A draft bill for the renewable energy sector’s new support plan, recently forwarded for public consultation procedures by the energy ministry, includes provisions for tenders to offer RES production capacities.

According to the plan, a pilot tender offering at least 40 MW for new photovoltaic installations will need to be staged in 2016, no later than three months after the bill has been ratified.

Sources said European Commission officials also want related ministerial decisions to be signed, especially for new feed-in-premium agreements.

In order to comply with EU directives, Greece, within 2016, will need to stage PV tenders offering at least five percent of the total RES capacity installed in the country during 2015 and 2016. However, the Greek government has limited time to get this task done.

It should be taken into account that European Commission services operate well below full capacity during August. European Commission officials have already informed the Greek government that procedures concerning their examination of the content to make up the country’s RES-related ministerial decisions will be delayed as a result of the current workload.

Taking this into account, the energy ministry will need to finalize its draft concerning the ministerial decisions and submit it to Brussels by the end of this month if a tender is to be held within 2016.

The upper limit for the pilot tender is expected to be set at 94 euros per MWh for PV facilities with capacities of more than one MW and 104 euros per MWh for PV facilities with capacities of less than one MW. Participants will be permitted to bid for a maximum of 10 MW each.

The feed-in-tariff fixed price system will be maintained for roof-mounted PV systems, while the tariff price for this sub-category will be set at 110 euros per MWh.