The Visegrad Four countries’ responsiveness to the Green Deal and Strategies on biomass and renewable gases

Date: 20 June 2024, 10:30-17:00 

Venue: Corvinus University Main Buliding, Faculty Club  

With the aim of strengthening cooperation among the think tanks of the Visegrad countries in the field of energy, as well as promoting dialogue between the academic sector and decision-makers in this area, four think tanks partnered to launch the 2024 edition of the V4 Energy Think Tank Platform (V4ETTP). V4ETTP is a permanent think tank cooperation platform focusing on energy, operating from 2018. The partner organizations are the Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research REKK (HU), Slovakian Foreign Policy association SFPA (SK), the Centre for Eastern Studies OSW (PL) and Association for International Affairs AMO (CZ). In 2024 the main coordination role was taken over by the Slovakian Partner SFPA. 

At this year’s Budapest workshop we welcome the representative of the Ministry of Energy to outline the energy related agenda of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency. What are the common concerns and doubts that our countries face, and how the challenges could be addressed by forming the EU policies in a constructive manner? Before the European Parliamentary elections, the nomination of a new Commission and the upcoming Hungarian and Polish Council presidency the dialogue on these questions is very timely. 

The Budapest Workshop focuses on two topics of our yearly programme, addressing the issue of non-intermittent renewables: the V4 countries’ renewable gas strategies and programmes and the ways toward a sustainable biomass use in the V4.  

WORKSHOP AGENDA 

10:30-11:00 REGISTRATION 

11:00-11:15 OPENING 

 László Szabó, director of REKK and Peter Brezani SFPA (V4ETTP think tank partners) 

11:15-11:30 WELCOME  

Csaba Marosvári, Deputy State Secretary for Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary;  

11:30-11:50 KEYNOTE ADDRESS ENERGY RELATED GOALS AND TOPICS OF THE UPCOMING HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY  

Viktor Horváth, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Energy Hungary 

11:50 – 12:50 HIGH LEVEL PANEL ON V4 POSITION TOWARDS THE GREEN DEAL 

Moderator: Professor Diana Ürge Vorsatz PhD, Central European University, IPCC Vice-Chair (tbc) 

Speakers: 

• Mr. Krzysztof Bolesta, State Secretary in the Ministry of Climate and Environment 
• Daniella Deli Deputy State Secretary Ministry of Energy, Hungary (tbc) 
• Urban Rusnák, Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovakia (TBC) 
• …. Ministry of Environment, Czechia (tbc) 

12:50-13:00 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

13:00-14:00 LUNCH BREAK 

14:00 – 15:30 SESSION 1: SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS USE IN THE V4 

The role of biomass in the climate economy is increasingly being reconsidered. We provide an integrated approach to assessing the role of biomass in carbon sequestration and energy production. We look at the adequacy of biomass supply to meet ever-increasing demand, comparing trajectories with recent trends and the characteristics of biomass-to-energy sectors. Each V4 country representative will highlight their ongoing discussions on key related issues, ranging from sustainability to harvest leakage to biomass energy with carbon capture and storage technology. 

Introductory presentation by Gabriella Szajkó (REKK) 

Moderator: Ádám Harmat, Climate and energy programme leader at WWF Central and Eastern Europe  

Panellists:  

• Oldřich Sklenář, climate analyst, Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic 
• Gabriella Szajkó, senior analyst, (REKK) Hungary  
• Krzysztof Debiec, senior fellow, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Poland 
• Radoslav Kňazúr, DT EnergieTech, Slovakia  

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

15:30-16:55 SESSION 2 – THE FUTURE ROLE OF GREEN GASES IN V4 

In the near future we have to replace imported natural gas, as well as decarbonise hydrogen production. Green gases (especially green hydrogen and biomethane) are the main way to replace these fuels. The panel will discuss the potential of green gases in V4 in view of future demand related, among others, to the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors and expected development in the energy sector. 

Presentation by Oldřich Sklenář, AMO  

Moderator:  Nolan Theisen, Senior Fellow at the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA)(tbc) 

Panellists:  

• Ing. Petr Mervart – Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Commissioner for Hydrogen Strategies (CZ) 
• Jakub Gibek, DirectorDepartment of International Affair, Ministry of Climate and Environment (PL) 
• Mr Michal Tarka Polish Biomethane Organisation (PL) (tbc) 
• Viktor Horváth Deputy State Secretary, Ministry for Energy, (HU) 

Dávid Kančo, MSc., secretary-general , Slovak Biogas Association (SBA), (SK) 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS  

16:55-17:00 CLOSING REMARKS  

Participation at the event is free. Please register here.