Mediterranean energy and natural gas perspectives
On 14 December 2023, in Paris, the OMEC as Secretariat of the UfM Gas Platform, in cooperation with the European Commission, organized two events within the framework of the 2023-25 Program of Work of the UfM Gas Platform. About 60 delegates, online or in person, from institutions and the industry from both shores of the Mediterranean Sea contributed to the success of the events.
In the morning, a capacity building session took place on the Mediterranean Energy Perspectives to 2050 (MEP 2023), which was launched at the COP28 in Dubai. OMEC experts presented the two scenarios of MEP 2023 which explore different pathways for the Mediterranean energy system over the next 30 years, taking into account the impact of the recent energy crisis in its prognoses. For this outlook, OMEC has updated its Reference Scenario as a base scenario and an alternative scenario co-funded by the European Commission, the ProMED “Net Zero Carbon” Scenario, incorporating the latest country long term strategies and where all Mediterranean countries reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
In the afternoon, the OMEC organised a workshop on the role of gas in a just energy transition. Experts pointed out that gaseous fuels will continue to play a critical role in the decarbonization process, ensuring security of supply along the process. Transition to clean energies is on its way but much more needs to be done to bring fossil fuels demand down in ways that meet national and global climate goals. In this sense, natural gas, green and low-carbon gases, as well as hydrogen, have an important potential and their development is expected to be fast.