Navigating Energy Pathways for the Baltic Sea Region: What the Riga conference signals for security, flexibility, and hydrogen
Riga will host the Baltic Sea region’s largest energy conference on 11 February 2026, bringing together Baltic, European, and US energy leaders to discuss practical pathways for security, affordability, and sustainability. Building on the proven impact of grid modernization and BESS for balancing, the next strategic step is to scale hydrogen as a complementary flexibility and decarbonization pillar for the region.
EVENTS
HydrogenLatvia
2/9/20263 min read
On 11 February 2026, Riga hosts the Baltic Sea region’s largest energy conference, “Navigating Energy Pathways for the Baltic Sea Region”, at the House of Science, University of Latvia (Jelgavas iela 3). Organized by World Energy Council Latvia and the Ministry of Climate and Energy of Latvia, in collaboration with the World Energy Council global community, the event brings together policymakers and energy leaders from the Baltics and beyond to discuss energy security, affordability, and sustainability—with a clear focus on practical pathways.
The conference is in English, with up to 300 on-site participants expected, and a global online audience. The full event can be followed online via the official website: World Energy Council Latvia
Why this event matters now
The Baltic energy story has moved from “plans” to “proof.” After the region’s grid synchronization with Europe, the system has demonstrated that it can operate reliably—an important signal for investors, industry, and consumers. The next step is to translate this improved resilience into lower system costs, faster renewable integration, and stronger competitiveness.
This is exactly the conference’s framing: not just “where we want to go,” but how to implement a well-balanced energy strategy across sectors.
What will be discussed (and what to watch)
The agenda is structured around four themes that map directly to the region’s near-term bottlenecks:
Geopolitics & global energy policy: how security risks and external shocks reshape investment priorities and infrastructure planning.
Balancing supply & demand: the operational reality of a renewables-heavy system—flexibility, adequacy, and reliability.
Financing the energy strategy: what is bankable, what needs public risk-sharing, and how to sequence investments.
Community-driven action: local acceptance, permitting, and the role of municipalities and communities in accelerating delivery.
A key political signal is expected alongside the discussions: Baltic ministers responsible for energy policy are set to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation, transparency, and long-term strategic alignment in the energy sector.
The flexibility stack: BESS is a success—hydrogen is the next complement
Recent Baltic system upgrades show what “grid readiness” looks like in practice. In Latvia, AST’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Rēzekne and Tume were completed as part of the synchronization-related investments. According to public reporting, the BESS investments reached €77 million, with significant EU support, and in November 2025 the batteries helped the Baltics save €3.4 million (including €1.3 million for Latvia/AST). The same reporting indicates that from this year, Latvia can reduce balancing capacity maintenance costs by half.
That’s a strong result—and it clarifies the next question: what complements short-duration flexibility when renewable volumes scale further?
This is where hydrogen becomes strategically relevant for the Baltic region:
Seasonal and multi-day flexibility: batteries excel at fast response and short-duration balancing; hydrogen can address longer gaps and provide firming options when weather patterns align across the region.
Curtailment avoidance and grid efficiency: as wind and solar expand, hydrogen can convert surplus electricity into a storable molecule—reducing curtailment and improving utilization of renewable assets.
Industrial decarbonization and new demand: hydrogen is not only a balancing tool; it creates a pathway to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and anchor new industrial value chains.
Power-to-X (PtX) opportunities: e-fuels and other PtX products can connect Baltic renewable potential to export markets and aviation/maritime decarbonization needs.
The practical takeaway: BESS has proven the value of flexibility investments. Hydrogen can extend that flexibility across time horizons and sectors as a long duration energy storage (LDES) solution, turning energy security gains into a broader competitiveness story.
Who is attending
The conference brings together senior voices from government and the energy ecosystem. Confirmed featured participants include:
Kaspars Melnis, Minister, Ministry of Climate and Energy of Latvia
Catherine Jereza, Assistant Secretary of Energy, US Department of Energy
Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Minister of Energy of Lithuania
Andres Sutt, Minister of Energy and the Environment of Estonia
How to follow
The conference will be broadcast online for a global audience. Follow the official event site (programme, speakers, updates): https://navigatingenergy.worldenergycouncil.lv/en