Edison chief confirmed guest speaker at the Malta Energy Conference

The Chief Executive Officer of energy company Edison S.p.a., Bruno Lescoeur, has been confirmed as a guest speaker for this week’s conference on the security of gas supply across Europe and the Mediterranean.

Malta will play host to the Energy Conference between Thursday and Friday, when European ministers will discuss the role of gas developments in the Mediterranean region.

Recent events in Ukraine, which have seen Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine over unpaid bills, has prompted energy ministers to come together, concerned that this situation could affect Europe’s gas supply in the long-term.

The two-day conference will be chaired by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and the European Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger.

“Edison is just one of the reputable companies in the energy field we are expecting to be present,” sources close to the energy ministry said, adding there has been “an encouraging interest”.

Founded in 1884, Edison is Europe’s oldest energy company and the second largest energy company in Italy. It is a European leading operator with operations in the supply, production and sales of electric power and hydrocarbons, operating in 10 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and employing about 3,200.

Another confirmed guest speaker of international repute is international gas business specialist Michael Stoppard, Head of Global Gas Strategy at information provider and market analyst IHS.

Their participation at the conference was hailed by ministry sources as “testament to Malta’s strategic importance in Euro-Med energy affairs”.

“The government’s efforts in attracting foreign investment and in positioning Malta as an energy hub in the Mediterranean region are bearing fruit,” they said.

The European Union is now more committed in identifying alternative routes of gas supply to reduce its overdependence on Russian gas. EU leaders are now more than ever conscious of Europe’s necessity to diversify its sources to secure its supply in the long-term.

According to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, greater cooperation between countries in the Mediterranean, North Africa and mainland Europe provides Malta with the perfect opportunity to act as an energy hub in the Mediterranean.