On 18 June 2025, Professor Phoebe Koundouri had the pleasure of speaking today at the Energy Transition Summit: East Med & Southeast Europe, co-hosted by the Financial Times and Kathimerini at the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Athens.
During the panel discussion “Scaling Green Hydrogen Production and Usage,” moderated by Simon Mundy (Financial Times) and featuring Prof. Sotirios Karellas (National Technical University of Athens), Prof. Koundouri explored how the region can position itself at the forefront of the global hydrogen economy.
Drawing on insights from her recent co-authored study published in Applied Energy, Prof. Koundouri emphasized that hydrogen export corridors from Greece and the Balkans to Central Europe could become cost-competitive by the early 2030s, especially as the costs of renewables and electrolysers continue to decline.
She highlighted that this export potential could transform Southeast Europe and the East Mediterranean into major hydrogen net exporters, leveraging their comparative advantage in renewable energy. However, she also underlined that this will require bold investment in export-oriented infrastructure — such as pipelines, terminals, and related assets.
In the longer term, she noted, continued innovation and integrated planning will be key to reducing costs and stimulating strong domestic hydrogen demand.
Read the full paper here
Madsen, T., Kountouris, I., Bramstoft, R., Koundouri, P., & Keles, D. (2025). European or national‑level emission reduction policy? Effectiveness and energy system implications. Applied Energy, 388, 125672.
