Nikolas Rigas, Head of Carbon Storage at Energean and EnEarth, participated in the High-Level U.S.-Greece Roundtable, "Strengthening Green Energy Cooperation," held under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State and organized by the Athens Riviera Forum in Thessaloniki.
Addressing the participants, Nikolas briefly outlined the Prinos CO2 Storage Project and emphasized the critical importance of coordinating all parties involved in the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) chain. This includes emitters, transporters, storage operators, and relevant authorities in both Brussels and Athens, all of whom must work together to successfully implement the first CCS chain in Southeast Europe.
“I am pleased that we are finally acting towards the transition to clean energy, rather than just discussing it. At EnEarth, our focus is on when, how quickly, and how,” Nikolas stated.
He also highlighted that, while attempting to increase the production of secure, affordable, and sustainable energy is essential, it is equally important for economies to prioritize the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries. CCS represents the only viable solution for these industries to continue operating.
Nikolas further emphasized the need for projects like the Prinos CO2 Storage to secure adequate funding, be implemented on schedule, and involve close collaboration with key stakeholders and local communities.
It is worth noting that the U.S. was represented at the Roundtable by the Honorable Dorothy McAuliffe, Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the U.S. State Department, while high-level officials from Greece’s largest energy groups also participated.