On September 14, 2016 the Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative hosted the Portuguese Minister of Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino. Minister Vitorino discussed the future development of the North Atlantic between the United States and Portugal as an energy and resource hub. Citing that offshore oil and gas, US LNG shipments, deep-sea mining, and ocean renewable projects will diversify Western Europe’s energy needs. Her presentation was followed by a moderated discussion with Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative Assistant Director, Bina Hussein. The discussion involved a series of issues:
- The construction of new pipelines between Portugal, Spain and France, or the use of ships to transport resources between the countries.
- The geopolitical concerns with the transit of Russian gas and Portugal’s drive to establish an energy relationship with the United States.
- The public’s environmental concerns with the development of ocean renewables and deep-sea methane reserves.
Image: From left to right: Bina Hussein, Assistant Director, Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative, Atlantic Council; Ana Paula Vitorino, Minister of Sea, Portuguese Republic; David Koranyi, Director, Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative, Atlantic Council.