A
Alternative Fuels
Fuels that substitute for conventional fossil fuels in transport and industry — including green methanol, bio-LNG, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels. Also referred to as low-carbon or clean fuels depending on their production pathway.
B
Bankability
The degree to which a project can attract debt financing from lenders. A bankable project has sufficient certainty around cash flows, contracts, and risk allocation to satisfy lenders' requirements for project finance.
Bio-LNG
Liquefied biomethane produced from organic waste streams — a renewable substitute for fossil LNG used in heavy transport and shipping.
Biofuels
Liquid or gaseous fuels derived from biomass — including bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas and bio-LNG. Classified as first, second or third generation depending on the feedstock and production technology.
C
Capital Programme
A coordinated set of capital investment projects managed as a portfolio — typically in infrastructure, energy or industrial sectors — with shared governance, budgets and delivery timelines.
D
Due Diligence
A structured investigation of a company, project or technology prior to investment or partnership. In energy, this typically covers technical, commercial, regulatory and financial dimensions.
E
Energy Transition
The structural shift from fossil-fuel-based energy systems to low-carbon alternatives — primarily renewables, storage, hydrogen and electrification — driven by climate policy, economics and technology change.
EPC
Engineering, Procurement and Construction. A project delivery model in which a single contractor is responsible for the full scope of design, procurement of materials and physical construction under a fixed-price or lump-sum contract.
F
Feasibility Study
A structured assessment of whether a proposed project is technically viable, commercially sound and financially executable — typically conducted before committing to full project development.
Feedstock
The raw material input to a production or conversion process. In biofuels and alternative fuels, feedstock quality, availability and cost are primary determinants of project economics.
G
Green Methanol
Methanol produced from renewable sources — either via green hydrogen combined with captured CO₂ (e-methanol) or from biomass gasification. Used in shipping, chemicals and as a hydrogen carrier.
Go-to-Market Strategy
The plan that defines how a company or project will reach its target customers or markets — covering positioning, channels, pricing and commercial partnerships.
L
LDES
Long-Duration Energy Storage. Technologies capable of storing energy for 8 hours or more — including flow batteries, compressed air, gravity and thermal storage — essential for grid stability as variable renewables penetration increases.
Lignite
A low-rank coal used in some European countries — including Greece — for electricity generation. Among the most carbon-intensive fuels; its phase-out is central to national decarbonisation targets.
M
Mass Balance
An accounting method used in biofuel and green fuel supply chains to track the quantity and sustainability attributes of inputs and outputs without requiring physical segregation of feedstock.
Midstream
The segment of the oil and gas value chain between production (upstream) and end-use (downstream) — covering transportation, storage and processing of hydrocarbons.
S
SMR
Small Modular Reactor. A nuclear reactor design with an electrical output typically below 300 MW — smaller and factory-built compared to conventional nuclear plants. SMRs are positioned as a flexible, lower-capital alternative for decarbonising power generation and industrial heat.
T
TRL
Technology Readiness Level. A nine-point scale (1–9) developed by NASA and adopted by the EU to assess the maturity of a technology — from basic research (TRL 1) to proven deployment at full scale (TRL 9).
U
Unit Economics
The revenue and cost associated with a single unit of a business model — used to assess whether a project or product is economically viable at scale before committing capital.
Upstream
The exploration and production segment of the oil and gas industry — covering the search for reservoirs, drilling, and bringing hydrocarbons to the surface.
V
Value Chain
The full sequence of activities that create and deliver value in an industry — from raw material extraction through processing, distribution and end use. Value chain analysis identifies where margin is generated and where risk is concentrated.