Of all fossil fuels, natural gas is experiencing the largest growth worldwide. At the same time, tech innovations are making the extraction and transportation of natural gas easier, cheaper and more efficient. These trends are already transforming the global energy landscape and soon, analysts say, natural gas might be at the core of the transition towards a carbon neutral economy. Is natural gas about to become a game changer in international relations? Who are the main players in the “great game of gas”? What are their interests and ambitions? And what impact is the surge of natural gas going to have on global geopolitics and economic trends?
Actors and Geopolitics
From the shale gas revolution in the United States to the geopolitical role of Russian pipelines in supplying both the European Union and China. From the new gas discoveries in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean to the rising tensions behind the exploitation in the Middle East. A complex, tangled and crowded game for the forthcoming future.
The Geopolitics of Gas: Main Players and Dynamics
Manfred Hafner, Sciences Po, Johns Hopkins University and Fondazione Enrico Mattei
USA: A New Disruptive Actor In the Gas Market
Samantha Gross, Brookings Institution
Gas in the Gulf: A Transitional Fuel On the Path to Diversification
Lapo Pistelli, Executive Vice President- Director International Affairs Department Eni
The Redundancy of Energy Security
Massimo Nicolazzi, ISPI
The Geopolitics of Gas in the European Union
Alberto Belladonna and Alessandro Gili, ISPI
The Three Seas Initiative: Natural Gas in Central European Foreign Policy
Pawel Musialek, Cracow University and Klubu Jiagiellonskiego
Eastern Mediterranean Gas: What Prospects for the New Decade?
Simone Tagliapietra, Bruegel, Università Cattolica and Fondazione Enrico Mattei
The Road to China: An Opportunity for Russian Gas
Ilya Razlomalin and Ilya Sushin, McKinsey & Company
New Gas Discoveries in sub-Saharan Africa: A Source of Development?
Philippe Copinschi, Sciences Po
Technology and Future Trends
New environmental laws are giving natural gas a new centrality in the energy mix of major countries since it is seen as the transition energy towards a carbon-neutral economy. How are cleaner solutions and new technologies leading the way? How can natural gas be combined to produce cleaner energy for the future?
Leading the Way Towards a Successful Energy Transition: The Role of LNG
Stefano Cao, Chief Executive Officer Saipem
The Gas Clean Tech: Enabling Sustainable Development
Menelaos Ydreos, Executive Public Affairs International Gas Union
LNG: A Tool to Decarbonise the Maritime Sector
Alexio Picco, Chief Consultant for the European Coordinators for the Motorways of the Sea
The Use of Natural Gas for Sustainable Transportation
Susanna Dorigoni, Università Bocconi
Hydrogen: Unlocking the Potential of Green Gas
Ruggero Corrias, Head of International Relations Snam
* This Dossier is published by ISPI with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in accordance with Article 23- bis of the Decree of the President of the Italian Republic 18/1967. The opinions expressed are those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
