Latvia Could Buy Unbundled Gas Utility with Marguerite Fund

London, United Kingdom, May 11, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Latvia could partner with the EU-backed Marguerite Fund investment to buy the country's gas transmission and storage assets from Latvijas Gaze, as the deadline for unbundling the monopolist approaches, a government official said on March 15. Latvia has ruled Latvijas Gaze must be split up into separate sales and transmission units – as required by the EU energy law – by April next year. The Russian controlled company is trying to stave off the move, which comes as its 20-year monopoly in Latvia - granted during the privatisation process - comes to an end. With the Latvian government having failed in a bid to buy into Latvijas Gaze in 2014, Marguerite acquired a close to 30% from Uniper Ruhrgas International (former E.ON) in late January, in a deal clearly meant to support Riga and pressure the company to conform to EU regulations.

(Source: bne IntelliNews, 16 March 2016, ‘Riga eyes Latvian gas grid’)

Against this backdrop, SMi is proud to announce that Lukasz Dziekonski, Member of the Management Board at the Marguerite Fund, will be sharing a case study on Day Two at 09:50 titled ‘The financing behind Europe’s energy security’. His presentation will cover the following key points:

• The role of infrastructure in safeguarding Europe’s energy security
• Marguerite 2020’s role in financing gas pipelines and interconnectors
• Overcoming the main challenges in securing financing for infrastructure projects
• Should we be investing in new infrastructure or enhancing current capabilities?

The 10th annual Gas Storage and Transmissions conference, taking place on 15th - 16th June 2016 in London, UK will provide the ideal platform to discuss the role storage and transmissions can play in safeguarding the EU's security of energy supply, in addition to the role regulators have to play in rejuvenating this dynamic market. Case studies will be provided on current and future infrastructural developments across Europe, including the Turkish, Nord and South Streams and the forthcoming Nord Stream 2 project. The two-day event will assess whether diversifying gas supply routes and new interconnector projects can meet the growing need for natural gas imports in Europe as production in the North Sea continues to fall.

Speaker Panel includes:
• Christophe Poillion, VP and Director of European Strategy, GRTgaz and Chairman of the Task Force on Security of Supply, Gas Infrastructure Europe
• Ralph Bahke, Managing Director, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH
• Paul Corcoran, Chief Financial Officer, Nord Stream 2 AG
• Christoph von dem Bussche, Managing Director, Gascade
• Michael Kohl, Managing Director, RWE Gasspeicher
• Gabriele Lucchesi, Managing Director, Edison Stoccaggio SpA

To view the full speaker line-up and conference programme, visit http://www.gas-storage-event.com/prcom

Plus, don't miss two interactive pre-conference workshops taking place on 14th June 2016:

A: Delivering gas storage and pipeline projects for the energy union: Lessons learned
Hosted by: Kostadin Sirleshtov, Partner and CEE Head of Energy, CMS Cameron McKenna
Pavlin Stoyanov, Senior Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna
8.30 – 12.30

B: Gas portfolio asset optimisation
Hosted by: Dr Christos Papadopoulos, Director, Energy Exemplar
13.30 – 17.30