Despite bureaucratic delays, new wind energy project agreements are expected to start being signed as of next week between LAGIE, the Electricity Market Operator, and investors who had submitted applications for licenses prior to an end-of-year deadline in order to avoid needing to take part in auctions for tariff agreements.

A staff shortage at the operator has severely delayed the processing of applications, sources told energypress.

The deadline for the signing of new agreements concerning these applications, numbering roughly 160 wind energy projects, has been shifted to February 28, the energy ministry has announced.

Applicants for prospective wind energy projects totaling 500 MW secured a tariff level of 98 euros per MWh by submitting documents before the end-of-year deadline, sparing them of the need to take part in auctions for tariff agreements, as is the case for applications submitted from January 1 onwards.

In addition to these project applications, a further lot, amounting to roughly 400 MW, concerns licenses granted to investors for wind energy facilities in southern Evia, Greece’s second-largest island just northeast of Athens.

These Evia project applicants have been granted extensions until the end of February to submit the respective costs for their ventures of an underwater cable connection linking Evia with the mainland, in coastal Nea Makri, northeast of Athens. These projects will also be granted tariffs of 98 euros per MWh.