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The European Autumn Gas Conference (EAGC) this year will be a vital platform for debate on the battle of the proposed gas pipelines Nabucco, Nord Stream and South Stream. The debate will provide an insight into which pipeline project is likely to be most successful and how this might alter current EU dependency on Russian gas.

Held on 9-10 November 2010 at the Andel's Hotel Berlin and hosted by RWE Supply & Trading, the EAGC will allow Europe's leading gas executives to gain a clearer understanding about the gas pipelines and their implications. "Not all three pipelines can be developed and run profitably, so the stakes are exceptionally high as advocates of the projects battle out the advantages and superiority of each. We are likely to see both controversial and passionate debate as the discussion progresses," said Gavin Sutcliffe, Head of Content for the event.

Nord Stream is a proposed sea-based pipeline running from Baltic Russia into northern Germany and South Stream proposes to transport Russian gas from the Black Sea to Bulgaria, then into Hungary, Italy and Austria. Nabucco, however, was designed to bring alternative gas to Europe by avoiding any Russian territory, and has the backing of the EU Parliament.

Motivations behind the Nabucco project are mainly political in an attempt to reduce Europe's monopolised dependence on Russian gas supplies. The issue of the EU's security of supply has become a critical political matter in the twenty-first century, making the EAGC a vital forum for the ‘battle of the pipelines' debate.

"It is a rare opportunity to be closely involved in such a debate with all three projects represented at an influential, executive level. It also comes at a critical time for all three pipelines as projects move into the final stages of approval. There will be some fantastic key personalities speaking in this session, including the popular and charismatic former Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Joschka Fischer, who now represents Nabucco. Joining him will be Marcel Kramer, who leaves Gasunie to run South Stream, Uwe Fip of E.ON to discuss Nord Stream, plus the inimitable Stefan Judisch, CEO of RWE Supply & Trading, to further the cause of Nabucco alongside Fischer.

"Nabucco has significant potential to change the political energy landscape of Europe if Russian gas were to be side-stepped and new suppliers welcomed into the EU instead. Security of supply issues are paramount for the EU to address and many fear Russian unstable relationships with neighbouring countries could mean more gas shortages and cut-offs during winter, as seen in previous years. However, the project has been criticised as potentially uneconomic because there is no guarantee that there will be sufficient gas supply to make it profitable," Gavin Sutcliffe concluded.

As well as the ‘battle of the pipelines debate,' EAGC promises topical and informative programme content critical to today's European gas industry.

For further information and to register your attendance at the EAGC conference, please visit the EAGC website www.theeagc.com. Early bird delegate registrations close 31 August, 2010. Join us on LinkedIn ( http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2441197 ) to keep up to date with the latest event news and information.

SOURCE: RWE Supply & Trading