A vision for Iranian gas exports in light of regional supply competition

Gas and Renewables in Emerging Market Series

11 February 2021, 12-2 PM CET

Zoom video conference

For most avid energy security followers in Brussels, gas and renewables have long become a topic highly inter-twined on the one hand, if not a marriage of convenience on the other. During the period spanning roughly the years 2000-2010, very few of us could fail to keep a close eye on key gas supply security developments, bearing in mind supply disruptions emanating from the east. These led to our subsequent efforts to build an Energy Union and efforts to mitigate, in the midst of the growing shadow of the Shale Revolution from across the Atlantic. In the ensuing decade, as the drive towards sustainable energy culminated in the Paris agreements on climate, renewables have tended to super-cede gas as the new buzzword — the fashionable shade of green now somewhat outshining the flammable vision of blue.

Yet, while policy makers in Europe continue to push for renewables largely at the expense of fossil fuels, at the more global level gas and renewables are likely to coexist for quite some time. Indeed, spurred on by a bourgeoning, pre-Covid international LNG trade, demand for investment into a diversity of gas projects remains both politically and commercially desirable — directly in parallel to many governments likewise seeking to attract investment into renewable energy generation. This could, and should, create a more dynamic and diversified set of opportunities for energy investors to choose from, particularly in the emerging markets. We are, after all, living thorough an era of an "energy transition" and participating in the great changes taking place in the market is more desirable for many than merely observing from the side-lines.

Iran's gas export potential

Iran is a long-term production powerhouse driving the world's oil industry, a reliable source of some of the world"s largest gas deposits, and a country with vastly under-utilized potential in different types of renewable energy. During the ensuing meeting, Dr. Hashemian will be joining us from Tehran and taking us through some of the key developments in the Iranian gas sector, particularly from the perspective of developing its export potential in light of multiple prevailing challenges. These range from geopolitical challenges arising out of the ongoing "grand game" of liberating Caspian gas as an export enhancer to the international consumer markets, working with effective yet aged infrastructure and enhancing the need for further investments, and navigating rapidly emerging international trends and regulations arising out of the accelerating global momentum for environmental and climate consciousness.

The government of Iran is presently targeting a range of international investor cooperation opportunities in the sphere of natural gas. Dr Hashemian, with reference to his more than two-decade-long experience in government planning and strategy work at Iran's Petroleum Ministry, will elaborate in a nuanced manner as to how he sees the prospects for Iranian gas developing in due course. He will dissect some of the prevailing challenges mentioned above in substantial detail, assess a number of planned gas pipeline projects seldom discussed amongst Western energy experts, and elaborate on how prospects for international business in the Iranian gas market can potentially come to fruition.

Recording of the meeting presentation: