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Aurora Energy Transition Summit
Warsaw

Thursday, 20  February 2025
Warsaw

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Energy Transition in Central and Eastern Europe: Challenges and Investment Opportunities

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As the European Union moved toward its 2050 Net Zero targets, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) emerged as a key focus area for the energy transition. Historically reliant on coal and natural gas, CEE’s energy landscape underwent a transformative shift, with dynamic growth, rising energy demand, and untapped potential positioning it as a hotspot for innovation and investment.

Even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, CEE countries had been making strides in the adoption of renewable energy. This shift accelerated further, with our teams forecasting 90 GW of investments in wind, solar, and batteries across the region between 2025 and 2030.

Poland stood at the forefront of this transition. As the largest energy market in CEE, its presidency of the EU Council in early 2025 offered a pivotal chance to influence the EU’s energy priorities. Despite its strong reliance on coal, the country increasingly focused on expanding renewable energy investments. This required a step-change in grid flexibility to integrate renewables while continuing to ensure security of supply—with natural gas, large-scale batteries, and nuclear potentially playing key roles.

Other markets in the region also evolved, though at different speeds and with varying technological priorities. However, challenges persisted in delivering the ambition for the region – in particular regulatory barriers, infrastructure bottlenecks, and geopolitical risks. Addressing these hurdles required a coordinated effort between policymakers, industry, and investors – both within individual Member States and in support of cross-border energy trade.

The inaugural Aurora Energy Transition Summit Warsaw served as the platform for these critical conversations. Bringing together senior leaders from across the CEE energy sector, the event focused on actionable solutions to advance the region’s energy transition while ensuring its competitiveness in a sustainable global economy. Key topics included securing energy supply, fostering investment in clean energy technologies, and navigating the complexities of CEE’s diverse energy markets.