Bureaucratic mix-up seen forcing PV projects to miss next RES auction

Many small-scale photovoltaic projects (less than 1 MW) whose investors failed to secure capacities at the previous RES auction in June appear set to miss the next session on December 10 as six-month final connection offers granted by DEDDIE/HEDNO, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator, a prerequisite for participation, will have expired by next month’s auction.

Consequently, investors behind these projects, many of them at mature stages, will technically not be able to submit applications for participation in the forthcoming auction, despite the fact that related law permits participation in three successive RES auctions.

Given the confusion, the energy ministry should have either taken corrective action with a legislative revision or extended the deadline for RES auction participation applications, but it has done neither. The application deadline expires today and the time remaining for a legislative revision ahead of next month’s RES auction may not be enough. Even so, energy ministry officials have assured the issue will be resolved.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy overseeing the RES auctions, has told investors the six-month final connection offers granted by DEDDIE/HEDNO will remain valid if investors submit applications for connection agreements prior to the expiry of these offers.