The 38th International Scientific and Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals will be traditionally held on 10-12 May 2023 at the Congress Center of the Grand Hotel Adriatic in Opatija, and organized by the Croatian Gas Association (CGA), a member of the International Gas Union (IGU) and the Croatian Gas Center. The three-day international conference and exhibition dedicated to natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and low-carbon solutions is one of the largest in Southeast Europe.

Participating in the event will give you the opportunity to meet with leading experts from the gas and LNG sector from Croatia and more than 20 countries. The previous 37 events involving the INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS OF GAS EXPERTS have facilitated corporate networking between more than 17,000 experts from the sector and more than 30 countries. Over the decades, it has led to the creation of new partnerships and new deals in pleasant business meetings in Opatija. The event will bring together 500 recognized gas and energy experts from more than 20 countries, and participation has already been confirmed by about 50 distinguished lecturers and 35 exhibitors. Interesting conference program will include ten thematic units of current interest, including several interactive panel discussions and a poster section on the most current topics in the field of gas and energy.

The first part of the conference will cover strategic themes such as the key role of natural gas and LNG in addressing interrelated challenges: security of supply, energy transition and affordable energy. Andrea Stegher, the incoming President of the International Gas Union (IGU), for the 2025-2028 mandate and the current Vice-President of the IGU (2021- 2025), is an invited speaker and will talk about natural gas as an energy solution to the energy trilemma. Stegher believes new investments and broader diversification are essential, not just labelling gas as a transition fuel with limited service life. The future President of the IGU also cites the need to invest in new gas resources, including new green and low-carbon gases, the application of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology and the construction of new infrastructure projects to ensure support for the energy transition.

Filimon Antonopoulos, Managing Director of Tallon Commodities in London, will present strategies how companies exposed to high energy prices can regain control of their costs and budgets using energy financial derivatives and protect themselves in periods of extreme price volatility and irrational markets.

Marijan Krpan, MSc, Management Board President of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency, will give a professional presentation on the prospects of natural gas exploration and international cooperation in Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean basin (Israel, Cyprus, Egypt and Greece). Experts from INA-Industrija nafte d.d. and MOL Group will present a paper on managing gas exploration through organic growth (INA petroleum industry). Evidence for the role of renewable and low-carbon gases as key supplements to renewable energy sources will also be given, as well as the important role of large-scale gas infrastructure in establishing a decarbonized and reliable energy system. Laslo Farkaš Višontai from the company Podzemno skladište plina Ltd. will present the project for building a new underground gas storage facility in Croatia, i.e., PSP Grubišno polje. Given that overcoming the challenges of new market trends and energy transition requires diversifying education on energy, this year’s gathering will also discuss the future of human resources in the gas sector. Students from several faculties in Croatia will present their papers on given conference topics.

An important part of the upcoming event will be the presentation of several expert papers on challenges and opportunities in the decarbonization process of the future gas and LNG value chain, as well as the use of smart technologies, innovation and digital transformation in the gas sector. The development potential of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, their future role in European gas infrastructure and liquefaction technologies will also be shown. Experts from LNG Croatia will present all considered options for increasing the maximum capacity of the LNG Terminal and provide a detailed overview of the selected solution based on purchasing and installing an additional regasification module. Julie Cejkova from the company Chart Ferox will showcase the technical and commercial feasibility of the small-scale LNG technology and explain how the cryogenic value chain concept can also be applied to hydrogen.

The conference will also discuss the contribution of natural gas and renewable gases in achieving a sustainable transport system. Numerous domestic and foreign experts will present papers on issues related to the transport, distribution, storage and consumption of natural gas and ensuring an efficient, reliable and low-carbon gas system. Several interesting papers will present legal instruments for risk control in times of global energy crisis, the upcoming legislative regulation of hydrogen in Croatian legislation, and comparative solutions from other Member States. There will also be talk about the protection of end consumers in gas distribution systems and the impact of heating value.

Numerous exhibitors from home and abroad will show advanced technical solutions for the gas and energy industry at the gas equipment and technology exhibition, which will be held during the conference. Sponsorship of the event provides an ideal platform for positioning your company as an industry leader and ensures the highest brand visibility before, during and after the Opatija event in front of key players in the gas value chain, LNG and low-carbon solutions. Targeted thematic units and renowned speakers are the characteristics of the Opatija gathering, bringing together science, education, the profession and companies that actively participate in the gas industry. The mobile application, available before the opening of the event and the social events in Opatija will provide enough time for networking and making the most of new business opportunities.

SECURE YOUR PLACE IN OPATIJA ON TIME! More information can be found on the website: Preliminary conference program, the link for registration and reservation of exhibition units.