Search

The aim of this thesis is to examine the role and the contribution of the economic and trade diplomacy in the United States of America, in China and in the European Union. In particular, the contribution of the economic and trade diplomacy in the evolution of the United States into a superpower, of China into a rapidly developing economy which seems to disturb the worldwide power correlation and of the European Union into a strong worldwide trade player will be examined. The importance of trade and trade negotiations in the early days of the United States until the most recent protectionist views of President Trump, the Belt and Road Initiative which can be seen as the New Silk Road for China and the development of the European Union from a group of six states into a total of twenty seven through a customs union, a single market and finally an economic and monetary union are presented. Greece is examined as a case study of a member state of the European Union, since it has regulated by law economic and trade diplomacy recently. A comparison of the economic and trade diplomacy in the United States of America, in China and in the European Union is made based on two factors; the role of the economic and trade diplomacy in the creation of them and the actors in each of them. The conclusion is that economic and trade diplomacy has contributed to the evolution of the USA into a superpower, of China into a rapidly developing economy which seems to disturb the worldwide power correlation and of the European Union into one of the biggest economies and a strong trade player worldwide. The contribution of this paper is the study of a subject not often examined, that is economic and trade diplomacy.

Η απελευθέρωση της αγοράς ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας στην Ελλάδα είναι ένα γεγονός το οποίο εξελίσσεται ουσιαστικά τα τελευταία 15 χρόνια, στην αρχή δειλά και διερευνητικά ενώ στο πέρασμα του χρόνου επιτακτικά και καθοριστικά, με συνεχείς διορθωτικές κινήσεις πάνω σε προηγούμενα βήματα, λόγω συνάντησης αστοχιών και αντιδράσεων. Η μετάβαση της συγκεκριμένης αγοράς από το καθεστώς του μονοπωλίου σε ανταγωνιστικό περιβάλλον είναι ένα πολύ ΄σημαντικό βήμα όχι μόνο για τη χώρα μας αλλά για ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη, διότι οδήγησε σε θετικές αλλαγές για την ευημερία των καταναλωτών στην εγχώρια αγορά αλλά και στην ανάπτυξη της ενεργειακής μας ασφάλειας. Στην παρούσα εργασία αποτυπώνεται η διαδρομή προς την απελευθέρωση της αγοράς ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας, ξεκινώντας από το μονοπωλιακό καθεστώς και καταλήγοντας μέχρι τις μέρες μας, όπου έχει ξεκινήσει επίσημα η λειτουργία του Ελληνικού Χρηματιστηρίου Ενέργειας. Η διαμόρφωση της αγοράς αυτής έχει ως οδηγό της τις οδηγίες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, θα υποστηριχθεί από την αντίστοιχη εξέλιξη της ευρωπαϊκής αγοράς ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας και ακολούθως από την αντίστοιχη εναρμόνιση της ελληνικής νομοθεσίας. Η εναρμόνιση της ελληνικής νομοθεσίας με τις ευρωπαϊκές οδηγίες θα βάλουν τη χώρα μας σε πορεία εκσυγχρονισμού της ενεργειακής αγοράς ώστε να ακολουθήσει η συνεργασία μας με τις λοιπές ευρωπαϊκές ενεργειακές αγορές. Τέλος, ως αποτέλεσμα των αλλαγών αυτών, αναλύονται οι κοινωνικές προεκτάσεις της απελευθέρωσης, η εξέλιξη της τεχνολογίας στον τομέα της ενέργειας αλλά και οι νέες προοπτικές που ανοίγονται στο άμεσο και έμμεσο μέλλον., The liberalization of the electricity market in Greece is a process that has basically been evolving over the last 15 years, timidly and searchingly at first, while imperatively and decisively over time, with continuous corrective moves on previous steps, due to encounters of failures and oppositions. The transition of this market from a monopoly regime to a competitive market is a very important step not only for our country but for the entire Europe, as it has led to positive changes for the well-being of consumers in the domestic market and the development of our energy security. This paper illustrates the course to the liberalization of the electricity market from the monopoly regime to the current commencement of the official operation of the Hellenic Energy Exchange. The configuration of this market is guided by the directives of the European Union. It will be supported by the corresponding development of the European electricity market and then by the corresponding harmonization of Greek legislation. The harmonization of the Greek legislation with the European directives will put our country in the process of modernization of the energy market in order for our cooperation with the other European energy markets to follow. Finally, as a result of these changes, the social implications of liberalization, the evolution of technology in the energy sector and the new perspectives that open up in the immediate and indirect future are analyzed in detail.

With the prices rising to their highest point during the decade and its lack of diversification in supply, EU’s energy security and availability are threatened. Meanwhile, the climate crisis demands a sustainable solution, with energy and environmental security being two co-existing factors. Qatar has become a developed economy, playing an important role in the Middle East financially and diplomatically. It is ranked among the economies with the highest GDP and the largest oil and natural gas reserves and is also entering its RES era. The state has also built strong bonds with the US. The European market is currently left without a main supplier, and it is possible that Qatar will include it into its market expansion plan. Furthermore, a state analysis takes place to reach valid conclusions about Qatar’s current financial state as well as expectations for the foreseeable future. MENA states usually suffer from phenomena such as resource curse that influence their reliability as main suppliers in the longterm. Qatar has not been negatively influenced so far because it has come up with effective solutions such as its National Vision 2030 strategy. Lastly, EU has come up with the REPowerEU plan, a strategy concerning supply diversification, new LNG imports, climate-oriented solutions, and the required monetization. This can have a huge short-term impact on dealing with the crisis. Qatar on the other hand is more likely to become an effective long-term alternative for Europe, however it is highlighted that Europe should not again over-depend on one and only supplier.

The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated approach to hedging. It seeks to integrate the concept of hedging in such a manner that all key elements are taken into account. In most situations, hedging papers and techniques focus almost entirely on specifics (particular models, specialized instruments), leaving out the most crucial aspect: the overall picture. The paper's most important argument is that it highlights the flawed assumptions that existing techniques and tools have, which lead to relatively unrealistic outcomes, and secondly, it emphasizes long-term risk reduction. Most firms tend to protect themselves against short-term risks and volatility, but they are left vulnerable to severe occurrences that are unusual but have long-term devastating consequences and can even lead to the company's bankruptcy.

Στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η διερεύνηση της ενεργειακής πολιτικής των Ηνωμένων Αραβικών Εμιράτων, με βάση τις αρχές της Διεθνούς Πολιτικής Οικονομίας. Αρχικά θα παρουσιαστεί η θεωρητική προσέγγιση του θέματος με αποσαφήνιση εννοιών εξωτερικής πολιτικής, πολιτικής οικονομίας και διεθνούς πολιτικής οικονομίας στον τομέα της ενέργειας. Θα παρουσιαστούν θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις σχετικά με τα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα, ενώ η επιλογή της ρεαλιστικής προσέγγισης θα τεκμηριωθεί με βάση οικονομικούς αλλά και πολιτικούς παράγοντες, που θα βοηθήσουν στην καλύτερη κατανόηση του ζητήματος., The aim of this dissertation is to explore the energy policy of the United Arab Emirates, based on the principles of International Political Economy. Initially, the theoretical approach to the issue will be presented by clarifying concepts of foreign policy, political economy and international political economy in the field of energy. Theoretical approaches regarding the United Arab Emirates will be presented, while the choice of the realistic approach will be documented based on economic and also political factors, which will help to better understand the issue.

With the country’s energy needs having increased rapidly due to the unprecedented economic growth, it’s apparent that the energy security concerns have become important in influencing the thinking, formation and implementation of China’s foreign policy. While this perceived energy insecurity has become an increasingly influencing factor in China’s international behavior, it cannot be argued that the country’s energy needs is the most important dimension in Beijing’s foreign policy calculations. By employing every available tool at its disposal at the political level and by mobilizing the country’s economic might and capacity at the financial and industrial levels, China pursues not only the establishment and advance of its political and economic ties with the resources-rich developing countries for energy security reasons, but also a growing presence in such countries. These movements should be seen in a multi-dimensional context, where the country’s worldwide-expanding economic and political interests compete and interact with domestic political and social adjustments and balances.

Western Africa is at the crossroad of electrification in order to meet both the electricity needs that are coming from the fast population growth and the lack of access to electricity. Since the current situation of low access to electricity is a fact, we have to keep an optimistic view and see as an opportunity the fact that large proportion of additional MWh needed, may come from a sustainable renewable source like Solar, Wind and hydro.

Aim of the dissertation: The aim of the dissertation is to analyse the financial and strategic view of the energy sector in Greece and to interpret the economic impact of the private and state energy investments that take place in the Greek territory in a challenge period such us the decade after 2020. To that end, it investigates the contribution of the energy sector to GDP and unemployment, and it assesses the macroeconomic and microeconomic effects on the growth and extroversion of the Greek economy. Methodology: The dissertation employs secondary data collection and quantitative analysis. The data is collected from reliable sources, including the IEA, Eurostat, EIA. Statista as well as from state platforms such as DAPEEP, Hellenic Competition Commission, Regulatory Authority for Energy etc. The purpose of the methodology is to investigate the public and private investments in energy sectors such as rrenewable energy sources, oil industry & companies at the field of petroleum, Gas & LNG, coal industry, power plants, LNG processing plants, energy constructions, electromobility, energy buildings, pipelines, etc. Further, it will collect information from major Greek companies that engage in energy investments from all the market fields. Structure of the study: Following the introductory part, Chapter 2 presents the energy market in Greece, the energy balance, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Greek energy market. It also presents oil and petroleum products, the legislative framework for energy transition and the Target model. Further, it analyses natural gas, renewqable energy sources (RES), energy efficiency and co-production and energy poverty in Greece. The chapter is completed with the presentation and analysis of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and a thorough reporting of the climate energy targets, the RES targets, the energy efficiency targets, the strategies implemented to address the Energy Union dimensions and the challenges posed ahead. Chapter 3 performs a sector analysis regarding the oil industry companies, natural gas and LNG, coal industry, power plants, LNG processing plants, energy constructions, electromobility, and energy buildings. Chapter 4 investigates e-mobility and electric cars in Greece. Chapter 5 presents energy investments from Greek companies. Chapter 6 analyses the impact of energy investments both on a global and national level and explains the use of RES technologies and the importance of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Also, it presents the next day for energy in Greece. The Dissertation is completed with conclusion and suggestions in Chapter 7.

The Thesis examines the role of incentives, as means of promotion, with regards to their connection with Battery-Electric-Vehicles sales and electric-Mobility growth worldwide. Economic incentives, such as exemptions from purchase tax and VAT among others are discussed and considered strong encouragements and crucial for promoting the purchase and ownership of BEVs. Apart from fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that are typically introduced by countries and are mostly related to purchase incentives such as subsidies, tax benefits and exemptions, infrastructure promotion measures, traffic regulations and other benefits such as free parking, the Thesis evaluates the revolutionary Vehicle-To-Grid technology and its concept applications with the possibility of becoming a motivating factor which could increase the share of BEVs in transportation sector. The V2G concept allows BEV owners to make a profit from owning a BEV while it is connected to the power grid. A sociotechnical analysis of e-Mobility and V2G technology along with a SWOT analysis of e-Mobility in Attica, Greece are performed. The Thesis concludes that the V2G concept, already applied by several countries, apart from the technological challenges it has to overcome, comprises an incentive that could assist in the rapid growth of BEVs, create new business and employment opportunities, promote innovation and partnerships, benefit public health and the environment.

Σε αυτή την διπλωματική εργασία, ο συγγραφέας ασχολήθηκε με την αποκλειστικά δική του δημιουργία, υπό ρεαλιστικούς όρους, ενός θαλάσσιου αιολικού πάρκου μεταξύ των ελληνικών νησιών της Καρπάθου και της Κάσου, στα Δωδεκάνησα. Ο στόχος της διπλωματικής εργασίας ήταν διττός και γι' αυτό δύο φάσεις αναπτύχθηκαν. Συγκεκριμένα, ο πρώτος στόχος (πρώτη φάση: Ιανουάριος 2023 - Δεκέμβριος 2027) ήταν να παρουσιαστεί ένα πλάνο, μέσω της κατασκευής ενός θαλάσσιου αιολικού πάρκου, έτσι ώστε να καλυφθούν σε εξαιρετικά υψηλό βαθμό οι ενεργειακές ανάγκες δύο νησιών, τα οποία δεν ήταν διασυνδεδεμένα με το ηπειρωτικό σύστημα κατά την περίοδο συγγραφής αυτής της διπλωματικής. Ο δεύτερος στόχος (δεύτερη φάση: Ιανουάριος 2028 - Δεκέμβριος 2052), μετά από την αναμενόμενη διασύνδεση (έως το 2027) των νησιών της Καρπάθου και της Κάσου με το ηπειρωτικό σύστημα και επομένως με το ελληνικό σύστημα μεταφοράς ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας, ήταν η συμβολή ενός υπεράκτιου αιολικού πάρκου στο εθνικό ενεργειακό μείγμα και ο συγγραφέας αξιολόγησε την λειτουργία του κυρίως από αυτή την οπτική. Μία ενδελεχής οικονομική ανάλυση για την βιωσιμότητα του έργου έλαβε χώρα από τον συγγραφέα, καθώς επίσης και η εκτίμηση πολλών κριτηρίων για την καταλληλότητα της εγκατάστασης του θαλάσσιου αιολικού πάρκου στην συγκεκριμένη τοποθεσία επιλεγμένη από τον συγγραφέα. Επιπλέον, η αποθήκευση ενέργειας μέσω της χρήσης μπαταριών επίσης λήφθηκε υπόψιν., In this thesis, the author dealt with his exclusively own creation, in realistic terms, of an offshore wind farm between the Greek islands of Karpathos and Kassos, in the Dodecanese complex. The objective of this thesis was twofold and for that two phases were developed. Specifically, the first goal (first phase: January 2023 - December 2027) was to be presented a plan, via the construction of an offshore wind park, in order for the energy needs of two islands, which were not interconnected with the mainland grid at the period of the writing of this thesis, to be covered at an extremely high rate. The second target (second phase: January 2028 - December 2052), after the anticipated interconnection (by 2027) of Karpathos and Kassos islands with the mainland system and therefore with the Hellenic Electricity Transmission System, was the contribution of an offshore wind farm in the national energy mix and the author assessed its operation mainly from this perspective. A thorough economic analysis for the sustainability of the project took place by the author, as well as the evaluation of many criteria for the suitability of the installation of the offshore wind farm in the particular location selected by the author. Furthermore, the energy storage via the use of batteries was also taken into consideration.

The main goal of thesis proposal is to evaluate the impact of energy sectors (coke-refined petroleum, electricity-gas) on the creation of gross domestic product, employment and wages for the Hellenic economy. The main quire that we try to answer is to find out the real effect-footprint of energy sectors on product, employment and wages creation for Hellenic economy. We use as main empirical framework the Input-Output one as it has been presented by Leontief. Main tool for this framework is the input – output tables which describe totally the economic network. Country economic network describe by two sides-dimensions under this framework. Firstly, by the side of demand per economic sector which operates as a buyer for outputs of others sectors product in order to produce its product. Secondly by the side of supply per economic sector which operates as a purchaser in order to satisfy others sectors demand for its final product. The above mentioned double-dimensions analysis makes easy to investigate the core-basic relationships between economic sectors which built a national economy. Especially for the need of present thesis has been used the hypothetical extraction method of Dietzenbacher and van der Linden (1997). This specific method based on extraction method, in other words the effect that will be produced by the extraction of a sector by the side of seller or by the side of purchaser. This analysis will present the total effect for national product, employment and wages after energy sectors extraction. Moreover, we will present top-10 sectors with largest incretion on national product, employment and wages after extraction of energy sectors. Additionally, we will calculate dependence of the results by imports in order to find out ability of Hellenic economy to be reproduced itself. We use data for thesis by the official IO database of Input Output International Association (IOIA).

Energy sector of Africa is vital for its development in the future and remains one of the least understood areas of the international energy system. Africa is huge, around the size of the United States, China, India and Europe combined and although it has energy resources sufficient to meet domestic needs, more than two-thirds of its population lacks access to modern energy. Africa’s energy resources effective development could exceed huge profits throughout the economy. How African emerging countries with rich resources can maximize their value? Whereas this in-depth study presents selected energy data and projections across Africa, the focus of the analysis and discussion is on the EU-Africa Energy Partnership and African energy institutions. There are areas in Africa such as rich natural resources and a growing working age population that have the potential advantage but have not yet been fully exploited. In addition, there are many other challenges, such as high levels of poverty and inequality, severe lack of infrastructure, poor governance and corruption, relatively low levels of productivity and skills, and unpredictable levels of political stability. Many of these factors contribute to a difficult and costly to operate business environment.