Project & Climate Finance

FTI consulting

Presentation:

Cross-Border Grid Development: Lessons from the Green Energy Corridor Project

Farhad Mammadov

General Manager

Green Energy Corridor Power Company

Presentation:

Accelerating Execution through the EU Grids Package

PANEL DISCUSSION:

16:15

Enabling a Reliable Net-Zero Ready Grid in CEE

As the CEE region accelerates its energy transition, the grid has become the critical enabler for industrial growth and energy security. This panel unites stakeholders to discuss a collaborative path forward for modernising the regional backbone.

George Agafitei

Director of Regulatory & Institutional Affairs

PPC Romania

Charles Esser

Secretary General

E.DSO - European Distribution System Operators

Vladimir Kubecek

Head of Strategy Management and Business Development Department

ČEPS, a.s.

Florin Stanciu

Head of Corporate Finance

Transelectrica

17:00

End of the conference

PRE CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE DAY 1

CONFERENCE DAY 2