The 32nd International Scientific and Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals along with an extensive exhibition of gas equipment and technology was successfully held at the Congress Centre of the Grand Hotel Adriatic in the period from 3rd to 5th of May of this year and organised by the Croatian Gas Centre Ltd and the Croatian Gas Association (CGA). During three days, the largest international gas conference and exhibition in South-Eastern Europe gathered more than 600 participants from 20 countries in Europe and throughout the world. The gathering was attended by gas and energy experts, managers from leading European energy companies, scientists from reputable Croatian and European universities, representatives from gas transporters, suppliers, producers and distributors, as well as representatives from large industrial gas consumers including producers and representatives of gas equipment from Croatia and from abroad. A total of 240 various gas and energy businesses and organisations (of which 95 from abroad) and 47 exhibitors of equipment (of which 95 from abroad). The gathering was covered by 15 journalists from 10 media outlets.
The main sponsor of the Meeting was the Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Republic of Croatia, and organisation of the event was supported by the perennial and main partner for this conference and exhibition, specifically the company Siemens d.d. including numerous other sponsors: INA – Industrija nafte d.d., Prvo plinarsko društvo d.o.o., Plinacro d.o.o., MET Croatia Energy Trade d.o.o., MEĐIMURJE-PLIN za opskrbu plinom d.o.o., Powernext SA, Hrvatska elektroprivreda d.d., SC Eurogas Systems Ltd., IP Systems Ltd., and the co-organiser was the company Podzemno skladište plina d.o.o.
During the three days of holding the expert event, a total of 48 scientific and expert papers were presented, of which 4 were invited presentations and 10 papers in the poster session, and which was accompanied by 6 roundtable presentations covering 8 topics.
The president of the Croatian Gas Association, Prof Dr Miljenko Šunić, at the opening at the gathering emphasised the important and essential role of natural gas in future strategic documents for our country as the cleanest fossil fuel in the transition towards renewable energy sources.
Introductory talks to the gathering were given by Mladen Fogec, President of the Siemens Management Board as the main partner, followed by Tvrtko Perković, chief operations director of the Corporate Centre at the company INA – Industrija nafte d.d., Ivica Arar, President of the Management Board at Plinacro d.o.o., and Pavao Vujnovac, President of the Management Board at the company Prvo plinarsko društvo d.o.o. as the main sponsors. Due to the importance of the project for the gas industry in the Republic of Croatia, a brief talk was also given by Goran Frančić, director of the company LNG Croatia. All those present highlighted in brief talks the intentions behind their corporate business plans for the future.