EN 
it
We interviewed Houda Ben Jannet Allal, General Director OME (Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie), who will attend the fifth International Conference on Small Scale LNG, an event promoted by ConferenzaGNL® next 15/16 May in Naples, Mostra D'Oltremare.
What will be OME involvement and role into the works of the Conference?
OME pioneered the organization of cross cutting high-level conferences and workshops on various issues related to the energy sector in Mediterranean countries. These events, like ConferenzaGNL, offer opportunities to develop a shared vision among regional actors, policy makers and national authorities. As part of OME’s hydrocarbons and energy security committee, this year we have been focusing on small scale LNG in the Mediterranean with a particular attention to the issues related to technology, economics, logistics, bunkering and regulation among others. ConferenzaGNL 2019 in Naples, which brings together the key actors on the small-scale LNG in the Mediterranean, will be a good opportunity for us to share our views and hear the latest developments, main benefits, opportunities and challenges that will be addressed during the conference.
What will be UfM Gas Platform involvement and role into the works of the Conference?
The overall objective of UfM Gas Platform (The Union for the Mediterranean Gas Platform) is to enhance a regional structured dialogue, allowing the gradual development of a more secure, transparent and predictable Euro-Mediterranean gas market. This process must be carried out in a manner that correctly and fairly balance the interest of both producing and consuming countries and provides the basis of the long-term secure development of the abundant resources in the region. Within the Gas Platform work program, we are about to finalise a report on the role of LNG in the Euro-Mediterranean gas security.
LNG has come forward in almost all the meetings we have had so far within the framework of the UfM Gas Platform. This is why in the past couple of years we organized a few capacity building workshops on LNG. Due to the high interest of the Gas Platform members on small scale LNG, we also addressed this issue in our current and future work program. For instance last year we organized a meeting in corporation with WEC-Italy on the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of LNG in maritime transport in the Mediterranean region. And thanks to WEC-Italy and ConferenzaGNL, we will organize another capacity building workshop on small scale LNG in the Mediterranean region. Besides, I should also add that in the coming years we expect more emphasis to be given to small scale LNG in the UfM Gas Platform work program.
What are the main deliverables that you expect from this important collaboration?
We see LNG industry as a key factor to a global and successful cooperation between the countries of the Mediterranean basin. In this sense the OME has been supportive of the work of the key actors for enhancing and deepening the cooperation and collaboration on natural gas matters between the two shore of the Mediterranean region.
ConferenzaGNL, OME and the UfM Gas Platform share a common objective to improve awareness raising and outreach to the public and the different actors of the energy sector of the gas/LNG developments and challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This is the reasons why OME has been participating this conference also in the past. We look forward a successful event this year and continuous cooperation in the future.
