Congress in Katowice One Month Away

We invite you to take part in the European Liquid Gas Congress ELGC2025, organized by Liquid Gas Europe, which will be held on 20–22 May 2025 at the International Congress Center in Katowice. For the LPG industry in Europe, the Congress is the largest conference and trade fair event on the continent this year. In this year’s edition more than 1,400 participants, 110 exhibitors and sponsors and over 40 speakers will take part. More than 390 organizations from Europe and around the world will be represented, which underlines the international dimension of the Congress.

The Congress has its roots in the establishment of the European LPG Association (AEGPL) in 1968. The association was founded in Paris, France, as a joint effort of national LPG associations from various European countries, which recognized the value of joining forces to promote their common interests. The inaugural Congress was held in 1971, giving rise to an event that has become an annual tradition in the European LPG industry.

For nearly five decades the European Liquid Gas Congress was organized by AEGPL. Over that time the Congress became a cornerstone for the European liquefied gas industry, gathering participants from across the continent and beyond. A characteristic feature of the event from the very beginning was its rotation between different European cities. This tradition was meant to showcase the diversity of the European liquefied gas industry, but it also helped to highlight the specific challenges and achievements of the industry in the country hosting the Congress. 2018 was a milestone for the organizers. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the European Liquefied Gas Association changed its name to “Liquid Gas Europe”. The rebranding reflected the evolution of the organization - from its original headquarters in Paris to its present headquarters in Brussels, and from an association of national chambers to a body bringing together the entire liquefied gas supply chain, including companies manufacturing equipment for the industry. Since then the LGE mandate has also covered the promotion of renewable fuels on the liquefied gas market.

In recent years the Congress has been held in cities such as Lyon (2024), Rome (2023), Barcelona (2022), and before the break caused by the pandemic - in Amsterdam (2019), Monaco (2018), Lisbon (2017) and Florence (2016).

The Congress consists of two main elements: the conference and the LPG liquefied gas trade fair, which is an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience within the industry, as well as to promote innovation and best business practices. Panel sessions are also an important part of the Congress – this year devoted, among other things, to the decarbonization of the transport and heating sectors, the use of liquefied gas in industry and agriculture, and the commercialization potential of renewable liquefied gas – biopropane and bio-dimethyl ether (DME). There will also be workshops on new European regulations and on the latest solutions in the autogas industry.

The 2025 Congress will be, as every year, the largest LPG event in Europe. The last Congress in Lyon (18–20 June 2024) drew 68 speakers,     more than 300 organizations (companies, associations and public institutions) and around 110 sponsors and exhibitors – some 1,500 participants and visitors in total. In Katowice we are counting on more, especially on business representatives from Central and Eastern Europe. One month before the event, only the last free trade fair stands remain.

Energy Everywhere

The motto of this year’s Congress - Energy Everywhere - has become an illustration of the continent’s most important challenge. The inspiration for this year’s Congress is a vision of Europe in which energy is universally available, reliable and sustainable. This concept assumes providing both urban and rural communities with the energy resources necessary for development and prosperity, including in a low-emission future. In rural areas, which often lack linear energy infrastructure, renewable liquefied gases are a practical and promising solution.

The Energy Everywhere campaign run by Liquid Gas Europe highlights the key role that renewable liquefied gases such as bioLPG can play in the continent’s energy transition. Not only are they an alternative to conventional fossil fuels, they also offer a realistic path to meeting Europe’s clean energy targets in this area. Renewable, low-emission fuels are the key to the transition, and liquefied gases offer a solution for hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as heating, cooking and transport, especially in less urbanized areas. They are of particular importance for regions beyond the reach of gas and district heating networks.

The European Liquid Gas Congress in Katowice highlights the need for cross-sector cooperation, pointing to emerging technologies such as hydrogen, energy storage and carbon capture and sequestration as key elements of Europe’s future energy strategy. Achieving the Energy Everywhere vision will require cooperation between governments, industry and communities. The energy landscape continues to evolve, and it must be recalled that Europe has to be powered by clean, affordable energy that reaches every corner of the continent, improves quality of life and at the same time contributes to meeting the sustainable development goals.

As Ewa Gawryś-Osińska, Chair of the Presidium of the Polish Liquefied Gas Organization, notes:

The Congress is taking place at a key moment for the industry, as it faces the challenges of the energy transition, decarbonization and the pursuit of a more sustainable future.

Honorary patronage over the Congress in Katowice has been assumed by:

• the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland,
• the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
• the Minister of Industry,
• the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
• the Marshal of the Śląskie Voivodeship,
• the President of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management,
• the President of the Office of Technical Inspection,
• the Director of Transport Technical Supervision.

The Congress will feature 12 discussion panels and workshops covering key topics linked to the future of liquefied gases. The most important issues will include:

• The role of liquefied gas in the European energy transition – debates on ways of integrating LPG and bioLPG into EU energy policy.
• Decarbonization of transport – the future of autogas.
• New technologies and innovation – the development of low-emission gaseous fuels and the impact of artificial intelligence on the LPG industry.
• Europe’s energy security – liquefied gas supply in the context of geopolitical change.

Beyond the above, there will be no shortage of expert insight into both market trends (Exploring the dynamics of liquid gas markets and trends) and legislative turbulence (2025 State ofthe Union: Policies Impacting Liquid Gases). The current Congress program together with the list of speakers can be found on the website.

The discussion panel Navigating the Liquid Gas Market in Poland and Central Europe deserves particular attention, focused on the challenges and opportunities of the liquefied gas market in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe. Importantly, participation in this panel will also be open to those attending the Congress on a Visitor Pass, that is, the visitor ticket priced at EUR 30. This is an exceptional chance for guests interested in the regional market to take part in the discussion alongside industry experts without having to buy the full conference package.

The panel will bring together:

• Paweł Bielski, Polish Chamber of Liquid Gas,
• ‍Janusz Starościk, Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Heating Appliances,
• ‍Stanisław Batraczenko, Ukrainian LPG Association,
• ‍Svetoslav Benchev, Bulgarian Oil and Gas Association,
• ‍Szymon Araszkiewicz, e-petrol.pl,
• ‍Moderator: Bartosz Kwiatkowski, POGP.

Other speakers will include:

• Ewa Abramiuk-Lété (Liquid Gas Europe),‍
• James Rockall (World Liquid Gas Association),
• ‍Mateusz Walewski (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego),
• ‍Maria Malmkvist (Energigas Sverige),
• ‍Piotr Pietrzak (IBM Poland),
• ‍Cinch Munson (World Liquid Gas Association),
• ‍Marco Seimandi (Westport Fuel Systems),
• Markus Dreier (UGI International),‍
• Donatella Squellerio (Gaspol),‍
• Richard Hakeem (Liquid Gas UK),‍
• Ireneusz Popiół (Chemet),‍
• Christos Christofides (Veroniki Holding) and many others.

There will be no shortage of opportunities to make business contacts during less formal meetings: the program includes a welcome cocktail and a gala dinner with the awards ceremony (theAWARDS), which will create excellent conditions for networking among delegates.Registration for the Congress is still open – applications are accepted through the online form. Various participation options tailored to attendees’ needs are available. The basic Visitor Pass allows participation in selected parts of the event (access to the exhibition zone theARENA, admission to the autogas workshops organized by Westport Fuel Systems and to the regional panel mentioned above), while the full Conference Pass guarantees admission to all conference sessions, workshops and accompanying events, including the theAWARDS gala. We encourage you to choose the form of participation that suits you best!

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We invite you to follow the POGP and ELGC news channels, where we publish important information about the Congress on an ongoing basis.