The 36th International Scientific & Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals along with an international exhibition of gas equipment and technologies was successfully held in the Congress Centre of the Grand Hotel Adriatic from 16 to 18 June of this year and organised by the Croatian Gas Centre Ltd and Croatian Gas Association (CGA). After two years of the coronavirus pandemic, favourable epidemiological conditions and the easing of restrictions limiting the holding of meetings have finally come about, meaning that gas and energy professionals from Croatia and abroad have again gathered at their traditional destination on Kvarner –beautiful Opatija. In adhering to epidemiological measures, which stipulates maintaining certain distances between those present in closed spaces, the conference programme was transmitted live online from the main congress hall into the other three halls, in which simultaneous spoken translations of the meeting were provided in one of the halls.
Over the three days in Opatija, approx. 370 attendees met from 18 European countries, including the USA, Canada and China. The event was attended by gas and energy professionals, managers from leading European energy companies, scientists from renowned Croatian and European universities, representatives from the transport industry, as well as gas suppliers, producers and distributers, including representatives from large industrial gas consumers, representatives from manufacturers and gas equipment representatives domestically and abroad. Over 150 various gas and energy companies and organisations were represented (55 from abroad), with 24 exhibitors (9 from abroad) presenting their products and services in the exhibition area in front of the congress hall.
The meeting was organised under the high patronage of the Croatian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Croatian Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, and the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure. The meeting was also supported by the following sponsors: INA – Industrija nafte d.d., Plinacro d.o.o., HEP d.d., Monter-strojarske montaže d.d., LNG Croatia LLC, Prvo plinarsko društvo d.o.o., Međimurje-plin d.o.o. and EEX, while the co-organisers were Podzemno skladište plina d.o.o., EVN Croatia plin d.o.o., Termoplin d.o.o. Varaždin and ATO Inženjering d.o.o. Over the three days of the professional gathering, a total of 42 scientific and professional papers were presented (of which, 2 were invited to hold a speech and 9 papers were included in the poster session), 13 roundtable discussions held covering 10 topical units, and 3 interesting panel discussions were organised.
At the end of the large three-day gas evebt, Assist Prof Dalibor Pudić, PhD, president of the CGA, extended his appreciation to all participants, moderators and sponsors on a successfully held conference & exhibition which has shown that the energy paradigm for gas is quickly changing as is its role in the period transitioning to low-carbon neutrality, especially when it will be mixed with other gases such as biogas and hydrogen. The new 37th International Scientific Expert Meeting of Gas Professionals will be held on 4-6 May 2022 in Opatija, with an alterntive period taking place in mid-June, depending on the epidemiological situation.
(Source: HSUP/2021)
