The Environment, Energy & Climate Change Ministry has called for a “few more days of patience” from the industrial sector for the implementation of a “disruption management” plan that will enable energy cost savings for major-scale industry in exchange for a reduction in energy consumption whenever required by the system operator.

The plan was approved earlier this month by the European Commission but has yet to be implemented in the Greek market.

According to ministry officials, the delay to the plan’s introduction for major-scale industry has to do with an effort being made by the ministry to implement all details as demanded by the European Commission, to avoid any future complications.

Although many of the plan’s details have yet to be disclosed, sources have said that it will be based on mothly auctions at levels of 100,000 euros per MW, annually, and savings of 15 euros per MW for each participating company. It is believed that a minimum cut-off load of five MW will be required by participants.

As has been previously reported, IPTO, Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator, will stage auctions in which participating industrial companies will offer electricity amounts they will cut back on if requested, following a predetermined notification period. Therefore, IPTO will be in a position to know ahead of time the amounts of power cut-backs to be contributed to the plan by each specific industrial company, whenever this is deemed necessary.

Besides offering savings to energy-intensive industrial companies, the “disruption management” plan will also help the operator avoid the cost of investments aiming to cover demand during peak hours.